Facebook has been angrily buzzing with commentary about the crime situation and the rampant murders throughout the country.  There is also commentary about citizen action suggesting that we should not cower and hide in a corner.  Fixing crime is a multi-dimensional, multi-layered challenge and we all have our part to play.

 

Our current Prime Minister was part of the PNM administration which allowed SAUTT to be established without the necessary legislative framework to legitimise its operations.  This same gentleman, I am certain, is very aware of the plans drafted under the leadership of the late, former MP, Senator and Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph. I am sure he is aware of the key players and the fact that they are not being utilised at the moment.  He alone knows why he has not taken the action necessary to begin the recovery process.
The only approach to reducing crime is a long term, multi-sector approach. It is not only about police or the death penalty. We need short, medium and long term plans, and a vision which can best be lead by the Government, but only in proper consultation with organizations which are in positions to understand the genesis of criminal activity.  At the moment, however, our foundations and our non profits are too small and underfunded, and because of the economic downturn, our private sector is not positioned to produce jobs, so how can anyone imagine that this inappropriate combination will produce a solution to crime?
While we tackle the long term solutions, there are some quick-win solutions which might make citizens feel more confident that the Prime Minister who applied for, was screened, interviewed and selected, is in fact doing the job.
Here are three things the Government can do:

1. Either confirm or fire the Acting Chief of Police. If the latter, we must put a capable person to replace him as Chief.
2. Provide a status update on the following:
   * the Dana Seetahal murder,
   * the case regarding the cocaine in the juice and
   * the case of the doctor who removed cocaine from a patient’s stomach.
3. Ensure that charges are laid against public officials who have participated in the inappropriate spending of public money.

As recently as December 16, the Express reported that the Prime Minister said the following in part:
“Some criminals believed they were winning the fight and this could not prevail. Instead, the vast majority of citizens must feel safer and it is the results of police work that could be felt that was important”.
Two months later we are staring down the abyss of an absolutely chaotic situation.  The report continued to quote the Prime Minister as saying that “certain types of crimes sparked the expectation that there would be accountability.  But there is no swift justice in T&T, he said, saying he himself doesn’t feel that there is. This goes beyond the work of the police”.  The words of the Prime Minister emoted weakness; and in the tone of an observer rather than of someone in charge.
This is a quote from the 2015 Manifesto:
“The PNM will simultaneously reform, upgrade, modernise and transform our Police Service and utilise the strength of partnerships through an inter-agency approach.  The new approach to fighting crime will focus on Regional Corporations and Municipalities. This will facilitate the establishment and operationalisation of Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs)”
On the hustings, the current Minister of National Security told us about a “security architecture” and the need to “flank” the country.  We need an update on this.  We need to know about the “architecture” and the “flanking”.  Citizens are ready to support and play our part but we need leadership.
We believed the then Leader of the Opposition when he said:  “In summary, we in the PNM envision a society where integrity and morality in public life is of the highest priority and the Government serves the public good above all else, and where decisions are made and actions taken by the Government in the best interest of all concerned”.
Sir, I WANT your actions!

Dear Lennox Grant
As curators of the TEDx community in Trinidad and Tobago, we just don’t get your 4 references to TEDx in your recent article titled “Superhero PM rallies year-two apprentices” which appeared in the Sunday Express of January 8, 2017.  We are indeed surprised that a seasoned journalist of your standing would be so loose in your references.
You referenced TEDx 4 times. So, we are responding by giving you 4 reasons why you were dead wrong in making those references.

1. Firstly, TEDx Talks are delivered in 18 minutes or less and the Prime Minister failed on that score. Additionally, we ask speakers to imagine that the TEDx Talk is the last talk they would ever give. Now surely our Prime Minister’s would have done a lot better than that.

2. Secondly, TEDx Talks are about “ideas worth spreading”. The speaker is tasked with building an idea in the mind of the audience. Did the Prime Minister do that? The jury is still out. Chris Anderson, curator of TED, suggests that you ask yourself, Who does this idea benefit? If you are honest with the answer and the conclusion is that it benefits you or your organization then it is not a TED or TEDx Talk.

3. Thirdly, the global organization TED is apolitical and license holders are required to ensure that their talks remain apolitical. You are clearly trying for a tenuous link to TEDx which just does not exist.

4. Fourthly, TEDx Talks are curated, vetted and rehearsed for delivery and impact. The news conference you referred to was more of the same on the national agenda.

Ideas that make it to a TEDx stage do need to be new ideas, but they do need to have the potential to change our perspective or outlook on the world. For many people TEDxPortofSpain allows them to reset for the year. It gives them inspiration to continue on, to recharge or reset.

As part of our commitment to ideas worth spreading, we publicly offer you a scholarship – a free ticket, to attend the 2017 edition of TEDxPortofSpain which is tentatively scheduled for October 7th, 2017.

Yours in the spirit of “ideas worth spreading”

Dennise Demming
TEDxPOS co licensee

Today … these 2 advertisements caused me great pain. When a company resorts to inserting 2 full page advertisements to tell its story it is an admission that they have lost their way and are now being run by persons who need Public Relations/Corporate Communication 101.

I am further pained because I cut my “PR Teeth” at Texaco which is one of Petrotin’s predecessor companies.
With the Trintoc merger I then met a slew of local professionals steeped in the Shell philosophy of excellence.  How could such a rich history of professionals be diluted to this current reaction?

For the benefit of the PR Staff at Petrotrin, here are a few differences between Advertising and PR.

 

1. You can purchase an ad and be in control of how and when it will appear or you can engage the media so that they want to carry your side of the story.  Please note, your opponents in this case are using traditional media to their full advantage where all their nuances are being covered in various media.
   
2. If John Public reads your advertisement, they know you’re trying to sell your story and is sceptical about your message.  On the other hand when someone reads a third-party article or views coverage on TV, they view it differently and are likely to pay some attention to your message.  In this case, after reading your advertisement, I asked myself how many persons in management can safely operate the refinery for an extended period?
   
3. In advertising, you can be creative with your design and layout in the hope of catching attention while PR requires an intuition to pique  interest or create a buzz. In this case, social media is available and can tell the company’s story effectively.
   
4. An advertisement can be used several times while in PR, the story is likely to be used once, unless you can refresh the angle.  Having decided to place an advertisement, you could have used an infographic because a text laden advertisement as in this case is guaranteed to bomb.

These 2 ads have Board, Lawyer and Politician stamped all over and simply represent the inexperience, disrespect and lack of understanding of governance structures which is rampant in our state corporations.  This situation is critical to our country and will not be resolved by a media war.  The key players need to communicate with each other and come to the public with a solution.  When I talk about the need for inspired leadership, this is an opportunity for us to experience a real leader talking action and changing the game.

This is a short interview I did with SKY 99.5FM on Tuesday 22nd November 2016 with Jessie-May Ventour and Edison Carr to discuss the Invaders’ Bay developments. Audio courtesy Sky 99.5 FM Pro…

Source: AUDIO: Interview on Sky 99.5 FM on the JCC’s Invaders’ Bay law suit

It is 14 months since the 2015 general elections and I still don’t know where the country is going.  We seem to have fallen asleep.  14 months ago Dr. Rowley got the job he applied for with the slogan “Let’s do this”! Well Let’s do this now.

Let’s fix the crime situation, the 4 hourly daily commute to Port of Spain, the lack of availability of drugs in the hospitals.  I see neither results nor plans and and on top of that I have to tolerate hapless Ministers.  Here are 2 examples of their haplessness:

The Minister of Health recently talked on television about a plan he and someone hatched to catch the security officer not doing her job. I heard him say that he visited a health institution, and pretended that he was an intruder and snuck past the security who shouted but did not chase.  After about 15 minutes he and his accomplice approached the security officer.  From that incident he concluded that the security was not doing her job and he has put a plan in place to ensure that the security does their job.

What if the security guard had shot the Minister of Health? Additionally is that the role and function of a Minister?  When did the Minister of Health become a micromanager? There is a big difference between leadership and management and I am sure that Minister must be aware of the difference. Additionally where is the process? From my wide dealing in the public and private sector I know what that process trumps micromanagement every time. The more you micromanage the less time you have to plan the big vision and the big strategy. So I am absolutely disappointed in the Minister of Health for this kind of silliness.

The second issue that comes to mind is the contempt which was demonstrated by the Minister of Finance when he stopped short of daring the public to riot. Despite his apology, too many people are aware of his arrogance and highhandedness so his original statement reflects accurately how he feels.  

During the lead up to the national elections, the Prime Minister is on record as saying that his contemporaries were busy having retirement parties while he was looking for a job. Well KR! … you have the job and you’ve had it for 14 months. It is time for you to lead us in a way that makes us proud.   You are falling terribly short of leading with the charisma we know you have.  Instead the Rottweiler has returned.

I cannot count what the government has delivered over the past 14 months! But that’s understandable because no one has communicated what the government intended to do so we don’t know how to measure progress.  

Mr. Prime Minister, it is time for you to speak with the people of Trinidad and Tobago.  Let us know what your plans are and how we can help! Let’s do this now!

The absence of strategy at all levels in Trinidad and Tobago is deeply rooted and of historic significance.  We continue to have the mentality of a colonized people.  We have not yet decided to take charge of our destiny.  Daily we keep asking for someone to provide solutions to our problems.  We seem to have forgotten that we have sole responsibility for our future.  Only us … YOU AND I, TOGETHER WILL SHAPE OUR DESTINY AND THE TIME HAS COME!  NOT TOMORROW, NOT NEXT WEEK BUT RIGHT NOW!

By way of example of our colonial mentality, let us quickly reflect on our chocolate experience.  Over the past 200 years we have exported our cocoa and reimported the same cocoa as chocolates at significantly higher prices.  Imagine Cadbury once owned a cocoa estate in Trinidad with more than 430 acres.  They rode the backs of our ancestors and built their empires for generations while we simply provided the labour.  What has changed in that industry?  Cadbury no longer owns the Ortinola Estate, our cocoa industry has declined, we are still importing chocolates and we have lost the taste for our own chocolate products.  Even our palettes have been colonized!

I commend the resurgence of chocolatiers, planters and merchants but they need a home market and that’s where our population has to move away from our commitment to foreign goods and begin to appreciate what we produce locally.

This narrative is repeated in every sector – energy, agriculture, tourism.  In the agriculture sector, we have been colonized by our brothers and sisters in Grenada and St. Vincent.  They supply the dasheen, plantains and sapodillas which are on offer in the markets.  Unless we can feed ourselves we are vulnerable.  Feeding ourselves requires a shift in mental attitude and the design of the enabling systems and processes.  Since the late Dr. Eric Williams our leaders have been so busy mimicking the metropole that they have not engaged or inspired our people to accept full responsibility for our destiny.

Over many years we have failed to develop a Tourism Industry in preference for a range of Tourism activities.  Our determination to court Sandals is another example of an activity which will simply ensure that the profits flow outwards. Instead of institutionalizing a drain on the treasury, here is an opportunity for us to take a long term view and answer the question: “will this sustain us 50 to 100 years out?”  Answering that question will take us away from the 5 year focus that currently informs our decision making.

Thinking 50 to 100 years out will force us to act in the interest of Trinidad and Tobago.  The narrative must be changed from this is in the interest of Penal, Tobago, Laventille, UNC, COP, PNM or whatever is the latest symbol of our disaffection to “Is this good for all of Trinidad and Tobago?”  Answering this one question will also encourage us to look beyond our political financiers and “eat ah food gangs”.  It will inspire us to think differently about desired outcomes and perhaps help us to understand what it means to be an independent nation at 54.

 

The Jamaican Olympic success has been simply phenomenal and I admire and congratulate the government and people of Jamaica.  I however worry about my own country because every four years we rehash the same discussion about what is Jamaica doing right and what we are doing wrong?  The solution is the same – we need a strategy for sport and consistent implementation.  Our leaders continue to fail us by not clearly communicating their vision.

In a recent address Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said that “Childhood Obesity had doubled and that the Non Communicable Disease (NCD) policy, which is waiting on approval, will come on-stream soon”.   The fact that Minister Deyalsingh referenced the increase in obesity in children tells me that we are aware of the problem.  What is needed now is action to get our children moving.

During the 10 years I served as Secretary of the Witco Sports Foundation, I spent a lot of time with the late Lystra Lewis and one of the stories she often told was what led to our country sharing the World Netball Championship title with Australia and New Zealand in 1979.   This was the the fifth (5th) World Netball Championship which was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1979.   20 countries were represented.

10 years prior to this achievement, Lystra Lewis won the bid for Trinidad and Tobago to host the tournament.  At the time we did not have a stadium and she knew that good facilities were needed so she approach then Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams to build the facility which is now known as the Jean Pierre Complex.  Her role was to implement a developmental plan which would see Netball being played across the country.  This resulted in the unearthing and fine tuning of talent at all levels of our society but it began with a focussed attempt, a strategic intent to create a winning netball team.

Unfortunately, we have not maintained that high performance, well oiled machinery and Netball has slid to un unthinkable level.

In every area of sport, Trinidad and Tobago has consistently demonstrated that we have the talent but we continue to underperform.  The missing element is there is no strategic intent.  I have not heard the Minister of Sport articulate such a strategic intent.  Once he makes the call, we would quickly need to deploy qualified physical education teachers into every school and provide them with a programme aimed at developing the specific athlete(s) we want to produce.  That’s what inspired leadership would look like.

During my Caribbean Games experience, my mantra was “Sport must become the weapon of choice for our youth”.   I still believe in the potential and possibility of this statement but it will only become a reality when we devote the time and effort to craft the strategy for the sport industry.  Of course, this has been done before but our leaders choose not to build on previously laid foundations but to smash any bases that exist.  As blood fertilizes our land and our people flounder, it is urgent that we put a strategic plan in place to capture the imagination of our youth and re-ignite our people’s passion for sport.  Whatever we do, there is the grim recognition that it may be another generation before we reap the rewards.  But if action is taken now, my generation may pass-on confident in the knowledge that our future sports persons will thrive in a nurturing, passionate environment.  The minimum outcome will be a reversal of the negative obesity trend amongst our children.

I have experienced tear gas twice in my life. First at a “black power march” in Port of Spain and secondly at that famous “Pele” football match in the Queen’s Park Oval.

These memories came flooding back to me on a recent site visit to the Queen’s Park Oval. It is amazing that the pungency of Tear Gas has never left my consciousness.

I was drawn to the 1970 revolution and I don’t know why! Was it because I lived that juxtaposition of poverty and plenty? Coming from behind the bridge, we used an out house while my school had water closets. Or was it because I challenged the fact that the banks appeared to be staffed only by lighter skinned young women? This was one of the complaints of the marchers in 1970. Or was it because when Ventures played hockey against Checkers, it looked like a white team versus a coloured team on the Princess Building grounds?

I was at a stage where although I sat next to a white Trinidadian in school and we are friends today, I was uncomfortable in the presence of white persons.

Of course I felt that my school friends were different. My school had very few “darkies”. In those days I had no opinion of girls of East Indian descent. I saw them as neither dark, coloured or negro. I don’t know how they were viewed.

School was a contrast of poverty and privilege, rich and poor, high status and commoner.

My sojourns to support the Black Power marches ended after the tear gas experience and I settled down to make the best of the opportunity for an education. I settled down as most of us do to allow the universe to unfold. However I kept a keen interest in anything associated with the Black Power movement. When Beverly Jones and Guy Harewood were killed I felt I had lost a sister and brother.

I met the late “Guy Harewood” through a friend who was at Queen’s Royal College. During the marches he would call me “smallie”. I saw this survivor of the Revolution recently and was deeply pained by how rough life has treated him. There is another survivor whom I met at a Gym in Central. We talked about the superficial but acknowledged the memories that were awakened. I remember the late Beverly Jones as a young woman appearing to be larger than life.

My “Black Power Kit” comprised denim jeans, black vest, a jacket, bandana and a lime.

There was some illusion that rubbing lime on your bandana before tying it over your nose and mouth would reduce the burning sensation of Tear Gas. I never had the chance to test this illusion because the Tear Gas was swift and powerful enough to confine me to my home whenever there was a march. My late mother’s mocking question echoed in my head: “Aye, Aye .. yuh not black powering today? … dey in de square yuh know!”

Years later, the international environment is punctuated by incidents of brutality against people of colour.

The schisms between black and white are once again intense and black people have to find a place in the world and indeed in Trinidad.

We are still marginalised and at the bottom of the rung. People still use latrines in many parts of the country. The conditions of today remind me of 1970. Our reality is being revisited daily. Is it that there were no lessons of 1970?

By Dennise Demming
Volunteer, TEDxPortofSpain