Month: April 2024

Transforming our Carnival Requires Radical Change

~ dennisedemming ~ Leave a comment

“Radical transformation” is the message I keep getting from my friends. From the use of plastics to transforming our carnival, there is a consistent message that if we don’t do things differently our society will crumble and fail.

This thought has been on my mind since carnival because I was looking at the BBC News on Carnival Tuesday and they covered Brazil’s carnival extensively. Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival was NOT mentioned on the BBC that evening. I got VEX but quickly changed that vexness to asking: How can we elevate our Carnival to a global stage?

Sunday Guardian, Sunday 28th April, 2024

Trinidad and Tobago boasts of being the pinnacle of Carnival celebrations globally, but can we truly claim this title? My ambition is clear: by 2025, I want the BBC to acknowledge Trinidad and Tobago as the Carnival destination of the year. To achieve this, a radical transformation is needed.

We can begin by transforming the Carnival economic model from one based on subsidies and transfers to one which generates profits directly.  If the rationale was that there should be a return on investment, it is unlikely that the National Carnival Commission would be complaining that they received $147 million last year when they should have received $200 million.

Many years ago, Carnival season meant an uptick in demand for seamstresses, wire benders, artists, dancers, performers, graphic designers, and a range of other contributors.  Today our increased demand is for Customs officials and importers.

We must work on clarifying the Carnival product so that it can be marketed to the right audience.  There is no question that the potential of our creative industries is immense. Band leaders, singers, and event planners have developed an approach to working on Carnivals throughout the world and creating bands, shows and experiences which are phenomenal. Even those working on cruise ships play a crucial role.

Promoting local culture, cuisine, and products can reduce our reliance on imported costumes and foreign goods. By stimulating the agricultural sector, we can create a positive economic ripple effect, minimizing foreign exchange expenditures and boosting local industries.

Carnival should be celebrated on a grand scale emphasizing our rich stories, histories and while ensuring a holistic approach to enhancing the value chain. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Rowley revealed that over 300,000 Trinidadian passports were scattered across the globe. This vast diaspora presents an incredible market for festival tourism. However, obtaining reliable data remains a significant challenge, raising questions about the unfulfilled 2015 manifesto promise to modernize our Central Statistical Office.

To make our Carnival experience truly unforgettable, we must prioritize seamless accommodation and transportation for visitors, ensuring a hassle-free journey from Piarco International Airport to their departure.

We need to redefine the Carnival experience, offering immersive cultural and festive experiences that span from ticket purchase to departure. This can range from day-long festivities to month-long cultural explorations.

A structured approach to all Carnival elements, from pan-yard activities to the parade of the bands, is essential. Additionally, diversifying tourism beyond Carnival can help attract visitors throughout the year, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive festival tourism plan.

Our stories are our gold. By investing in our culture, promoting local industries, and fostering innovation, we can transform Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival into a global phenomenon, driving economic growth and securing our place on the world stage.

Paray could transform 2-party system

~ dennisedemming ~ Leave a comment

When an intelligent, coherent 92-year-old activist speaks … stop talking and start taking notes.  Ferdie Ferreira recently reminded us of his move from “political paradise to political purgatory” and commented that Rushton Paray will likely share his experience.  He also commented that he was watching the signs and symptoms of hubris of the leaders of our two major political parties.

My introduction to the concept of hubris dates to the tenure of the late former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, when Professor Selwyn Ryan questioned whether the nation was grappling with Manning’s “hubris syndrome.” Reflecting on this term, I pondered whether it was the intoxication of power, excessive pride, or an absence of humility that led to its manifestation. Or is it that other than General Elections, there has not, in living memory, been an instrument for informing leaders that they are wrong, so they are allowed to proceed recklessly? Now, intriguingly, hubris surfaces in discussions surrounding our current Prime Minister as well as the Leader of the Opposition. Their demeanor suggests arrogance in addressing critical matters, a deficiency of humility in their approach, and a detachment from the needs of ordinary citizens. 

Tone deaf and unaware that the country is crying out for effective leadership, both political leaders seem to be cemented in their current positions, politically and mentally.  In the case of the Leader of the Opposition, after leading her party through losses in both National and General Elections, if she were paying attention, she should be rethinking her leadership role.  In the case of the Prime Minister of the country, citizens are so disappointed with his current leadership that in my opinion if the opposition presents itself with a new leader quite a few staunch PNM voters will “hold their noses” and give support simply to “vote him out”,  That’s another voter behaviour which does not work well, because it is used punitively, not productively.

Several persons have commented that the call for the UNC’ ‘s internal elections by Member of Parliament (MP) for Mayaro Rushton Paray is political suicide, but he is taking the risk and asking the Leadership to “respect the voice of its members” and move ahead with the party’s internal elections that are constitutionally due in June of this year. That to me is a reasonable call that should be honoured because it abides with the party’s constitution.

In 1973, author and political activist, Ferdie Ferreira supported the late Mr Karl Hudson Phillip in his failed attempt to secure the office of political leader of the PNM.  Later, he was declared persona non-grata in the People’s National Movement (PNM).  He went on to be a key influencer in the Organization for National Reconstruction (ONR) which did not win a seat in the 1981 General Elections despite winning over 22% of the votes.  ONR was succeeded by the NAR in 1986, winning 33 out of 36 seats in the General Elections.

If history is to repeat itself, then Rushton Paray is committing political suicide.  In my opinion, his political rebirth could transform our two-party system.  However this plays out, our current leaders need to step away, focus on the twilight of their lives, and provide opportunities for new and different leaders.