Open Statement Breaking the Silence on UNESCO Matters

Statement by Dr Kris Rampersad on Trinidad and Tobago’s handling of matters related to UNESCO

1.     Summary of main issues and concerns

National Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago with
 National Motto: Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve

This statement follows a series of unsuccessful attempts to access existing democratic mechanism and processes for clarification and to correct the Parliamentary and public records on actions and statements by members of the Government since November 2015 in relation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) on activities in which I was legitimately engaged as a citizen and national of Trinidad and Tobago.

This occurred within and around the work of this organisation, UNESCO, devoted to promoting intercultural dialogue, peaceful negotiations and conflict resolution, in an already highly tense international meeting that involved balancing various extreme elements, and in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Paris in November 2015 which put further pressures on the already stressed peace-building systems and which cast a shadow over actions of officials from Trinidad and Tobago and the country’s engagement with its international partners, as well as raised questions about its treatment of nationals.

Returning to private life, my approach to date has been to allow established mechanisms and procedures to address this matter.

However, using the cover of powers, privileges and immunities of Parliament both the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, the Honourable Lovell Francis in the House of Representatives on January 22, 2016 and the Minister of Education, the Honourable Anthony Garcia in the Senate on January 26, 2016 have distorted the facts with omissions, misalignments and misrepresentations of dates, sequences and chronologies; exhibiting as the line officials on UNESCO matters considerable deficiencies in knowledge and understanding about matters under their jurisdiction and portfolios on the roles and functions of offices, institutions, organisations and persons and processes, procedures and roles, functions and mechanisms and of international and national systems therein. This has cast further confusion over the issues about which I have been asked by various quarters nationally and internationally to clarify.

Contrary to the statements made, the core issues in the national interest include the following:

a.       There are grave and far reaching implications to the challenge posed by Cabinet decisions and actions which the  Honourable Minister of Education revealed under Parliamentary privilege in the Senate on January 26, 2016 that question the legitimacy of the international processes and procedures by which decisions were taken and in which I was involved in various high level capacities.

National Anthem of Trinidad and Tobago

b.      This, along with statements and actions at UNESCO have caused considerable consternation and alarm from those involved in these processes and require clarification by Trinidad and Tobago to the national and international community, especially as I have been serving at the two decision making organs of UNESCO at the highest levels: the General Conference and the Executive Board. As the Co-Chair of Programme and External Relations Commission of the UNESCO Executive Board, I also deputised at Joint Commission meetings with the Finance Commission. These are the two commissions responsible for the decisions, actions and budgets that move forward to the General Conference for approval of UNESCO’s overall global agenda and actions for the next two years in particular and the global sustainable development agenda to 2030 in general which has been the focus of the October-November meetings.  

c.       International processes and decisions as those in which I am engaged are not ‘by vaps’ or ‘ad hoc’ as a matter of walking into a meeting and occupying a seat on a particular day as is the impression being given or seems to be the official view held. They involve considerable preparatory work over a period of time behind the scenes and collectively and multilaterally negotiated. The systems and processes are therefore set up to facilitate this. There are also established mechanisms for anyone who wish to challenge, query or request review of these processes. There is no evidence that Trinidad and Tobago has accessed or followed any of these legitimate mechanisms and procedures as has been claimed in the official pronouncements.

d.      I was functioning in a multilateral, not unilateral or individual capacity as has been claimed, having been nominated, affirmed, reaffirmed, approved and appointed by due processes and procedures that such international institution follow, openly and transparently. Much of this was already in the public domain as my actions, operations and achievements therein highly commended and acclaimed nationally and internationally. This I drew from experience, knowledge and expertise cultivated from more than a decade of active participation and engagement with various multilateral systems, cultures, nations and stakeholders as an educator, communication specialist or volunteer.

e.      Throughout the ordeal precipitated by the national official actions at the UNESCO 38^th General Conference in November 2015 and since, I sought, received and followed sound advice and guidance so as to ensure that the tasks which were assigned were completed, despite the pressures and actions described. Commendations on the achievements were publicly affirmed and applauded throughout the UNESCO 38^th General Conference at all levels and exists in UNESCO’s public and other records. It begs the question of who was embarrassing whom, and how was Trinidad and Tobago’s, or the international community’s interests being served by ill-informed actions and statements by officials.

f.        I made several attempts to reach out, dialogue and engage with the line officials, both before leaving for the Paris meetings and during the meetings to no avail. At no time did I refuse to engage in dialogue or discussions with any official of Trinidad and Tobago, as has been claimed under the cover of Parliamentary privilege.

Making a contribution
UNESCO Executive Board

g.       At no time have officials reached out or attempted to engage in discussion or dialogue with me, including in the wake of and aftermath of the traumatic experiences around the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, as a national in an international danger zone and in trying to recuperate since returning home. I have always been easily accessible through a wide range of modes even through pressing workloads and made all contact details available to the national officials throughout this fiasco.

h.      The statements and actions of the officials in this matter point to concerted attempts to upset, isolate, embarrass and negatively impact the personal and professional character of not just a national, but also exhibit lack of knowledge and understanding of the functions and operations of the international processes being engaged, and this by those who are charged with line responsibilities in this matter.

i.         There is evident lack of appreciation, awareness and understanding of these matters by those with line responsibility were reinforced in the actions and statements made at and to UNESCO and in the statements made in Parliament. This includes lack of understanding and appreciation of the importance of the meetings - whether they are for one day or spread over a few weeks -and decisions taken by the two governing organs of UNESCO, the Executive Board and the General Conference at its various meetings in which, owing to knowledge, expertise and understanding of processes and operations, I was able to function with unanimous global support at the highest levels possible over the two years 2013 to 2015 of the four year period 2013 to 2017, some of which was in the public domain and available to anyone willing to be informed.

j.        The handling of this matter considerable jeopardises some specific opportunities that were being culled with colleagues at international level to carve pathways of progress for the sustainable development and use of natural and human resources for not just Trinidad and Tobago but also broader communities of the Caribbean, for small island states, the developing world and the underprivileged and marginalised global communities in general.

k.       Furthermore undue confusion is being created by distorting roles, functions and appointments as follows:

(i.)    The four year term of the position as local Chair of the National Commission for UNESCO which came to an end in August 2015: I relinquished and demitted office this position on its expiration in August 2015. This appointment was unrelated to the other functions in the international arena and involved different multilateral processes;

(ii.)  The nominations, affirmation, reaffirmation, approval and confirmation of the appointment as Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission related to the global action agenda for education which followed the highly transparent and publicised multilateral, not unilateral nor individual, processes of doing so;

Preparatory & planning meetings with the Secretariat of the
 UNESCO Education Commission

(iii.)  None of the existing mechanisms, processes and procedures available to Member States to query, complain or request review or otherwise of this was lodged by any Member State, including Trinidad and Tobago, up to the time of the 38^th General Conference – nor to my knowledge, to date. Several other matters involving other States were duly raised and satisfactorily handled publicly and through private mechanisms as Chair of the Education Commission for which I have been commended and praised in the conduct and outcome of the same.;

(iv.)The appointment to the UNESCO Executive Board was for the four year term 2013 to 2017. There have been four mentions of a ‘review’ in the two ministerial letters (dated November 5 and 9, 2015; and two ministerial statements of January 22 and 26, 2016. I have not been contacted for any review, nor informed of any outcome, nor have I had any further word on my role in this. The next meeting of the UNESCO Executive Board begins early April 2016 and preparatory work on this has already begun and I remain uninformed and in UNESCO’s public records to date there is no one assigned to the Trinidad and Tobago role.   

2.     Corrective and Restorative actions pursued to date

Trinidad and Tobago  flag flies proudly during meetings at
 UNESCO in Paris

I was considerably distressed that such statements were made without discussion as I function personally and professionally across political alignments and systems, locally and internationally. I reached out and congratulated the new Government generally, and specific of its members with whom I believed I shared cordiality following the elections of September 2015 as I have always maintained and continue to hold that the amiable socio-cultural fabric of Trinidad and Tobago is stronger than the divisive economic, institutional and political elements.

Attempting to utilise existing mechanisms to correct such inaccuracies and misrepresentations in statements made in Parliament, I drew on a provision in the Standing Orders of the Parliament that offer to balance such powers, privileges and immunities allowed to Members of Parliament for a person who is not a member of the House by affording an opportunity to respond to statements in which one’s name is called.

In statements entitled My Defences of Peace I wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable Bridgid Mary Anisette-George (34 pages) and to the President of the Senate (56 pages), the Honourable Christine Kangaloo-Garcia over the Carnival weekend (February 5, 2016) so as to meet the required deadline, requesting access to this provision to clarify such inaccuracies, misalignments and misrepresentations.

Denied Opportunity to Respond

I was since informed that my request to the Honourable Senate President Kangaloo-Garcia to correct the records on the matters raised by Minister Garcia in the Senate was disallowed, and similarly rejected, by the Honourable Speaker, Anisette-George, was the request to correct falsehoods that were read into Parliament’s Hansard records and widely circulated through broadcast, internet and other media and channels by the Honourable Minister Lovell on January 22, 2016 in the Lower House.

In the requests to respond, I detailed how both statements could be viewed as harmful, embarrassing and were extreme distortions and misrepresentations of the processes of UNESCO.

The Minister of Education’s statements in the Senate at times used the name of UNESCO interchangeably with another peace building organisation, the United Nations – misrepresenting the roles and functions of both, apart from misrepresenting my roles, functions and activities nationally and international and decisions and actions taken at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris during its 38 General Conference in November 2015. 

Broadcast and media privileges, immunities and use of powers therein

In requesting the opportunity to respond, I drew attention to how the Broadcast privileges of the Houses that offer unbridled live televised and internet broadcasts and restreaming into the memory of the world into perpetuity of erroneous information, enormously augment the power and privileges of Members of Parliament and make the conventional and new media complicit or unwilling participants in perpetuating falsehoods. Without the balancing opportunity to respond, it also considerably diminishes the power of the media in its work so as to allow it to correct any inaccuracies in its broadcasts that would have been based on the erroneous information piloted through protective and privileged cover of the Parliament by its Members. Without such access, not just the individual seeking redress, but the media, too, is rendered somewhat powerless.

Use of inclusive humanist channels and instruments of humanism vs. divisive fracturing

I reminded of the various instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations Charter, Trinidad and Tobago and UNESCO Constitutions, oaths of office of Ministers and Members of Parliament, national symbols, and other national and international democratic instruments for human, individual and civilian rights that uphold principles of fairplay and engagement. I also took considerable time, energies, efforts and research to show through some specific examples that the socio-cultural national fabric also provide a range of naturally cordial and amenable channels of promoting knowledge and understanding that would significantly benefit our society if used constructively by parliamentarians and other officials, rather than if the weaker and manoeuvrable processes are used to divide, fracture and expand fissures among individuals and within institutions.

I therefore here set, simply, some of My Defences of Peace, in these details before the public and relevant national and international organisations, agencies, individuals and associations that are interested in such matters of parliamentary practice; democratic governance; roles, functions and uses of conventional and new media and its technologies in and by a Parliament. It is for those in the arena of civil, political, gender, media, human, cultural, moral, individual and other rights to address, given the implications of this matter in relation to the rights of not just myself, but in relation to general and specific responsibilities of governance and rights of nationals functioning abroad, citizens, the nature of freedom of expression and access to information, and the balance of powers, privileges, immunities and responsibilities afforded to Members of Parliament and Governments in general.

As I do not view this as my issue alone, but as a matter that relate to the functioning of nationals, offering themselves for national service locally and in an international arena, often at tremendous personal and professional sacrifice; that it has potential implications for democratic practice and processes, and instruments and mechanisms of human, political and civic rights, and many advances made for Trinidad and Tobago and the international community through pursuit of international humanist channels, I am tabling these details and withdrawing from this matter, leaving it to the hands of those resourced public agencies, institutions and individuals who may wish to pursue it in the national and international interests.

This follows intense introspection, discussions, consultations and research over the past few weeks with a number of individuals within agencies, institutions, organisations, mechanisms, and friends and relatives in and outside of the parliamentary, judiciary and civil watchdog processes nationally and internationally who are considered protective and responsible  for democratic governance, civil and human rights and others with moral and spiritual leanings and mandates for democracy, transparency, accountability and integrity.

Warnings of backlash to personal safety, health, reputation and character

In many instances, noting the intertwining and interweaving of relations in our small island communities that are used by politicians to divide and fracture the effective operations of institutions set up for watchdog functions and to provide balance and protect citizens’ rights, several within the processes have cautioned about resulting repercussions - some of which have already been initiated - to further endanger my personal and professional safety, health, reputation and character.

This adds to the atmosphere of endangerment, hostility, fear and futility with the enhanced dangers of threading on the sensitive toes and calluses of high officials across a spectrum with the deeply entrenched and intertwined family, community, religious and business relationships, relations, alignments, friendships and associations which in themselves provide a collusive, complicit and conducive environment for foulplay and which works against persons seeking fairplay and justice in our small island community and which render difficult any meaningful outcome, except for the continuing charade that has unfolded so far in this and various other similar matters in the public arena to date. 

Some further noted that because the issues of democracy and citizens’ and human rights in this matter seem complex and remote from basic issues facing the average voting public, there could be little political interest in redressing the deficiencies identified as the polarised voting assures the incumbent such runaway and unbridled powers. I leave that to the conscience of those with the powers to and charged with the responsibilities of transforming and forging our paths to progress and the value ascribed to the processes, procedures, institutions and value of work and service of nationals therein. UNESCO's motto upholds that: Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed.

For my own part, I continue to reflect on and reconsider my own approach and the time, efforts and energies I have given particularly over the last four years in national service in the interest of UNESCO matters, over the past 12 years to expanding spaces for civil society engagement and some thirty years to broadening access to information and freedom of expression and other freedoms and rights, all at tremendous personal and professional sacrifice.

Following are some of the specific details for concern and a chronology of sequences follow.

3.     Chronology of key related events and actions:

August 2011: Appointed Chair National Commission for UNESCO, 2011- August 2015;

November 2013: Appointed Trinidad and Tobago Representative UNESCO Executive Board, 2013 to 2017. Serves as unanimously approved multilateral co-Chair of Programme and External Relations Commission April 2014, October 2014, April 2015, October 2015.

August 2015: Demits office as Chair of Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO as four year term ends August 2011 to 2015. Continue to serve as Trinidad and Tobago Representative UNESCO Executive Board 2013 to 2017.

September 2015: General Election. Change in Government. Announcement of the new Cabinet. Wrote to the Minister of Education through several channels requesting a meeting to update him on the upcoming UNESCO meetings and roles and functions and dialogue on the way forward. Promised he was informed, the matter was before him both before leaving Trinidad and Tobago and during the Paris meetings.

Note: No one to my knowledge raised any doubts, nor any questions, about ‘illegitimacy’ of any of positions or processes and no known reflection of this in UNESCO’s public records and reports issued on the official proceedings of the 38^th General Conference. (First time hearing this was in Minister of Education’s statement of January 26, 2016 in the Senate.)

October 2015: UNESCO Executive Board 197^th Session, October 5 to 22, 2015. Highly commended nationally and internationally on various novel proposals and resolutions tabled and approved to advance global development agenda

Note: Told matter was under consideration on request for response for dialogue or discussion on way forward and on composition of delegation.

End of October 2015: Cabinet decides to send a delegation of three persons to the UNESCO 38^th General Conference. No response to request for information on this.

Note: This was only disclosed in letter to a department of UNESCO dated November 5, brought to attention week of November 13, 2015 and in Ministers’ statements in Houses of Parliament in January 2016 (see below).

January 2016; no direct correspondences received on this.

November 3, 2015:  UNESCO General Conference unanimously approves nominations of Chairs and Vice Chairs of Commissions, including approval of a national of Trinidad and Tobago to Chair Education Commission.

November 4, 2015: Trinidad and Tobago national serving as Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission invited, escorted, seated in the Trinidad and Tobago space, and scheduled to speak in multilateral capacity as the Chair of the UNESCO Education Commission but ordered out of a ‘High Level’ meeting by the Head of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation. This was a ‘side-meeting’ to the UNESCO General Conference on the UNESCO Global Education agenda. Stepped out of the meeting to avoid any further embarassment to T&T.

November 5, 2015: Education Commission unanimously endorses its Chair, Vice Chairs, begins proceedings.

November 7 2015 : Letter brought to attention of Chair of the Education Commission, dated November 5 sent to a UNESCO department and addressed to an official not the aligned mechanism of the UNESCO General Conference, signed by Trinidad and Tobago Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Lovell Frances stating said Trinidad and Tobago national was not a member of his delegation, causes confusion with lack of clarity and intention and as it comes after the finalisation of approved processes of appointment as Chair; does not utilise mechanisms and processes available to member states to make complaints and no member of the delegation available to provide clarification.

Advice sought, received followed to ensure work of Education Commission proceeds and agenda completed. 

November 13, 2015. Day of Terrorist Attacks on Paris: Morning:  Steps aside and allow Vice-Chair to present report of Education Commission on behalf of the Chair. UNESCO General Conference highly commends work and actions of Chair of Education Commission by name while adopting the Education Commission Report.

Note: Following adoption of report reviewing emails for the week, saw email from an unknown sender with letter attached dated November 9, (first sent unsigned on letter head of Ministry of Education, and resent mid-week with signature of the Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia) instructing to cease attending meetings of UNESCO Executive Board. Was puzzled as the Executive Board meeting had concluded on October 22, 2015.

Complied with instructions and did not attend 198^th Executive Board meeting of November 20, 2015.

November 2015 to January 2016: Returns home attempting to recuperate from ordeal. Diminished public engagements. 

January 22, 2016: Minister of State in Ministry of Education makes statement to House of Representative presided over by Speaker Brigid Anisette-George. Minister confirms actions he took at UNESCO General Conference to encouraging cheers, jeers, and cross talk by colleagues. Charges of 'stormer' by members of Government in the House in high crime-charged and economically depressed environment. Felt endangered. Further diminished public appearances to minimal and only with close friends/relatives. 

January 26, 2016: Minister of Education Antony Garcia makes statement in Senate presided over by Christine Kangaloo-Garcia. This confirms Cabinet actions and decisions taken; claim process raises questions of ‘illegitimacy’ of decisions of the 38^th General Conference using names ‘United Nations’ and UNESCO  in confusing in the contexts and processes attributed to them; details names of those approved as the Trinidad and Tobago delegation to the UNESCO 38^th General Conference. States Rampersad ‘not nominated’ to Chair new National Commission for UNESCO, does not name who were and does not state that Rampersad in fact demited this office since August 2015 when the term of the previous board expired.

Weekend of Carnival, 2016 (February 5-9, 2016): Wrote to Speaker of House of Representative Brigid Mary Anisette-George for Opportunity to Respond to Statements made by Minister Lovell Francis on January 22, 2015;  and to Senate President Christine Kangaloo-Garcia to respond to statements made by Minister of Education Anthony Garcia in the Senate on January 26, 2015.

February 16, 2016: Letter from Clerk of Senate indicating request to Senate President Christine Kangaloo-Garcia for opportunity to respond to statements made by Minister of Education in Senate Anthony Garcia not approved.

February 24, 2016: Letter dated February 18, received from Clerk of House of Representatives indicating request to Speaker of the House Brigid Mary Anisette George not approved.

September – March 2016: Discussions with various members of interest groups and knowledgeable individuals in national and international community for advice and guidance on how best to treat with above matters in the best national and international interests.

4.     Some specific details on matters of concern

(i.)               Specific concerns re statement by the Honourable Minister of Education, Anthony Garcia, Senate, January 26, 2016:

The statement by the Honourable Minister Garcia in the Senate has particularly raised considerable cause for concern in its charges of ‘illegitimacy’ in the processes and procedures and the decisions taken at the UNESCO 38^th General Conference and decisions fed to it through the UNESCO Executive Board where I was serving in various capacities.

The processes and procedures for the nomination, affirmation, approval and appointment of the Chair of the Education Commission were done in transparent and highly publicised processes that had begun in April 2015 and earlier. This is a global process of continuum and is not a matter of moving ‘by vaps’ and occupying a seat or office but careful consideration and negotiations over a period of time involving also knowledge and expertise. The nomination was made by the Group of Latin American Countries in April 2015 which meeting in fact considered my competencies to Chair any of three Commissions of Education, Culture, and Information and Communications, until they unanimously decided on Education. It was affirmed by the Executive Board of April 2015, reaffirmed in October 2015 and approved by the UNESCO General Conference on November 3 2015 and by the Education Commission on November 5, 2015.

Although the Minister cites ‘questions were raised’ about these processes, none of the available processes or mechanisms by which a Member State may voice or lodge a complaint or query to this process reflect this at the time of and through the entire approval processes of the 38^th General Conference. The post-General Conference report reaffirms the processes of the appointments of its Chairs, including the Chair of the Education Commission.

Further, the Honourable Minister of Education, who is the line Minister on UNESCO matters, whether deliberately or inadvertently, seems to be confused about the nature and roles of two separate organisations, the United Nations and UNESCO, using one as interchangeable with the other. There also seems to be confusion about the nature of the nominations and appointments and the various roles related to an institution which responsibilities fell within his portfolio as Minister of Education at national level and its relationship with international organisations. I am unsure of the persistent reference to my role as Chair of the National Commission for UNESCO because on the expiration of this appointment which was for the four year term from August 2011 to 2015, I demitted this office. A send-off ceremony was held by the Secretariat of the National Commission for the outgoing Commissioners in August 2015 which I attended.

The appointment to Chair the UNESCO Education Commission was unrelated to the above appointment as the Trinidad and Tobago representative on the UNESCO Executive Board for the four year term, 2013 to 2017, on which I have already served two years in capacities and with results that have been highly commended publicly and otherwise by the national to global communities.
Although there have been four references to reviewing this role (Letter to UNESCO dated November 5; letter to me dated November 9, statements in Houses of Parliament January 22, 2016 and January 26, 2016), I have not been contacted either for review nor to inform me of my status in this regard although the next meeting of the Executive Board (199^th Session) is carded to begin in April 2016. 

No one seems to understand, and clarification is needed, because it is merely distracting and irrelevant what the Ministers’ meant by communicating a Cabinet decision to ‘not nominate’ me as part of its delegation to the UNESCO 38^th General Conference (in letter to UNESCO dated November 5, 2015; in Statements to Houses by Minister January 2016). As outlined above various processes, mechanisms and channels were in place for anyone legitimately wishing to query or challenge them; none of which seems to have been utilised from the officials statements and actions detailed in this matter to date.

ii. Matters specific to the statements by the Honourable Minister of State,

 in the Ministry of Education, Lovell Francis:

 In specific relation to the statement made in the House of Representative by the Honourable Minister Francis and in my request to respond, I noted that the actions he attributed to me were alien to my private and professional character, qualifications, credentials and personhood as a woman that were augmented by the sneers, jeers, cross talk and ill-informed comments of his colleagues in the House during this presentation, which were further augmented by the Broadcasting, streaming and ill-informed comments through internet, media and other channels.

At no time did I refuse to dialogue or engage in discussions with the Minister. On the contrary, I initiated several attempts to hold discussions to no avail. Claims of not knowing the ‘individual’ he saw at the 38^th General Conference are questionable given the highly publicised nature of my appointments; and as a social historian anyone with curiosity could find a range of relevant materials in my name with volumes of published research publicly available to anyone interested in UNESCO or other development matters.

iii. General matters arising from actions at UNESCO and statements in the Parliament

In both request to respond to statements in Parliament, I provided references to show that my actions were not individual-driven as has been the charge but were in accordance with established practice and procedures of the institution and on those matters I constantly sought, received and followed the best advice provided to me by the mechanisms at the institution on how to manage and handle the challenges posed by various delegations including those arising from actions by the Trinidad and Tobago delegation, so as to maintain the integrity of its processes and decisions on the one hand, and to minimise the embarrassment on Trinidad and Tobago on the other.

The after the fact/event and ‘by vaps’ approach, clarified in the chronology that accompanies this statement, raises cause for concern about the knowledge and understanding of the officials engaged in this process about the matters at hand and about the resultant intentions and impact of official actions on national and international processes.

 As indicated above, the nomination, affirmation, approval and appointment to serve as Chair of the Education Commission at the UNESCO General Conference followed transparent and highly publicised processes since April 2015 and there is no evidence that any attempts were made to access any of the established processes for lodging queries or complaints within the given timeframes.

I also noted the potential impact of the statements and actions described as official national actions on my personal and professional character as a functionary in a national, regional and global contexts, which were further aggravated - not just by the actions pursued by the national officials at UNESCO - but also by the uses of the mechanisms of the Parliament and its provisions for both conventional recording-keeping through Hansard, and its provisions of immunities for Broadcast that allow for such inaccuracies to be replicated and restreamed into perpetuity and the memory of the world. Having since been denied the balance of opportunity to response, such records remain lopsided.

 I also pointed out through appropriate forms of case story-telling so as to simplify what may seem to be very complex issues, that as members of the same society and upbringing there were not just established formal processes for dialogue and resolution that could have easily resolved this issue, but also informal, sociable Trini-type means of engagement, as well as easy access to accurate information in the public domain that could have easily resolved any doubts about my roles and functions at UNESCO to anyone with an interest in social history, edification or heading a delegation to the better impact and benefits of the international community and Trinidad and Tobago.

In specific relation to the statement made by the Honourable Minister of Education in the Senate, and request to respond, I noted the inappropriate misrepresentation and misalignment of the roles with which I was tasked in relation to UNESCO, and
components of the statement that threaten to further undermine the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and that institution.

I Remain,

Yours Respectfully

Kris Rampersad,

Chair UNESCO Education Commission

@krisramp, @lolleaves @glocalpot 

Related Links:

Heritage a vehicle of understanding against extremism violence https://goo.gl/gpfGPp

Gender Bender Mia Mottley takes political helm in Barbados https://goo.gl/xL3DEd

In the News LiTTributes attract award winning newspaper https://goo.gl/n2GsG9

Bridging Cultural Gaps LiTTribute to ToronTTO. See link https://goo.gl/jLHTBE

Yo Ho Ho Piracy and Heritage: https://goo.gl/TvXOHU

A Diaspora Celebrates: LiTTribute to the Americas See link https://goo.gl/brUkjH

Join us or commission your own Creative Conversations: https://goo.gl/qPBzef

Arresting the Tears Hayti I’m Sorry https://goo.gl/6sy3y6

Noble Tears of a Nobel Bard https://goo.gl/WXbMpv

Towards State of the Art Museum: https://goo.gl/FfHfJL

Murder and the Museum: http//goo.gl/FHs3Fr

Celebrating Nationhood But Can new Save the Nation https://goo.gl/qSqJtT

my-discoverie-columbus-lost-and-found https://goo.gl/ixGu7y

Pat-bishops-last-struggle-killings https://goo.gl/tQUySt

Them-red-house-bones

A-tale-of-two-skeletonsJurisprudence An Ode https://goo.gl/Gmn7l0

Ah Drinking Babash https://goo.gl/GhMncz

Lagahoo-tribute-to-independent-spirits https://goo.gl/P6gP2Q

 Murder and the Museum  http//goo.gl/FHs3Fr

Woman in the mirror https://goo.gl/pvnX9d

The Triumph of Gollum in the Land of Shut Up Suicide of the Fellowship of Partnerships Book 11. A Sequel Futuring the Agenda Forward  https://goo.gl/HU3rp3

Celebrating Jamettry The Sacred and the Sacriligious

https://goo.gl/oCk1PB

Demokrissy https://goo.gl/FHs3Fr

The Human face of constitutional reform https://goo.gl/6escjj

Pat-bishops-last-struggle-killings https://goo.gl/tQUySt

Them-red-house-bones

A-tale-of-two-skeletons

Arresting-tears-for-us-and-haytian-globe:

Yo Ho ho and a bottle of rumhttps://goo.gl/TvXOHU

 Demokrissy https://goo.gl/FHs3Fr

Changing the World with Ideas  goo.gl/Pa6jAk

Lagahoo-tribute-to-independent-spirits
Nationhood in contestation with globalisation: http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2017/08/nationhood-in-contestation-with.html    https://goo.gl/KWdUtx

http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2017/08/creating-revolution-through-knowledge.html

http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-world-inspired-littscapes-turns-3.html   https://goo.gl/J1EFn5

http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com /from-beirut-to-port-of-spain-how-west.html

The-price-of-passion-awards-and-rewards

 https://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-price-of-passion-awards-and-rewards.html

Exploring a World Through MultiCultural Lenses https://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2017/07/dr-kris-rampersad-exploring-world.html

 Power Failure Media Blackout Brets Muffled Threats and Ransoming Father: https://goo.gl/YjbBgx

Jurisprudence-rip-obituary-walcott.html

my-date-with-narendra-modi-dat-merkel affair

Of-diasporas-migrations-arrivals.

Elixirs-of-entrepreneurship-The Emperor and I 

Ah-drinking-babash-in-this-fo-rum

Nobel-tears-of-and-for-nobel-bard

Things-that-make-me-go-steups-stars http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2016/12/things-that-make-me-go-steups-stars.html

The Walcott Files
LiTTscapes for Littribute to the Antilles 
A LiTTribute at UNESCO 
Inscription by UNESCO of Poems
Small only in Size UNESCO Executive Board told
World in a Fishbowl
A Musical Heritage walk UNESCO Creative Cities

Breezes-of-tropical-arab-spring

In-war-and-peace-from-hiroshima-to-home.html

A-path-out-of-mayhem-and-murder

Turning-our-dreams-to-shame-rip-asami

Focus-resources on real crime

jus-call-me-cooligan

The world-in-fishbowl

The-other-magnificent-seven

Tribute-to-literary-mentor

The-human-face-of-constitutional-reform

The-ghost-of journalism past

OverCopulation - The Archbishop The Priest The Politician & The Journalist

Ask About LiTTscapes,

Ask about LiTTours and LiTTributes

Diplomats get stimulating LiTTour 

Murder She Wrote: Death Written in Stone in Dana Seetahal Assassination
Creating Centres of Peace in Trinidad and Tobago
The Price of Independence:#DanaSeetahalAssassination
Conceive. Achieve. Believe
Demokrissy: Wave a flag for a party rag...Choosing the Emperor's ...
Oct 20, 2013 Choosing the Emperor's New Troops. The dilemma of choice. Voting is supposed to be an exercise in thoughtful, studied choice. Local government is the foundation for good governance so even if one wants to reform the ... http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Demokrissy - Blogger
Apr 07, 2013 Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Towards Constitutional Reform in T&T. So we've had the rounds of consultations on Constitutional Reform? Are we any wiser? Do we have a sense of direction that will drive ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2
Apr 30, 2013 Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2....http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
See Also:
Demokrissy: Winds of Political Change - Dawn of T&T's Arab Spring
Jul 30, 2013 Wherever these breezes have passed, they have left in their wake wide ranging social and political changes: one the one hand toppling long time leaders with rising decibels from previously suppressed peoples demanding a ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Reform, Conform, Perform or None of the Above cross ...
Oct 25, 2013 Some 50 percent did not vote. The local government elections results lends further proof of the discussion began in Clash of Political Cultures: Cultural Diversity and Minority Politics in Trinidad and Tobago in Through The ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Sounds of a party - a political party
Oct 14, 2013 They are announcing some political meeting or the other; and begging for my vote, and meh road still aint fix though I hear all parts getting box drains and thing, so I vex. So peeps, you know I am a sceptic so help me decide. http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian
Jun 15, 2010 T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian · T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian. Posted by Kris Rampersad at 8:20 AM · Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Related:
Demokrissy: To vote, just how we party … Towards culturally ...
Apr 30, 2010 'How we vote is not how we party.' At 'all inclusive' fetes and other forums, we nod in inebriated wisdom to calypsonian David Rudder's elucidation of the paradoxical political vs. social realities of Trinidad and Tobago. http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: DEADLOCK: Sign of things to come
Oct 29, 2013 An indication that unless we devise innovative ways to address representation of our diversity, we will find ourselves in various forms of deadlock at the polls that throw us into a spiral of political tug of war albeit with not just ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: The human face of constitutional reform
Oct 16, 2013 Sheilah was clearly and sharply articulating the deficiencies in governmesaw her: a tinymite elderly woman, gracefully wrinkled, deeply over with concerns about political and institutional stagnation but brimming over with ... http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Trini politics is d best
Oct 21, 2013 Ain't Trini politics d BEST! Nobody fighting because they lose. All parties claiming victory, all voting citizens won! That's what make we Carnival d best street party in the world. Everyone are winners because we all like ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age - Demokrissy
Jan 09, 2012 New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age | The Communication Initiative Network. New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age | The Communication Initiative Network. Posted by Kris Rampersad ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: T&T politics: A new direction? - Caribbean360 Oct 01, 2010 http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Oct 20, 2013 Choosing the Emperor's New Troops. The dilemma of choice. Voting is supposed to be an exercise in thoughtful, studied choice. Local government is the foundation for good governance so even if one wants to reform the ... http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Demokrissy - Blogger
Apr 07, 2013 Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Towards Constitutional Reform in T&T. So we've had the rounds of consultations on Constitutional Reform? Are we any wiser? Do we have a sense of direction that will drive ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2
Apr 30, 2013 Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2....http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
See Also:
Demokrissy: Winds of Political Change - Dawn of T&T's Arab Spring
Jul 30, 2013 Wherever these breezes have passed, they have left in their wake wide ranging social and political changes: one the one hand toppling long time leaders with rising decibels from previously suppressed peoples demanding a ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Reform, Conform, Perform or None of the Above cross ...
Oct 25, 2013 Some 50 percent did not vote. The local government elections results lends further proof of the discussion began in Clash of Political Cultures: Cultural Diversity and Minority Politics in Trinidad and Tobago in Through The ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Sounds of a party - a political party
Oct 14, 2013 They are announcing some political meeting or the other; and begging for my vote, and meh road still aint fix though I hear all parts getting box drains and thing, so I vex. So peeps, you know I am a sceptic so help me decide. http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian
Jun 15, 2010 T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian · T&T Constitution the culprit | The Trinidad Guardian. Posted by Kris Rampersad at 8:20 AM · Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Related:
Demokrissy: To vote, just how we party … Towards culturally ...
Apr 30, 2010 'How we vote is not how we party.' At 'all inclusive' fetes and other forums, we nod in inebriated wisdom to calypsonian David Rudder's elucidation of the paradoxical political vs. social realities of Trinidad and Tobago. http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: DEADLOCK: Sign of things to come
Oct 29, 2013 An indication that unless we devise innovative ways to address representation of our diversity, we will find ourselves in various forms of deadlock at the polls that throw us into a spiral of political tug of war albeit with not just ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: The human face of constitutional reform
Oct 16, 2013 Sheilah was clearly and sharply articulating the deficiencies in governmesaw her: a tinymite elderly woman, gracefully wrinkled, deeply over with concerns about political and institutional stagnation but brimming over with ... http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Trini politics is d best
Oct 21, 2013 Ain't Trini politics d BEST! Nobody fighting because they lose. All parties claiming victory, all voting citizens won! That's what make we Carnival d best street party in the world. Everyone are winners because we all like ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age - Demokrissy
Jan 09, 2012 New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age | The Communication Initiative Network. New Media, New Civil Society, and Politics in a New Age | The Communication Initiative Network. Posted by Kris Rampersad ...http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: T&T politics: A new direction? - Caribbean360 Oct 01, 2010 http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Others: Demokrissy: Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 ...
Apr 07, 2013
Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Towards Constitutional Reform in T&T. So we've had the rounds of consultations on Constitutional Reform? Are we any wiser? Do we have a sense of direction that will drive ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2
Apr 30, 2013
Valuing Carnival The Emperor's New Tools#2. 
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Wave a flag for a party rag...Choosing the Emperor's New ...
Oct 20, 2013
Choosing the Emperor's New Troops. The dilemma of choice. Voting is supposed to be an ... Old Casked Rum: The Emperor's New Tools#1 - Towards Constitutional Reform in T&T. Posted by Kris Rampersad at 10:36 AM ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Carnivalising the Constitution People Power ...
Feb 26, 2014
This Demokrissy series, The Emperor's New Tools, continues and builds on the analysis of evolution in our governance, begun in the introduction to my book, Through the Political Glass Ceiling (2010): The Clash of Political ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Envisioning outside-the-island-box ... - Demokrissy - Blogger
Feb 10, 2014
This Demokrissy series, The Emperor's New Tools, continues and builds on the analysis of evolution in our governance, begun in the introduction to my book, Through the Political Glass Ceiling (2010): The Clash of Political ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Futuring the Post-2015 UNESCO Agenda
Apr 22, 2014
It is placing increasing pressure for erasure of barriers of geography, age, ethnicity, gender, cultures and other sectoral interests, and in utilising the tools placed at our disposal to access our accumulate knowledge and technologies towards eroding these superficial barriers. In this context, we believe that the work of UNESCO remains significant and relevant and that UNESCO is indeed the institution best positioned to consolidate the ..... The Emperor's New Tools ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/
Demokrissy: Cutting edge journalism
Jun 15, 2010
The Emperor's New Tools. Loading... AddThis. Bookmark and Share. Loading... Follow by Email. About Me. My Photo · Kris Rampersad. Media, Cultural and Literary Consultant, Facilitator, Educator and Practitioner. View my ...
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/

@krisramp, @KrisRampersadTT, @lolleaves, @sirkenrobinson, @level5leaders, @pankajghemawat @potus @un @unesco @culture @time @life @nytimes @narendramodi #narendramodi @krisrampersad #krisrampersad @theguardian @heritage

 @BJP4India #BJP @Priyankachopra #PriyankaChopra#merkel @EmmanuelMacron #EmmanuelMcrona #JohnTrudeau @travelchannel @usatoday @BBCWorld @BBCWorldHaveYourSay @TEDtalks @TEDNews +britishcouncil@engageats.co.uk @britishmuseum, @britishcouncil, @britishlibrary, @Royal_Gov_UK, @justintrudeau, @helenclarkeUNDP, +Google for Nonprofits  @googleartsandculture, @econculture, @commonculture, @writersdigest, @nytimes, +PBS NewsHour +Breaking News +BBC News +news@news.ideastap.com +info@takingitglobal.org +Open Society Foundations @richardbranson, @billgates, @melaniegates, @gatesfoundation, +G Singh, @clintonfdn, @WJClibrary, @clintonglobal, @librarycongress @google, @googleresearch @yahoo, @yahoonews, @yahoomovies, @ABC, @CNN, @REUTERS, @ABC, +Kamla Persad-Bissessar , +Prakash Ramadhar, +John van Tiggelen, 

@FoxNews, @UKinCaribbean, @WBCaribbean, @TheEconomist, @wef, @economictimes, @business, @businessinsider, @wsjbusiness, @wsj womenshealth, @wsjmag, @people, @fortunemagazine, @ellemagazine, @oprah, @O_magazine,  @OWNTV, @oprahbooklist, @voguemagazine, @twitterwomen, @womenintheworld, @UN_Women, @womenatforbes, @womensmediacentre @womensenews,

x