Tag Archives: societal change

A PEOPLE’S aspirations can never be defeated. This is the lesson of our history. I started with aspirations here to articulate my own position about regional relations within Caricom. Regardless of what governments do, an aspiration to regionality is the tidalectics of the Caribbean. We value our connectedness whether in …

“[…] We are losing hope in the ability of our economy to provide good jobs for us. A smaller share of the working age population has been participating in the labour market. “[…] The decline is largely driven by falling male participation from above 80% to just above 60%. Female …

“[…] Dale’s death forces a hard truth… I’m grieving. “But I also feel sorrow for Ishmael’s family. Because the system failed him long before he failed himself…” The following post on the sentencing of Ishmael Clarke for the murder of police constable Dale Mayers was submitted to Wired868 by Mayers’ …

On most maps, Trinidad and Tobago is a small smudge near the mouth of the Orinoco River. In real life, it is a place of astonishing biodiversity, and a place that bigger powers have long treated as useful. Empires, oil routes and warships have passed along this coast, rearranging both …

I don’t recall ever seeing such a high level of apprehension in our space. Do you? It’s coming from a multitude of shadowed places, so many that it is difficult to put a finger on any one thing as the root. Armadas and squadrons loom on our horizon. Conflicting reports …

Thinking about the issue of belonging, I have been wanting to return to the subject of patriotism. I came across this column I had written in September 2021. Essentially, it was what I have wanted to say. So, here is a version of it. In the seventies, my large group …

However the intended and laudable “revitalisation” of Trinidad and Tobago may proceed, the long standing need for socio-economic reform, accountable governance, and massive bureaucracy busting cannot be evaded. It is an essential part of any revitalisation. I therefore fully support the statement in a recent Trinidad Express editorial that “in …

“[…] Rachel Price made this observation reflecting on social media: some things that may have been deemed shameful a mere 10 years ago, are now common behaviours in order to solicit ‘likes’ and ‘shares’. “[…] Historians have longed recognised the role of shame in keeping groups in check. In the …

“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived corruption, crime, poor infrastructure and most of all, a culture that has transformed itself into rewarding mediocrity rather than excellence. “[…] Evidence-based decision-making is critical in achieving service excellence… [For …

“[…] Madam Prime Minister 2.0 I suggest the development of an Innovation/Creative fund to encourage our students to promote math, science, and inventors’ competitions with compensations for our normal citizens to bring whatever inventions they have. “The key here is to start an innovation culture because we have a culture …

“[…] Dr Eric Williams was clear in his articulation—in a democracy, citizens have both rights and responsibilities. The government, too, has responsibilities to citizens. This is the social contract: the underlying rules that govern how citizens behave towards each other, and how the government and citizens behave towards each other. …

“[…] Seek feedback about the performance of your councillors, ask the right questions and most of all ensure that people feel safe to share their views. Do not only focus on councillors and the Corporation’s Facebook pages as community engagement. Getting feedback allows for lateral and divergent views to enhance …