View Point

Social, political and news opinion pieces

Dear Editor: Choosing one more thing, should T&T finally formalise ‘Trinbagonian’ for its citizens?

“[…] As a nation, Trinidad and Tobago ought to be beyond the moment in which the word ‘Trinidadian’ constitutes a default adjectival encapsulation of things Trinidad and Tobago.  “It is time to officially formalise the word ‘Trinbagonian’ or to institute an appropriately similar substitute that effectively reflects the conjoined community …

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Vaneisa: History matters; why Min of Education should promote Prof Brereton’s pioneering collection

True story: ‘In 1919—over 80 years after Emancipation—a Trinidadian petitioned the King for compensation for 31 freed persons previously owned by his grandfather, which he claimed had never been paid.’ It’s one of the astonishing tales recounted by Professor Emerita Bridget Brereton in her newly released book, History Matters: Selected …

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Dear Editor: A Eurocentric psyche underpins name-calling between Kamla and Camille—on both sides

“[…] Kunta Kinte, the original Toby, was kidnapped at age 17 and enslaved in America. Yes, his body surrendered to physical defeat but his spirit, his mind remained untouched.  “[…] Unfortunately, the psyche of today’s Toby is configured by Eurocentric institutions—programmes that subconsciously motivate him to consciously act like a …

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Mottley: Rethinking confrontation; the pitfalls of the government and public sector’s existing relations

“[…] For many decades, T&T’s highly productive energy sector funded disproportionately high standards of living in its non-energy sectors, including the public service. However, production in the energy sector has been in decline since 2010, masked temporarily by extraordinary recent increases in energy prices.  “[…] In such difficult circumstances, governments …

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