Parents of students attending the L’Anse Fourmi Methodist School, Tobago, are full of praise for energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago for implementing the highly-successful ARROW remedial learning programme at the school. At a meeting held at the school last Monday, parents were provided with a full understanding of how the programme works as well as how they can play a greater role in the development of their children.

According to Stasha Kerr- King, whose daughters, Alyssa and Alisha, are Second Year and Standard Two pupils, the session was very informative and beneficial. “We all agree that the ARROW programme is very impressive. We’re really grateful that our kids are getting this opportunity and the tips and advice given to us in terms of enhancing the learning environment at home were welcome. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can sometimes lose focus on the importance of how critical our role is in our children’s education.

“We have been empowered by this session and this investment made by BPTT will impact on ever single child in our community. We are truly grateful for this enhanced educational tool,” Kerr-King said.

Hundreds of students across Tobago have benefitted from bpTT’s implementation of the ARROW remedial learning programme over the years, including those at some of the more remote schools such as Charlotteville Methodist and Speyside Anglican.

Explaining the company’s intervention was bpTT’s Corporate Responsibility Manager, Ronda Francis who said: “From pre-primary to post-graduate level, we have been providing opportunities to support education, which is one of the main pillars of our many social investment initiatives. Because of the multisensory technological approach incorporated by ARROW, these students are excited and encouraged to learn.

“We have seen incredible results with students, not only in terms of their academics, but also the marked improvement in terms of their overall attitudes and self-esteem.”

Francis added: “It was a pleasure interacting with the students, parents and staff of the school. Getting their feedback and participation can only help to strengthen the focus on the students. It must be said that while we are incorporating cutting-edge technology in learning, we also need to hold on to traditional values such as the reality that it still takes a village to raise a child. That is why we are here today and it was a resounding success.”

The students of the school have been given a tremendous advantage though the implementation of the computerbased ARROW programme sponsored by bpTT. The first intake of students has already improved their academic standings and overall attitudes toward learning.

In the words of Standard Four student, Destiny George, “The ARROW computer programme really helps me to learn and I am reading and spelling better which is helping me to improve in all subjects, even maths. I want to be a lawyer and I know that I have to work really hard and do well. ARROW is really helping me to do better in school and the support of my teachers, parents and bpTT will help me achieve my dream.”

In addition to working with the students, bpTT’s support also includes ARROW tutor-training for selected teachers in each of the participating primary schools as well as licensing for use of the software. This will allow the teachers to become accredited ARROW tutors, thereby ensuring that any student who needs additional help can have ready access to a trained facilitator and the learning programme.

Giving positive feedback to the initiative was principal, Prisca Jack, who said: “This programme is extremely beneficial and it caters to the learning needs of each individual student. As an educator, I want a variety of teaching styles available to my students and ARROW’s use of technology really engages them and enhances the process.

“Because of our location, we are often left out of corporate initiatives, but bpTT came to us and we feel blessed to have been selected. We truly appreciate that bpTT and ARROW representatives came and interacted directly with our students, teachers and parents and we are thrilled that our students are getting this added advantage.”

Christopher Bonterre, director of the local ARROW Foundation, spoke to the parents about how the programme works and offered advice on the holistic development of their children such as proper nutrition, open communication and participative activities, including reading as a family.

Bonterre said: “When parents get involved in the education of their children, improvements increase significantly. The response from these parents has been outstanding and we know that they are on the pathway to success.

“ARROW is the United Kingdom’s leading literacy programme developed to improve reading, spelling, concentration, confidence and much more through brain-based learning. With the support of bpTT, we have been able to bring these substantial benefits to schools across Tobago and Trinidad. We need more companies to follow their example and get on board to ensure that our students get every advantage.”

ABOUT ARROW

Developed more than 40 years ago in the United Kingdom, ARROW stands for Aural - Read - Respond - Oral - Write. It focuses on remedial work in reading, spelling, dictation, speech and listening skills and assists students who experience academic challenges by transforming their entire approach to learning. The computer-based learning applies use of the self-voice – a recording of the learner’s own voice while reading – which forms the basis of the multi-sensory learning approach.

One hundred educators and caregivers are closer to understanding the dynamics of Behaviour and Occupational Therapy for people with disabilities, after participating in a two-day workshop hosted by the Digicel Foundation Trinidad and Tobago, in partnership with the A&C Foundation out of Ireland, last month, at Signature Hall, Chaguanas.

The two-day workshop was designed to wrap up the three-year intervention in 15 schools and organisations that cater to persons with intellectual disabilities, examine the successes, findings and opportunities for peer learning and discuss public sector involvement with an aim to making the initiative more sustainable.

While the audience anxiously awaited training in effective classroom management, behavioural assessment, token economies, self-management, sensory processing disorders and handwriting strategies, many commented on the innovation of including two panel discussions which allowed parents to get a “seat at the table” to mull over public sector processes and opportunities.

The two panel discussions, themed Connecting Your Needs and An Intervention That Works, allowed participants to take a deep dive into issues surrounding accessing public services and support, while discovering initiatives that can lead to holistic development.

On day two, the room came alive as Occupational Therapist Mohan Gopaul and Behaviour Analyst Shannon Eidman facilitated interactive sessions, sharing information on techniques and strategies to advance the quality of life for children with disabilities. One parent expressed, “This was a great session, I learned a lot and I am encouraged to see what was presented to me, thank you Digicel Foundation—keep making this investment in special education.”

The foundation invested US $17,000 in the two-day workshop.

In fact, the Trinidad foundation has spent the past six years supporting projects that advance the lives of persons with special needs. Programmes with a focus on sport for development, inclusion, sex and sexuality and disaster preparedness, are just a few of the areas the foundation has made an impact over the years.

The therapy–based education programme was conceptualised in 2014, after feedback from teachers and caregivers showed that a significant intervention was needed in the area of special education with a focus on therapy. The programme took a multifaceted approach to education for persons with intellectual disabilities, and after an investment by the foundation of US$264,000 over the past three years, 15 schools, 884 students, and 158 teachers have benefited.

The first-of-a-kind programme was done in three phases and included the development of therapy rooms, procurement of therapy equipment and ICT to assist with the sustainability of the intervention.

Penny Gomez, CEO Digicel Foundation T&T said of the event, “The workshop is the culmination of three years of investing in a cross section of the population that needs special attention if we are to create a world where no one is left behind.

“The foundation, through this intervention continues to answer the call from stakeholders to connect them to experts in the field to acquire knowledge, receive practical training and through the supply of specialised equipment, to aptly teach the ones in their care in turn.”

Stricter rules for Point Fortin J’Ouvert bands will be in force for 2019. Bandleaders will be expected to display creativity without the use of oil, paint, grease or powder, according to John Springle, chairman of Point Fortin’s Dock of The Bay Sports and Cultural Club, organisers of the J’Ouvert parade for the annual Point Fortin Borough Celebrations.

Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony for bands, at the Borough Town Hall on Sunday June 10, Springle said his organisation wants to maintain the goodwill of the people of the southern borough. There were several complaints about buildings and vehicles being sprayed with paint. The organisers want to ensure vehicles and buildings are left untouched, and that on-lookers can enjoy the parade without getting soiled.

Springle added that the Borough Corporation has started requesting a contribution to help with post J’Ouvert cleaning up.

Springle also said the organisers were thinking about establishing a second judging point to lengthen the parade route. At present, the only judging point is located at the Atlantic Building on Adventure Road. This year 38 bands participated in the parade and 29 crossed the judging point.

Prizes were distributed to the top five bands. In first place was Mango Season by the band Country Bookie, and in second place was Puncheon Boys’ presentation of More Fire. Third place went to Wild Wild West by Good Girls, Bad Boys; fourth place was filled Just Illusion’s Showtime; and, in fifth place was Madi Gras by Radical Promotions.

The Ole Mas competition was won by John Paul for the presentation To Hell and Back.

If we needed a script with twists and turns and an unexpected ending, we could look no further than the one written jointly by Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan.

In fact, we could be looking at a tragicomedy, if the circumstances did not merit a more dramatic tale with a happy ending.

The play called the Galleons Passage has a cast of characters that range in nationalities from down-under to the Caribbean, with many of the roles featuring players whom we expected had the experience to deliver to an audience starved of excellent productions.

However, expectations of a good show have not been met, and the critics are weighing in and filling the playbill with reviews that are not even remotely flattering.

The writers, producers, and actors of the Galleons Passage will have to rewrite the entire play and make a fresh and definite announcement of the next edition.

If they fail to do so, then the audiences in both Trinidad and particularly Tobago will consider the production of the Galleons Passage a complete waste of time, money, talent, and more.

If that happens, it will be hard to attract anyone to future productions, and that as any theatre producer will tell you is not the way to break a leg.

Let’s work with Guyana

How times have changed for Guyana. Our South American neighbour is set to become a top oil producer “projected within a decade to pump nearly a barrel of oil per person a day, more per capita than Saudi Arabia,” according to Kejal Vyas writing in the Wall Street Journal.

This new source of wealth that Guyana is due to receive has already raised concerns that the Government may not have engaged the kind of expertise to ensure that real value comes to the country.

But it is getting help from two World Bank experts who will be conducting workshops to build Guyana’s oil and gas capacity as part of a US$20 million grant.

Expertise resides right next door, and we should be the first call to share our experience and knowledge with Guyana.

Approaches have already been made, but we urge GORTT and private sector operators to move swiftly to take advantage of the opportunities Guyana’s good fortune present. It would be a prime example of CARICOM at work.

Time for T&T football to step up

The performance of the Mexico team in the World Cup in Russia has brought joy not only to their legions of fans at home and around the world but also to the countries of CONCACAF. With the future expansion to 48 teams, we should be aiming to qualify. Let’s start today with that goal.

“If a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?”

The Pope said he was paraphrasing by heart the Catechism of the Catholic Church “where it says that these people should be treated with delicacy and not be marginalised…people should not be defined only by their sexual tendencies.”

Earlier this month, religious heads here held a press conference and called on the Government not to amend the Equal Opportunity Act to accommodate the LGBTQIA community and to change the Marriage Act to specify that marriage is a union between a biological male and female. According to press reports, these leaders believe that the fabric of society is “at risk” and see “a clear and present danger in our midst.”

Religious institutions must honour their doctrines and therefore, the churches are within their right to marry and welcome whomever they want in their hallowed places. I don’t think the law should force churches to marry anyone or give him or her any other “sacrament,” if the principle of separation of the church and State holds good. It is their right under the Constitution to exercise “freedom of conscience and religious belief and observance.” That right should be respected and so too, the churches should respect the fundamental right of the individual “to equality before the law and the protection of the law.” What is socially unjust is denial of anyone’s recognition under the Equal Opportunity law and to imply that same-sex relationships pose a risk to society and denigrates it. Judge not and ye shall not be judged.

Given the extent of child abuse, murders, domestic violence, and other violent crimes, poverty, illiteracy, corruption, racism, and the many other issues affecting society, none of which was motivated by the LGBTQIA community, it would be stretching bigotry and homophobia at the seams to suggest that recognition of this community under the law would taint the moral fabric of society. It begs the question; how have gay priests in the Catholic Church–a church that influences the lives of over one billion of the world’s population affected the moral fabric of their societies? Many of them were and are teachers and confessors to millions of people.

Catholic Catechism condemns homosexuality as an “intrinsic disorder,” and gay sex “an intrinsic moral evil,” but there is empirical evidence that it is rampant in the church—in the US between 15 per cent and 50 per cent as against a population average of around 3.8 per cent. Known by the Vatican and its churches, these priests performed the holy sacraments–giving their members the “body and blood” of Christ—the very agents of God and who according to the bible committed an “abomination” and should be put to death. Of course, long ago the church solved its dilemma as to the efficacy of sacraments given by priests who had sinned grievously; the sacrament act does not depend upon the human minister but the “power of Christ.” So be it, but there is no denying that the Catholic priesthood became a “haven for many gay men,” a situation with which the Catholic Church is struggling. Its position on inclusion in a Refugee Law of same-sex couples and transgender people who may seek asylum here would be interesting.

The churches’ concern for the preservation of “traditional family values” is an interesting one if only because the concept of family has evolved to different dimensions in our time. Space does not permit elaboration; suffice it to say the “traditional family” continues to change with trends toward secularity. That trend is not likely to change no more than the decreasing attendance in traditional churches worldwide.

Our nation does not need more divisiveness, hate, and bigotry, rather social justice for all under the law while respecting the wise principle of the separation of church and State. What has put society at risk is social inequity and hypocrisy.

When she unveiled her party’s manifesto on May 10 at Kingsland, Christchurch, BLP Leader Mia Mottley told the crowd as follows: “I said it before that we would do whatever is necessary, that is legal and moral, to rescue this country. Does that mean going to the IMF? It may, we don’t know. But when we get the results in the first few days, we will be able to make the judgment.”

That position gave Mia Mottley the political leverage that she now needs as Prime Minister to take the steps that she outlined in her press briefing two Saturdays ago when she and her delegation returned from meetings in Washington with managing director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde.

By contrast, that was not a position that could have been adopted by the Rowley administration in T&T after the 2015 general election. Back then, the PNM signed an MOU with the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) on August 27, 2015, that clearly bound the PNM not to pursue any approach to the IMF if it were to be successful in the general election.

As a consequence, the PNM in government has chosen not to approach the IMF however, their relationship with JTUM has deteriorated badly based on last Tuesday’s events in Fyzabad where JTUM leader, Ancel Roget, used a scorecard approach to measure the performance of the Government and he was scathing in his assessment.

Meanwhile, back in Bridgetown, Prime Minister Mottley told the press briefing that Barbados had to suspend its debt payments because of how bad the situation was with a debt burden of BDS$1.8 billion, although she admitted that the burden was closer to BDS$1.9 billion as more and more obligations were being discovered since she came into office. What was most interesting is that she told Barbadians: “Relax. We got this one.”

She indicated that the delegation that went to the IMF had to ensure that they addressed what she called “mission-critical issues.” She revealed that Madame Lagarde responded positively and that an IMF team will come to Barbados from July 2 to 12 instant.

Mottley’s main priorities are fixing a broken infrastructure and protecting the most vulnerable. Quite interestingly, she spoke about a pay increase for public servants who had not had an increase for several years and that the last decade saw the largest exodus of senior public servants since independence.

Her argument was that by signing up with the IMF, Barbados would find that new capital would be released which was vitally necessary and that the interest rate was at one per cent, which she highlighted in the press briefing. Her argument was that successive downgrades had prevented Barbados from going into the international markets, but with clearance through the IMF that would all be set aside and new capital would be made available to Barbados.

This is a most interesting development because she has the political capital necessary to spend on the decision to go to the IMF, while unlocking financial capital in the process. Two other goals that she highlighted were (i) protecting the quality of life for Barbadians, and (ii) protecting the value of the Barbados dollar. She argued that Barbados had nothing to gain by devaluing its dollar as it does not have a large manufacturing sector and any devaluation would hurt its economy.

This latter point must be contrasted with T&T where the approach of the Government has been to let the value of the TT dollar slip gradually to where it is now. There is a debate among economists about the devaluation of the TT dollar, while in Barbados the Government there is resolute about defending the value of its dollar.

Another matter addressed by Prime Minister Mottley was the fact that she wanted to approach the international market place by going through the traditional route of the IMF, while she contended that the former DLP administration wanted to pursue debt restructuring through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Her argument is that the IMF borrowing will be at one per cent and that the IMF has changed its approach and is now willing to complete these negotiations in three months as opposed to the much longer periods than before with other countries. The process has started and we now wait to hear the outcome of the negotiations with the IMF

The Greek City States halted their many and constant wars amongst and between each other to contest the Olympic Games; so essential was sport to their lives.

At the end of those games, the City States resumed their battles as if there was no truncation of hostilities. Reflecting on that pattern of civilisation, CLR James asked the question: “What do men live by”?

21st century World Cup contests and Olympic Games have taken on somewhat of a similar pattern. The major difference today, there is no cessation of hostilities between and amongst nations in perennial contest for territory, economic superiority, cultural dominance inclusive of ethnic and tribal superiority, one over the other.

Contemporary everyday life also joins the nations in potential world-destroying military blow-outs. The verbal jostling was recently centred on the issue of which country has the biggest nuclear button and bomb and which is most disposed to press it first.

As depicted on our sporting television screens, the viewer cannot help but be struck by the range of nations, regions, continents, ethnicities, tribes, language groups contesting for football superiority, and the glory of simply being amongst the top 32 footballing nations of the world.

The continents and seas are criss-crossed, Asia, South, and Central America, Europe, Africa, Russia, Australia, the Middle East. If T&T had not effectively dismissed the United States in the qualifiers, traditional sharp ideological differences between the East and West would have found another ground to play out their differences.

Whatever else is said about them, history will record that it was Jack Warner and Sepp Blatter who spread participation across continents and nations from concentration on Europe and South America. On the football field, black Africans are finding space amongst the major players on a number of European country teams; a black defender in the German squad would have sent Hitler into a state of apoplexy
Pure ethnicities and a bewildering variety of mixtures and admixtures are on show; white Scandinavians interact with Amerindians; black Africans, Asians, Latinos, Middle Eastern Arabs, Christians and Muslims, Buddhists bounce shoulders with atheists and other non-believers all engaged in a common effort to establish their nations in the “beautiful game.”

Industrial and commodity producers, continental-sized countries contest against islands, the wealthy clash with poverty-stricken nations, developed and underdeveloped drink at the same well, and there is no assurance that the large, rich, and white will prevail–Mexico humbled Germany.

And while nationalism is at the cutting edge of the contests, many of the teams have taken on the character of the multi-national corporation operating in a globalised world.

Coaches are bought, the citizenships of players are re-minted, and there is much copying of playing systems and strategies. The previous unique samba styles of the Brazilians have been adopted and adapted.
Similarly, the mechanical defending of post-war European soccer, which emphasised defence, has been incorporated into football cultures which did not experience the wars.

Those endeared by magic, dribbling, and the open play of football of another era settle for utility play shorn of romanticism but we are relieved that the weapons on display are not manufactured to kill and maim.

Nationalists, with the colour of their flags running through their veins, acquire the adrenalin to empower them to travel thousands of miles to populate stadia spread over once battlefields of ideology and weapons.

Most importantly, for at least one month trade wars, contesting political ideologies, deadly nuclear weaponry, verbal battles, border conflicts, battles over economic superiority and much more, while they continue to exist, do not dominate our consciousness.

The unlovely is wiped from our consciousness as we eagerly witness the value of human skill, resilience, and artistic expression. The quality of human interaction, notwithstanding the ferocity of the contest between and amongst national identities, ethnicities and the ways of life, easily replaces our world of conflict and strife.

Realistically though, the staging of these grand pageants is not universally perceived as being all positive notwithstanding the rich human, sporting, and cultural interaction amongst widely varying nations.

In Brasil, both in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup and Olympics, there were strident and massively vocal protests against the displays of opulence in the midst of crippling poverty.

How does universal man make permanent that which is beautiful and uplifting, generous, tolerant, and appreciative of all humanity? It’s the challenge of this century.

In The Wine of Astonishment, Lovelace interrogates the public manifestation of faith during the passing of the Prohibition Ordinance from 1917 until 1951. The wearing of visible signs of political, philosophical, or religious beliefs that are a manifestation of those beliefs without distinction has generated copious case law at the European Court of Justice. In the Caribbean, there was a period when African varieties-of-religious experience became ‘acts’ of political and ideological self-expression.

The Port-of-Spain Gazette in 1898 styled a congregation of worshippers as ‘Shouters’. They practised a religion rooted in West African faith which had much in common with the ‘Converted’ of St Vincent and the ‘Jordanites’ of Guyana. In the wake of the ‘Shakerism Prohibition Ordinance’ in 1912 in St Vincent which outlawed the Shakers, the local authorities were eager to mimic those efforts. By 1917 the legislature of T&T passed the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance. By 1927 Grenada’s ‘Public Meetings (Shakerism) Prohibitions Ordinance’ was also enacted. Prosecutions ensued and worshippers were forced to pray in ‘Secret Gardens’ with a perogun in one corner pierced by 20-foot bamboo stalks flying flamboyant flags, scattered stools, and a water trough. Inside the palais, candles burned in all four corners with olive oil poured intermittently. On the open-sided face—singing, dancing, and drumming. Inside the chapelle—a litany of lithographs of Saints, pots of water, and ceremonial brooms.

Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler called for religious tolerance and by 1951 the Ordinance was repealed and its anniversary observed as ‘Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day’. The first 16 words of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States state that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...’ There is no precise equivalent to this formulation in Europe. The ‘free exercise’ of religion is guaranteed, albeit with qualifications, by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which all members of the Council of Europe are signatory. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change faith or belief either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his faith in worship, teaching, practice, and observance. Article 9 goes on to say that freedom of religion can be limited in the interests of ‘public safety...the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.’

Interestingly, there isn’t anything equivalent to the American ‘establishment’ clause because many European countries retain established or national churches as is the case in England, Denmark, and Greece.

Others accord certain historic privileges to the Roman Catholic Church as in Spain, Italy, and parts of Germany. This diversity of regime, ranging from church-minded Greece to ultra-secular France is guaranteed by the Treaty on the Functioning of the members of the European Union. Article 17 of that treaty states that the ‘Union respects...the status under national law of churches and religious associations or communities in the member states.’ Brussels is therefore uninterested in imposing a uniform church-state system across its EU.

Despite the variances between the European and American positions, there is convergence. In both, jurisdictions lawmakers have leaned towards respect for the ‘autonomy’ of religious organisations—their right to set their own rules in respect of internal organisation and vital bits of legislation mandate, the equal treatment of people of different faiths. America’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 was intended to outlaw all discrimination on the basis of religion as well as race and national origin. In EU law, there is a directive outlawing all forms of discrimination in employment, as well as a broader equality directive which does not mention religion. Both in America and Europe, it is acknowledged that indirect discrimination—applying a rule which may disadvantage certain groups—may be permissible if the purpose is legitimate.

Within the tangle of constitutional principles, judges in both America and Europe have to pick their way through the claims of parties. While the principles are clearer in Europe the case law is equally tangled in both jurisdictions. Austria has moved to ban the burqa and niqab in schools and courts and is looking at head scarves in the public service. Many constitutions hold that all men are created equal in the eyes of God but not one has braved the question posed by Peter Minshall—Are all Gods equal in the eyes of men? The hope for humanity might lay in peace studies and faith-based education, not religious instruction.

When the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury, a new Britain was born. On board was the first wave of West Indian guest workers, answering a British government advertisement for cheap transport to the mother country to fill the postwar labour shortage.

The seeds of multicultural Britain were duly sown. Further down the line lay the Notting Hill riots of 1958, Joe Harriott at Ronnie Scott’s, the Notting Hill street carnival, the Equals singing Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys, the Clash singing Police and Thieves, football fans throwing bananas at black players, black players becoming international captains, Lenny Henry offering to be repatriated to Dudley, Paul Gilroy’s There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack, the Brixton and Toxteth riots of 1981, Janet Kay trilling Silly Games on Top of the Pops, Courtney Pine’s Jazz Warriors, the London Community Gospel Choir, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zephaniah turning down an MBE, pirate radio, natty dread, funki dred, drum’n’bass, dubstep, grime, Dizzie Rascal. All this was to come.

First, though, first came Kitchener. The Windrush, a former German liner popular with the Nazi naval elite, included onboard Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner, Trinidad’s top calypsonians. Remarkably, when Kitchener disembarked, Pathe News caught the “king of calypso” on camera. Pathe was documenting “The Great British Black Invasion”. Asked to sing, Kitchener didn’t miss a beat. “London is the place for me,” he crooned, “London, this lovely city …” He had yet to experience smog-bound austerity Brixton, whose labour exchange was first port of call for many of Kitchener’s 500 fellow travellers.

“Kitch” worked his own passage, in clubs and pubs. Soon he, Beginner and others were passing comment on national life on record; the 1950 England-West Indies test match was celebrated on Cricket, Lovely Cricket. The 1951 general election and the 1953 coronation followed while closer to home was My Landlady and her demands for rent. With its wit and side order of double entendre–”Oh mister, don’t touch me tomatoes”– calypso fitted easily into the national psyche.

The musical history of multi-racial Britain is usually elided to omit the 50s, jumping to the Jamaican insurgency of the 60s, but in London at least there was a vibrant scene, ranging from the big band swing of Jamaica’s Leslie “Jiver” Hutchinson to the steel band of Trinidadian Russ Henderson. It was a diverse, global mix drawn to the mother country from different parts of the Empire, with jazz providing the lingua franca.

Little documented, the scene was caught by Colin MacInnes in his 1957 novel City of Spades, whose hero is a West African hustler called Johnny Fortune. MacInnes gives us a glimpse of a secret London of nightclubs and shebeens, petty criminals, prostitutes, corrupt cops, outsiders by race, sexuality or choice. It’s a parallel world to the starchy conformism of drab, respectable Britain.

Black America, of course, played its part, but a new, cosmopolitan fusion that spoke specifically to black Britons was under way. More than bananas had come off the banana boats in London’s docks. It was The Banana Boat Song, a Jamaican work chant, that broke calypso to an international audience.

As the 50s teetered into the 60s, calypso was still popular. Like much else, it would be swept aside by pop, R&B, and folk. In particular, there was soul, whose confident, civil rights-tinged modernism offered a new model to black people across the globe. When Sam Cooke sang A Change is Gonna Come, the racial rulebook changed.

Jamaican music was quickest to pick up the new mood of black America, and add its own innovatory ideas to create reggae. When the Notting Hill carnival moved onto the streets in 1966, it was a Trinidadian, calypsonian celebration, though reggae and its sound systems would come to define the event in the 1970s, when the story of Reggae Britannica takes off. First, though, there was Kitch.

West Indies stumbled and stuttered their way through the opening session of the historic day-night third Test against Sri Lanka got the better of the exchanges that left the home team wobbling on 46 for four at the supper break on the opening day of play at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

At the break, wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich unbeaten on 13 and Shai Hope on 11.

Speedster Suranga Lakmal, leading the side in the absence of the suspended Dinesh Chandimal, claimed two for 20.

The Windies did not put up a good showing and displayed a steady stream of batsmen to and from the Sir Garfield Sobers pavilion.

With Sri Lanka down 0-1 in the series and also without their captain Chandimal out through suspension and top spinner Rangana Herath out through injury, the players came out hard against the host.

Stand-in skipper Lakmal swinging the ball prodigiously in the fierce Bridgetown wind was able to convince Windies skipper Jason Holder that he made the wrong call by batting first.

He grabbed two wickets for four runs to make an excellent start as skipper. He sent back Devon Smith for two and Kraigg Brathwaite for a similar score. The speedy Lahiru Kumara dismissed Keiran Powell by angling one across him for four and the Windies fans who numbered around 2,000 grew very quiet.

Windies got a respite with the score on 12 for three as the rain came down to keep the players off for half an hour.

When they returned, Christchurch player Roston Chase lost his middle stump to Kasun Rajitha.

The tall right-hander had ploughed his way to 14 when he played across the line see his timbers on the ground.

The stylish Shai Hope and the plucky wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich buckled down well and with some thick edges against the swinging ball, was able to carry the score to 46 for four at the break.

SCOREBOARD

Windies vs Sri Lanka
Windies innings
K Brathwaite c Gunakitila b Lakmal 2
D Smith c de Silva b Lakmal 2
K Powell c Mendis b Lakmal 4
S Hope not out 11
R Chase b Rajitha 14
S Dowrich not out 13
Extras 0
Total for 4 wkts 46
Fall of wkts: 3, 8, 8, 24.
Bowling: S Lakmal 8-3-20-2, L Kumara 8-4-11-1, K Rajitha 4-1-15-1, M Perera 1-1-0-0.

FC Santa Rosa rebounded from a 1-0 loss against Police FC last week by thrashing arch-rivals Guaya United FC 3-0 at the Arima Velodrome on Friday night.

Playing at its home ground for a second time this season, the Big Cannons, as they are called by their fans, the host got a double strike from Kevon Cornwall, who also had a hand in the third item.

He opened the scoring in the 18th minute and then gave the Big Cannons a two-goal cushion when he climbed unchallenged to head home in the 57th minute, which followed a neat build-up down the right flank.

Kheelon Mitchell then drove the nail in Guaya’s coffin with his goal in the 60th minute to lift the Arimians following the disappointing result in their last match.

Afterwards, team president Keith Look Loy said the win was a statement of intent for his team.

“We have a hardcore of players who played last year and for the last few years for Santa Rosa. In fact, seven of them started, these are returnees, but we have added strategically.

“We have brought in new players and it is a statement of intent,” Look Loy said.

He noted “We slipped a little last week because the boys underrated Police, but we had a team talk and everything is as it should be, we showed that last night.

We have to work hard because we know in this league there are no easy matches.

“Every team in this league is going to give you a hard run, and we take that for what it is, we go one match at a time,” the Santa Rosa boss said.

WALTER ALIBEY
 

Olympic gold and bronze medallist in the javelin Keshorn Walcott and Akeem Stewart, a national record holder in the discus, were gold medal winners on the second day of the NGC/NAAAs National Open Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo yesterday.

In only his first attempt, Walcott, a gold medal winner at the 2012 London Olympics, delivered a throw of 84.96 metres to sew up the win, despite an under-par 81.91m on his last attempt. The national record holder at 90.16m which was set back in 2015, also showed that his throw was no fluke when he threw a similar 84.96m on his third try in front an appreciative crowd.

Earlier Stewart, the World Para Athletic Championships in the shot put, tossed the disc a distance of 19.06 metres in his first attempt for the gold in the final. The Falcons athlete failed to reproduce that distance in his other attempts.

Rebirth’s Hezekiel Romeo secured the silver medal with a distance of 17.61m which he did on his first and last attempts while Josh Boetang of Grenada took the bronze with 16.77m

The Women’s High Jump saw Camille Lewis of Silver Bullets taking the win over Ayana Glasgow of UTT Fast Track in 1.65m. Glasgow tried staying with her opponent but she lept to 1.60m to settle for the runner-up prize.

On the tracks, Akila Mc Shine sprinted to a quick 14.07 seconds to prevail at the top in the Women’s 100m Hurdles. On a day affected by rain, Mc Shine left the blocks first and never looked back for her gold.

She was followed in second by Jeminise Parris, the Memphis Pioneers runner, whose successes at the Junior level was now being transformed to the senior. Parris clocked 14.08 seconds to hold of third place Cheziah Phillip of Toco Titans in 14.96.

The Men’s equivalent saw Reuben Walters (Memphis Pioneers) 13.63m, well ahead of Memphis Zaza Wellington 13.93 in second position and Aaron Lewis of Kaizen Panthers in 14.11 for third.

Meanwhile, Kennisha Pascal, the Track Blazer runner took the middle distance 1500 metres event, clocking a time of 4:42.07. She was a convincing win ahead of her closest challenger Dawmel Collymore (Memphis Pioneers) 4:52.44 and third Zinara Lesley (MAP) in 5:12.94.

In the much anticipated 100 metres sprints, Keston Bledman took the gold medal in the Men’s B final for Simplex in a time of 10.20 seconds, leaving in his dust Kyle Greaux of Abilene in 10.21 and third Jalen Purcell (Simplex) 10.30. Before that, the Men’s A final was contested and Tyrel Edwards handed the Toco Titans another medal with his 10.46 seconds clocking.

Andre Marcano, who competed Unattached, was stormed home for the runner-up spot in 10.49 while Antigua and Barbuda’s Jared Jarvis was third in 10.58.

RESULTS

Men Shot Put Final: 1- Akeem Stewart (Falcons) 19.06m, 2- Hezekiel Romeo (Rebirth) 17.61m, 3- Josh Boetang (Grenada) 16.77m. Women High Jump Final: 1- Camile Lewis (Silver Bullets) 1.65m, 2- Ayana Glasgow (UTT Fast Track) 1.60m. Women 100 Meter Hurdles: 1- Akila Mc Shine (Unattached) 14.07, 2- Jeminise Parris (Memphis Pioneers) 14.08, 3- Cheziah Phillip (Toco Titans) 14.96.
Men 110 Meter Hurdles Finals: 1- Reuben Walters (Memphis Pioneers) 13.63, 2- Zaza Wellington (Memphis Pioneers) 13.93, 3- Aaron Lewis (Kaizen Panthers) 14.11. Women 1500 Meter Finals: 1- Kennisha Pascal (Track Blazer Grn) 4:42.07, 2- Dawmel Collymore (Memphis Pioneers) 4:52.44, 3- Zinara Lesley (MAP) 5:12.94
Men 100 Meter Dash: A Final: 1- Tyrel Edwards (Toco Titans) 10.46, 2- Andre Marcano (Unattached) 10.49, 3- Jared Jarvis (Antigua And Barbuda) 10.58. Men’s B Final: 1- Keston Bledman (Simplex) 10.20, 2- Kyle Greaux (Abilene) 10.21, 3- Jalen Purcell (Simplex) 10.30
Men Javelin Throw 800g Final: 1- Keshorn Walcott (Rebirth) 84.96m, 2- Anderson Peters (Grenada) 79.97m, 3- Markim Felix (Grenada) 78.07m, 4- Tyriq Horsford (Zenith) 62.12m

WALTER ALIBEY
 

Tyrone Charles, the Central FC winger, scored the fastest goal of the First Citizens Cup in his team’s 2-1 triumph over Defence Force during Match Day Three round of action at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain Couva.

Charles found the nets after just 30 seconds for his opener, before delivering the lethal blow in the 46th, despite Brent Sam’s item two minutes into time added on in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday night. And in the other match, Kareem Freitas got the lone goal in the 71st minute to silence champs W Connection 1-0.

The win took the Sharks second in the Immortelle Group on goal difference with six points, similar to the Army Coast-Guard Combination.

Charles after only half a minute lifted a brilliantly-timed Duane Muckette feed over advancing goalkeeper Sheldon Clarke to stun their opponents, which led the group going into the game. And it was almost déjà vu at the start of the second half, this time Charles found the net exactly a minute after the half-time interval resumed for his team’s second.

The speedy winger raced on to a through ball and smashed the ball past Clarke to leave the Marvin Gordon-coached Defence Force bewildered. But the Army, known for its persistence, did not give up and were unlucky not to draw level when a rasping drive by veteran striker Devorn Jorsling came off the crossbar before sailing to safety.

They would, however, not be denied when Sam scored late in the game to continue his scoring record by making it three goals in as many matches.

After the game Walt Noreiga, the Central assistant coach said, “Preparation all week was about nullifying the Defence Force and playing on the counter. We know their strong points and we simply tried to play their 4-3-3 system to counter-attack their style of play.”

According to Noreiga, “It wasn’t part of the plan to score that early on either side of the half, but it is one of the ways that we were trying to get forward as quick as possible. We know all teams start slow and that’s what we took advantage of at the start and at the restart.”

In the Abercrombie Group, the Richard Hood-coached Police, with six points in two games, moved to the top, but only ahead of W Connection by goal difference. Freitas’ 71st-minute strike gave his team a rare win over the Savonetta Boys

W Connection failed to clear Clevon Mc Fee’s right side corner and Freitas controlled nicely on his chest, before drilling the ball past goalkeeper Julani Archibald.

Stuart Charles-Fevrier’s W Connection paid the ultimate price for failing to convert a number of simple chances, including a glaring opportunity for Kadeem Corbin, the former TT youth star, who found himself on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but put it wide.

Yesterday Morvant Caledonia United got goals from Quincy Ballah in the 12th and Osaze Springer in the 24th minute to shut-out last year’s T&T Pro League champions North East Stars 2-0 at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima.

RESULTS:
Friday 22 June:
• Central FC- 2 (Tyrone Charles 1’, 46’) v Defence Force FC- 1 (Brent Sam 90’+2), at Ato Boldon Stadium;
• Police FC 1 (Kareem Freitas 71’) v W Connection 0, at Ato Boldon Stadium.
Saturday 23 June:
• North East Stars-0 v Morvant Caledonia United- 2 (Quincy Ballah 12th, Osaze Springer 24th, at Larry Gomes Stadium.

The fans in Barbados showed up for Test cricket last evening and as much as 2,000 were present for the first session that started at 3 pm, for the first-ever day-night Test match in the Caribbean.

The cricket was competing with the Pinnacle Foods Mid Summer Classic. According to veteran journalist Sam Wilkinson, this was the first time that a major horse race was being held with a Test match on in the country.

In addition to racing, people here were also torn between coming the cricket or going to St Phillip for the official opening of Crop Over.

Officials here are saying that the opening of Crop Over was to take place three weeks ago, but it was postponed to yesterday to give the newly installed minister of Creative Economy Sports and Culture, John King time to review the Crop Over festivities. The energy felt outside the Oval was great according to fans here as they were lining up to get into the ground. One told Guardian Media Sports: “We want the Windies to win and that is why we are here. They can call us bandwagonist but when this team is winning nothing will keep us away from the ground.”

Journalist David Harris said: “Barbadians still love cricket plus it is historic and people want to be part of this history. I am still a bit surprised at the numbers we have here given the economic situation in the country.”

The crowd on the first day here was better than the other days in the first two Test matches in T&T and St Lucia and the interest on the streets was there again. People were actually speaking positively about the Windies team and not cursing the performance of the team as they have been doing in recent times.

Another fan Albert Grant praised Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the selectors for keeping the team together: “We’re seeing a good team coming together because Dave Cameron and them decided to keep a core group together. They are basically telling the other players that if they don’t want to play, they are willing to build a nice unit with a disciplined bunch of players.”
(See Test match report on Page A38)

The T&T Boxing Association (TTBA) will hold a National Level 1 & 2 Coaching Course from Monday until July 7 at the Media Room of the National Cycling Centre (NCC) Balmain Couva at which they it will attempt to widen its pool of qualified officials.

A release from the T&TBA recently said the course will make it easier for local coaches to obtain an AIBA International Badge (Star 11 and 11), as well as register as top coaches with the Sport Company of T&T and Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.

In recent times the boxing association has been bombarded with requests by coaches interested in being certified.

These coaches comprise many former boxers who are affiliated with various boxing gyms across the twin-island republic, such as Kirt Sinnette, one of just a few T&T boxers to have qualified for the Olympic Games, Devon Jones, Aaron Hassette, Klevon Denoon and Wendell Jokhu, among many others.

Cecil Forde, president of the T&TBA explained in a release that the objectives of the course include developing local coaches, equipping coaches with the correct methodology to teach Olympic style boxing, develop training programmes and conduct themselves in an AIBA event.

Coaches will be required to register to gain entrance to the course.

Sandals in Tobago will be a windfall for all, particularly smaller hoteliers, the regional hotel chain said in a statement which sought to dispel claims about its operations.

Tobago will be among the biggest beneficiaries of increased economic activity, including global marketing and an exponential increase in airlift, Sandals said.

“Not everyone who arrives on the flights we attract will stay at Sandals, indeed many will seek other options creating a significant increase in business for the smaller hotels.

“And we would like to dismiss out of hand this fable that our guests remain on resort. Sandals guests go out into the community in droves. Through our partnership with Island routes and our local tour operators on the islands, thousands of guests leave our resorts every day to go on tours, to go dining, shopping and to enjoy other attractions,” the statement said.

Sandals said its mandate was to always buy local where possible and it had set the standard when it came to engaging local farmers, taxi drivers, entertainers, tour operators and small business persons, including those who made craft and clothing.

The hotel also responded to what it said were misleading reports, including “a totally sensationalised headline regarding a recent statement by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.”

“However, we are not and have never been deterred by fake news, rather we appreciate the opportunity it gives us to set the record straight.

“First, we have, and have always had an amicable relationship with Prime Minister Mottley. The Prime Minister is aware that Sandals is completely open to working with her government—as we have worked with governments throughout the region—to help move Barbados into a better and brighter future, because that ultimately is what is best for all of us,” the statement said.

It said Sandals has become a key economic player in Barbados in just three and a half short years and was the largest contributor of foreign exchange, providing employment and training for some 1,000 persons in Barbados.

“Within that short time period we have built two of the most-sought after resorts in the region, one of which opened just last December and which was built by Barbadian contractors in record time. Already we are adding an additional 50 suites at the new Sandals Royal Barbados which will be available from October.

“We also intend to break ground on a new Beaches hotel in Saint Peter in January 2019, and that will more than double our economic footprint. Immediately that project creates 1,500 construction jobs and will create some 1,750 full time jobs upon completion. This means we will employ in Barbados close to 3,000 of the most highly trained and potent hoteliers in the region,” the statement said.

Regarding rumours that Sandals don’t pay taxes, the entity said this was “totally untrue,” adding that it paid significant taxes in Barbados including Value Added Tax.

The current spate of violence across T&T leaves us with one choice—to do something. Otherwise, we run the risk of throwing up our arms in despair and abandoning our responsibility to save our country.

If we become numb to the situation, we run the risk of causing even more damage to our collective psyche and consigning the nation to the worst fate.

Those charged with tackling crime are under scrutiny amid calls for the resignation of National Security Minister, Edmund Dillon. Those who are old enough to remember, recall how crime fighter Randolph Burroughs dealt with some of the criminal elements, a recounting that sometimes draws respect and in the telling of some stories a laugh or two.

However, there is nothing remotely funny about the situation we face today and the need for action to reduce the incidents of crime and violence.

We are now dealing with a changed environment in which the level of violence has risen to a fever pitch and created a sense that all is not safe across the country. The whole country is left to determine the source of such malice and whether such circumstances diminish our safety.

Respect due, even from JLSC

It is said that the quality of institutions measures a country and across the Caribbean, we have had a record of outstanding institutions.

However, in recent times many of our institutions have come under scrutiny as they have failed to live up to the high standards expected.

Many of them have either been compromised or have taken the position that their activities are not open to public scrutiny.

We hope that the latter observation is not the case with our Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

Reports are that the JLSC declined to answer questions from a Law Association Committee after promising to respond to written questions.

Such a failure is a worrying development in a country where the loss of respect is one of the most disturbing of events. It is a lesson that is not lost on the rest of society as we grapple with deteriorating standards of behaviour.

Ahye continues to win

Michelle Lee Ahye has come home to share some of her world-class talents with us. It was a joy to see her perform on home soil and to give us the opportunity to see her up close in action. We hope her example encourages others to do the same and for the country to rise and support those who take us to the world.

On Tuesday, June 26, the World will observe the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The World Drug Report 2017 states that 29.5 million people globally suffer from drug use disorders, including dependence. Opioids are the most harmful. Read what it says about how drug money affects the economy.

“The Report finds that hepatitis C is causing the greatest harm among the estimated 12 million people who inject drugs worldwide...Overall, three times more people who use drugs die from hepatitis C (222,000) than from HIV (60,000)...Mobile communications offer new opportunities to traffickers, while the darknet allows users to anonymously buy drugs with a crypto-currency, such as bitcoin...Typical buyers are recreational users of cannabis, ‘ecstasy’, cocaine, hallucinogens and new psychoactive substances (NPS)...

“The spectrum of substances available on the drug market has widened considerably... The opioid market, in particular, is becoming more diversified, with a combination of internationally controlled substances like heroin, and prescription medicines that are either diverted from the legal market or produced as counterfeit medicines.”

The Report makes it clear that corruption, the illicit drug trade and poverty reinforce each other: “The wealth and power of some drug trafficking organisations can exceed that of local governments, allowing them to buy protection from law enforcement agents, criminal justice institutions, politicians and the business sector. In doing so, they further reinforce corruption. The rule of law is both an immediate victim and if it is already weak, an underlying factor that feeds this cycle.”

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that “Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws.” Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, of the UNODC, says: “There is much work to be done to confront the many harms inflicted by drugs to health, development, peace and security, in all regions of the world...

“Drugs continue to represent a major source of revenue for organised crime networks, but business models are changing, with criminals exploiting new technologies, such as the darknet, that are altering the nature of the illicit drug trade and the types of players involved, with looser, horizontal networks and smaller groups becoming more significant. New ways of delivering drugs further point to the need to involve other sectors such as postal services in the fight against drug trafficking...The many evolving drug challenges also highlight the importance of prevention... but also prevention of crime, corruption, terrorism and violent extremism. “

We in T&T should take this issue more seriously and act to save our nation. The US Department 2017 Report on T&T: Crime and Safety Report (OSAC) states: “Drug trafficking and gang-related activities continue to fuel the demand for illegal weapons...In Trinidad, the majority of violent crimes...are gang/drug-related or domestic in nature. A significant, growing portion is attributed to the influence of gangs, illegal narcotics, and firearms...Trinidad is a major trans-shipment point for illicit drugs, and drug-related crimes are a significant contributor to crime.” The report also notes the weaktraffickingnesses in our “border control.”

Pope Francis continues to speak out against “the scourge of drug trafficking” and its effects: “The scourge of drug-trafficking, which favours violence and sows the seeds of suffering and death, requires of society as a whole an act of courage. A reduction in the spread and influence of drug addiction will not be achieved by a liberalisation of drug use...Rather, it is necessary to confront the problems underlying the use of these drugs, by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build up life in society, accompanying those in difficulty and giving them hope for the future...Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise...Drug trafficking is, by its very nature, accompanied by trafficking in persons, money laundering, the arms trade, child exploitation and other forms of corruption. A corruption which has penetrated to different levels of social, political, military, artistic and religious life, and, in many cases, has given rise to a parallel structure which threatens the credibility of our institutions.”

Parents, recognise the signs and symptoms of addiction. Parishes can help too. Pastoral care is important e.g. Living Water Community offers Drug Rehabilitation Ministries (Tel: 625 6730). As the US Bishops said in their Pastoral Message on Substance Abuse: “As people of faith we are called to share our hope and love with those whose lives are already wounded by this epidemic.” Let us help them to create “new lives”.

 Leela Ramdeen