Quite often  TED talks make me stand up in awe … This is another simple idea which provides a moment for pause and reflection.  Can we make this work in T&T?

Minister Ramnarine … we are not fools!  Your description of the electoral spend under the guise of CSR will not stand up to global scrutiny.  Your half baked revision of how CSR is implemented just confirms your lack of understanding of some key concepts.  CSR practitioners globally are collectively cringing at the looseness of your revision of this definition.  While you play loose with serious concepts, another citizen suffers!  Cassandra Patrovani-Sylvester has been right sized/ realigned/separated … call it what you will.  Her career has been halted.  Yet another professional has been sacrificed at the the alter of political expediency because she was doing her job.  When someone is fired for cause the person can reflect on their wrong doing but to have your career halted because of politics is unjust.

NGC has historically had a very measured, transparent and logical approach to Corporate Communications but what the public is experiencing now amounts to irresponsibility.  Whomever succeeds Mrs. Patrovani-Sylvester will face an uphill task returning the Corporate Communications philosophy to one which is logical and research based.

I was prepared to ignore the $1M spend on tickets for Carnival Fetes when I considered one million dollars as a percentage of NGC’s profit but now the attempt to justify blatant electioneering is phenomenal.  If the company was trying to track effectiveness then an electoral map is NOT the tool to be used.  Corporate Communications 101 says you need to begin with the research so that your objectives are clear and its impact can be measured at the evaluation stage.  Tell us what was the company measuring?

Your attempt to draw BP into this muddy pool further underscores you lack of understanding. 

FYI Minister Ramnarine, here’s a definition from the UNIDO website:

 …  Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR is generally understood as being the way through which a company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (“Triple-Bottom-Line- Approach”), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders. In this sense it is important to draw a distinction between CSR, which can be a strategic business management concept, and charity, sponsorships or philanthropy.

I sat on a jetty in Bequia and gazed to the bottom of the ocean.  My gaze was interrupted by tropical fish darting to and fro. Since 2005 we have sailed the Caribbean for Carnival:  St Martin … The Grenadines … Antigua … Guadeloupe … Antigua.  For sure, the beauty of our region is incomparable.

This year, we did the Grenadines where we stopped at Mayreau.  One of the highlights is a visit the oldest church in the region which is located atop a hill that provides a stunning panoramic view.

On the way up the hill I suffered the indignity of seeing my Minister of Tourism dribble and cuss over his meal while the locals looked on in amusement.  People who accept office also have to accept that they carry the office 24/7 and that means being on your best behaviour at all times.  Saints are not what we expect but to be drunk out of your mind, cussing and dribbling over your food!  Really!

Had the Minister been more “aware”  he may have noticed that there’s a tremendous opportunity for Caribbean crew and vacationers to be represented in the Cruising Industry throughout the region.  In my 12 or so years of sailing I am yet to come across a Caribbean crew and first mate.  This is certainly “a niche” waiting to be served by our people.

Part 1 of an interview on CNC3’s Morning Brew!

CNC3 The Morning Brew interview with Hema Ramkissoon on December 2014.

Every time I do morning run on the Diego Martin Highway, I encounter at least 20 cars using the shoulder but today was record breaking because I also encountered 2 police vehicles on the shoulder and one was driven by a civilian.

People break the rules because there are no consequences and because they emulate others.   “If the Police is breaking law, then why can’t I”? is the rationale they use.  The re-deployment of Police Officers to issue tickets every morning will make a difference to the reckless driving and the traffic. 

Until then I continue to salute the majority of law abiding citizens who sit in the murderous traffic morning and evening. Here are 5 things you can do to make your commute enjoyable:

1. Sing your favourite song at the top of your voice even if you’re in a PH Taxi.
2. Smile and wave at everyone who passes you by.
3. Do something silly like pointing to the sky and see how many people will follow you.
4. Meditate and send some positive vibez to everyone around you.
5. Find a good topical radio station and start calling in and get involved, or call all the radio stations and dedicate some songs to people.

CSI or make believe criminal investigation is alive and well in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

This shot is part of the well made up image of the TTPS, whose primary interest appears to be to look good.  Weekly, we are exposed to these staged police shots of ganja hauls sprinkled with some street gun pick ups while the crime detection rate is abysmally low, the murder rate is spirally and driving is characterized by an attitude of survival of the fittest.  Left unaddressed these issues will create a tipping point, when citizens will take take action.  Such spontaneous response will be chaotic and detrimental to the entire country.  If ever there was a time for “inspired leadership” that time is now!

At the root of the homelessness of Desperadoes is our inability to deal with crime at all levels of our society. Despite the propaganda, little has changed over the past 56 months with regard to crime and criminal justice.  The murder rate has had marginal movement and we are now unclear as to how the Government defines Crime.

Despers left the “Hill” in 2010 and I felt ashamed that as a society we had allowed a few bandits to determine the location of one of our premier bands.  A few bandits robbed us of an intangible, an experience that was magical – enjoying sweet music atop the hill.  Despers moving from their home is analogous to a parent abandoning their home because the children are unruly.  Very few of us would allow that kind of behaviour from our children.  So why do we allow this behaviour in our society?  Why do we allow our politicians to preside over this steadily deteriorating crime situation?

Crime is affecting every sinew of our society and law abiding citizens feel helpless.  From school delinquency to reckless driving, law abiding citizens are afraid and our politicians try to lull us into believing that everything is all right.

If we want to imbue our citizens with a sense of discipline then our leaders must themselves be disciplined.  If we want our citizens to be productive, our leaders must demonstrate that they too are productive.  If we want our citizens to follow the law, then our leaders must live by the law.  I am not simply referring to criminal law but to the moral and ethical codes which underpin developed countries.  If we want our communities to be sound and wholesome, we must  establish the context and ground rules accordingly.

At the heart of all this, there are simple folk who long for a society where we feel safe and secure.  There are ordinary folks in TnT who are committed to changing our country for the better.  There are plain folks who will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the rule of law prevails.  Our country is crying out for inspired leadership.  Leaders whom we can respect for their commitment to doing what is right and who is known to live their life of honesty and integrity.  We must have the courage to return Despers to their home.