Demokrissy: September 2018

‘Excellent!’ That is the first direct word to me in my first encounter with the first woman President of Trinidad and Tobago, Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, ORTT.

It is the night of the National Awards on the occasion of the 42^nd Anniversary of our Republic status.

The citation is being read, 'the MEDAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN (GOLD) is awarded For Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Women’s Rights and Issues in Trinidad and Tobago. She repeats, 'the Medal For Outstanding Contribution to Journalism/the Development of Women, and then adds my title Dr, then pronounces my full birth name, Krishendaye Rampersad, which has been abbreviated for most of my career as Kris Rampersad.

The announcers begin reading a brief of my life’s work. Good luck with that, I think, trying to condense a life that has filled many ungiving minutes with more than its full sixty seconds of distance run into the sixty-odd seconds it would take to collect the medal, shake hands, collect scroll and walk across the stage of the National Performing Arts Centre.

I am not too worried about what selections would be made from my CV. The announcers are Sharon Pitt and Errol Fabien, two of my most respected colleagues in media and whom I have known through my career. Sharon, in fact, was one of the first journalists I met when I entered the field as a freelancer in San Fernando. She worked for radio. I was only at the South office for about a month before I am called for a staff position at the headquarters of the Guardian in Port of Spain. The south journalists, and Richard Lord, in particular, say at almost every encounter that it’s the fastest promotion they had ever witnessed. There’s more to that story, but at another time.

Sharon called me a few years ago. I had been out of the formal newsroom for almost a decade having gone 'independent' and expanded my journalism to accommodate new media and international outreach development, advocacy and revising agenda setting instruments and institutions at all levels. She has followed my career, she says, inviting me to speak at her daughter’s school. Out of the formal newsroom, but not out of journalism, my focus was on institutional strengthening, legislative reform, education, and awareness building. These were weaknesses I had identified and experienced across fields and spheres in many engagements through studies and otherwise with various societies, the path to our development and our place in the world, at the intersection where local meets global; this while continuing to write copiously, film scripts, children's literature, books, research papers, commentaries and blogs, some published, still many to be released.

President of Trinidad and Tobago
Paula-Mae Weekes pin Medal for
Development of Women on
Dr Kris Rampersad

“As one of the few women who have tried to make a living and career from writing and as a role model for young women like her (daughter),” Sharon says, explaining her request. I was touched. She was one of the few who had identified my work not just as journalism but in the broader sphere of 'writer'. I would have loved to; indeed it was no mean feat, trying to make ends meet, maintain my independence, remain through to my creative vision, and function in a sphere that is still nebulous to many. Navigating the incredulous looks on bankers and other officials who would ask, ‘what is your real job,’ when I say ‘writer’ for instance, and then insist on tangible proof that that is something people do for a living, if I try to apply for anything. That is compounded by being single, and female, it seems. There seems to be zero confidence that women can support themselves or have any financial mangement skills; that's perhaps because they didn't know my mother....
My travel schedule, international engagements could not accommodate the date of Sharon's daughter's graduation as I would regrettably be out of the country.

Tonight, I am comforted in the confidence I had in the readers of the bio profiles, Sharon and Errol; their delivery on the fifty other awardees who preceded me, impeccable, articulate and flawless. Yet, their voices fade out as I turn the bend to come face to face with Her Excellency. She is stately, elegant, immaculate in red lace - the same shade as my red chiffon, and the curtains drawn on each side of the stage at the National Academy for the Performing Arts!

Her voice is a concise balance of effusion, commendation and warmth. She is handed the medal by Secretary to the President Gregory Serrette, who had talked me through the process a few days earlier. But the experience is altogether novel.

As she leans forward to hang it on the pin, the Order of Trinidad and Tobago - the country's highest award, with which Her Excellency was presented by the Chief Justice last month - dangles around her neck. It had replaced the Trinity Cross a decade ago on recommendation for equity in consideration of the country's diversity. Change comes from challenges to the status quo!

"Excellent," Her Excellency says to me.

Excellent is a word that has resonated through my life. With some of my classmates with whom I formed an editorial committee, I had resurrected my high school magazine that had gone defunct for a decade, rebranded it, and gave it a new lease on life to chronicle the rites of passage of students of St Stephen’s College. Dedicated to Excellence, we called it. My school friend Kamla who would not follow us into A-Levels would do a profile article on me for the Junior Express as she was trying to get a foot into journalism. The headline with the first national article about me, accompanied by my photo, was Dedicated to Excellence.

Warned of the unfriendly state of the economy to new graduands, even before my graduation, I had written applications to as many as I could; I had forgotten to whom. Career interests were still an open field.
When Ma handed me the small envelope that came weeks later by snail mail with the logo of the red and white angel that appears on the daily newspapers on the right hand corner, I felt it would be another that reads, ‘Sorry, we have no vacancies at the moment. We will keep your application on file…’

I was thrilled to see that instead of that cursive response, it was an invitation to an interview, in Port of Spain, signed by the then editor in chief, Lenn Chong Sing. My father took a market/garden day off to bring me to Port of Spain (Francis Joseph has a legendary colourful version of that!) Little did he know he was handing me over to what would become my new life!
Pa waited in the Guardian lobby as I am escorted up the stairs and past the desks with people half hidden.

Clutching my O' and A' Level Certificates, references, and a copy of my school magazine, I am whisked into an office and is greeted by a kindly matronly woman. 'Mrs Sombrano,' she introduces herself and asks if I would like something to drink which I declined. Too nervous. Soon she opens an adjourning door and ushers me into what we would come to know as ‘the cold room’. It is cold. Behind the desk, a man, head down, is reading something it seems. Bent, his head looks something like Pa’s with wisps of grey; or it might be because of the heavy hang of the smell of tobacco in the room. Pa was himself a smoker and it was a scent that hung around our house. The scent of home or what would practically become my new professional 'home' of sorts!

I realise Mr Chong Sing is reading my application letter, scanning it with his pen.
"You have any sample writings? You brought this school magazine?" he is looking at my then barely-one-page resume which in its current state is now about 50 pages condensed. I hand Dedicated to Excellence to him. He flips the pages. Inscrutable.

“Okay, can you start at the South office, as a freelancer?” he states rather than asks. “We will see how that goes, until something opens up on staff.”

My first interview, my first writing job!

Mrs Sombrano comes in to escort me out. It lasts just a few minutes after the four hours it took to get to Port-of-Spain!
It is only after I would realise that Mr Chong Sing had brought me into journalism, conducted the brief 'interview' with about a handful of sentences exchanged, all without making eye contact. His shyness, I would learn, would never inhibit the dreaded memos to the newsroom, from ‘the cold room’.
After a month in the ‘South’ - the vast land mass so dubbed by the North - covering all spheres from the courts, local government, schools and taking reports from anyone who may randomly wander into the office while I was there, I am summoned to the North - much to the displeasure of the South office's manager, Mr Phillip, and editors, George Alleyne and Mikey Mahabir. Journalism was in danger of losing me as it was clear that I would have to redirect energies as my first paycheck of $120.00 for more than a month of traversing and covering the entire south, through floods (it was hurricane season); covering schools (it was graduatin season), farmers, local government councils, sports, and the first formal interview with Giselle La Ronde, just crowned in the national contest and about to go off to become Miss World.
Ma and my elder sisters huffed in displeasure for having to underwrite the costs of the shortfall; I saved some of the cost of the journey from home boarding the vehicles of my brothers and sister in-law. My family wanted me to follow my dreams, but to be real about them too! It was a chiding that would echo through my lifetime!

In Port of Spain, Carl Jacobs, the then editor, would receive and introduce me the staff, then deliver me to the hands of John Babb. Sharon Pitt, Richard Lord, Phoolo Danny and other journalists in various media houses with whom I was developing fast friendships in South would next hear from me from Port of Spain. It really all happened in a blink, and the beginning of events that would sweep me up like those Shakespearean tides in the affairs of men and women.

The transition from rural to urban life would bring its own insights. I would learn that while friendships were seamless in the South; in the North, it would be coloured, overshadowed and demarcated somewhat by institutional affiliation in the competitive sphere of breaking news and journalism. Its demarcations, I believe, I managed to avoid, maintaining my friendships, with Kamla, Pitt, Lord, and building others. North-South dichotomies and the implications on development would become one of my areas of scrutiny, through into international relationships and development as well.

Under the expert, yet unobtrusive guidance of our news editor, John Babb, I covered every sphere of news that the seasoned reporters were too busy to give attention – community centres and organisations, health, education, city council, the scarvengers and vagrants. In fact, I became so familiar with the city’s destitutes, that inside the newsroom, I was referred to as ‘the vagrant reporter’ as I knew many of them and their stories of misfortune, alienation from family and friends, mental illness, or just sheer rejection of the society. I began, too, to write the news behind the news as well, profiles, columns, on every theme, topic, beat, the piles of clippings that spill out of my home office and into every room, that my family and friends often threaten to throw out, is testimony to the range. Two of the earliest columns were Discover Trinidad and Tobago and Teenlife. At that year’s media awards, the chief judge, retired Chief Justice Sir Isaaac Hyatali, would make mention of a young reporter who was breathing fresh air into our understanding of Trinidad and Tobago. I had not submitted any of my writings as the submission deadline was months before I even entered journalism! By the time of the next awards, Therese Mills, the Sunday Guardian Editor whose office, if not shoes, I would one day occupy, asked me for some of my articles to submit to the upcoming media awards. I complied and forgot about that.

On awards night, I realised that one from the Discover Trinidad and Tobago series, 'War of the Sexes Now Goes to the Calypso Stage,' was being named the winner of a BWIA Media Award for Excellence in Journalism in the category for social and economic commentary in which Therese herself was named a nominee, when Hazel Ward Redman, 'Aunty Hazel', sitting in front of me at the media awards ceremony, jumped off her seat, turned around, beaming at me, applauding and shouting, “Bravo, Bravo!” Still a teenager, I felt as if I was on her teen talent show as such was her mode of commending the performances of nervous youngsters.

Shortly after I transitioned to AVM television to script the Cross Country series, which local TV magnate Dale Kolasingh, charmed by my Discover series, wanted to replicate for television, and lured me on the notion of expanding my media skills, much to Mr Chong Sing’s displeasure, I would learn. AVM was indeed an incubator and many in the audio-visual sector today has had some early exposure there. Cross Country became the first local programme ever to hold the number one spot on local prime time television. Kolasingh confessed one day when we were celebrating some media awards for Excellence, won for Cross Country and our current affairs investigations, that Lenn Chong Sing, the editor in chief, had ‘called and cussed’ him for poaching on his staff when I resigned from the Guardian for AVM. Always strategic and astute, Kolasingh had placed his advertisement for scriptwriters right on the page in which my Discover column would appear.
I could never reconcile his cheeky recount with the Chong Sing I knew, the man who had never made eye contact with me. Though, in the not too distant future, Lenn Chong Sing, then retired from the Guardian and taken on as a consultant to recruit new staff for the television station in formation -TV6 – would seek his revenge and attempt to recruit me for the station - still never making eye contact, after he had called and we agreed to meet where I was attending a workshop at UWI. As tempting as it was to get into the action in the formation of the new television station, brought about by government policy for opening up the airwaves with issue of several TV licences, I politely declined. I had just began university that I had delayed for not one, as initially intended, but four years, to explore print and television journalism. I needed flexible time for my studies that starting up a television station would not have allowed then and I opted to continue freelancing writing for the Guardian, and founding/editing/writing for several magazines, developing film scripts on various developmental subjects as health and environment and began the column Environment Friendly that offered healthy environmentally-sound options and addressed issues and facing from householders to others in national and international development agenda for operators in many spheres, showcasing the interconnected world. But my journalism would also extend into the other arm of national media as later, Angela Martin, the editor of Express Woman magazine, and last year's winner of this award, posthumously, would commission a weekly column, Woman to Woman, to profile women's issues arising from my national to international endeavours.(more about that later)
Just as I had completed my first degree at UWI, John Babb and Therese Mills would ask me to join them in a new daily newspaper-in-the-making, to be launched as a 'good news' paper, Newsday, which just celebrated its 25th year. I would have its first cover story, '5000 Lives Saved By Phone', be dubbed 'The Good News Reporter' with my focus on spotlighting news in its dichotomous relationships, negative with positives - struggle and achievement, triumph with tears, win with loss. I would win a Media Award for Excellence in Heath Reporting from the Pan American Health Organisation, and help Newsday carve its space in the national landscape in coverage of the range of 'beats', culture, health, education, trade unions, politics... as well as profiles of many in the society, individuals and institutions. I also initiated and populated its satirical column, Between the Lines, one nof many of my subsequent satirical columns, that have occupied the editorial spaces of our daily inewspapers since, including commentaries on issuses of the Parliament of the day, I Beg To Move; In Gabilan, The Week That Was, The C Monologues, and others that have influenced several of those in satire today, I have been told.

These were my earliest years in media in what I regard as not a career, but a vocation, propelled by forces over which I have often felt I have had little real control, and impulses larger than life. The dimensions of this vocation would have many compartments, as a freelancer, investigative reporter, columnist, editor, scriptwriter, From the newsrooms of the Trinidad Guardian to AVM Television to founding of Newsday, to editorship at U Magazine and the Sunday Guardian, director, producer, publisher, advocate, educator, trainer, agenda setter, and policymaker. To embrace new media as another form for communication and dissemination of information, start my blog, Demokrissy, in the embryonic days of blogging in T&T, that has won a readership of international think tanks and was named a winner in a policy blogging initiative for new media of the BBC and UNESCO Communications Initiative. But even so, media as it is generally defined, remained only a tool and mechanism, form and medium of and to facilitate expression that is part of a larger cultural milieu of expressions in the written and spoken word, also made possible through art, music, dance, signs and symbols; forms that are natural to the human impulse to connect and communicate and share life experiences and interpretations with each other. A vocation, it is, that covers many spheres and disciplines and gender equity and women’s issues being one dimension of trying to encourage a level playing field and create opportunities and carve paths for development for equity and inclusion in our social, cultural, economic and political interactions. Journalism and media to me have been only tools, companion tools to other forms of communication articulated through various cultural expressions. The skills and understanding of our society and media, communication, the use of information, their forms and functions and inner and outer mechanics, social and political contexts are only the frames towards moving our world closer to those goals now being called Sustainable Development. Most, conditioned in silos cannot see the links and I have often felt the disconnect and sometimes a tug of war and even been commanded to choose one. To me, in all their variable dimensions, they are seamless and indivisible.
It was never about filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run; it was about how could I stretch, and stretch some more, the unforgiving minutes to accomodate all the runs that must be made. 'So much to do and so little time to do it in', my friends would often hear me say. Little did I know how little, indeed.
A few seconds already gone into the sixy seconds sprint across the stage of the presentation of the National Award and,

“Excellent! Congratulations! Well done! Well deserved! Long Overdue!" Her Excellency is emphasizing the syllable of each word as she hangs the medal on the preset pin.

It is her first word to me, ‘Excellent’, that resonates against the applause coming from the auditorium hall as I turn to shake hands and receive congratulations from first the Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley; then the Chief Justice, Ivor Archie and to greet Mrs Archie, then to collect the scroll and box in which would rest the Medal for the Development of Women, Gold, for Journalism/ Development of Women.

Excellent - the word continues to echo independently in the thousands of commendations and congratulations and hearty well-wishes and thumbs up and likes, and hearts, and emotive emojis, that have since floated to me through public and private social media and calls and interactions. The span and range tell me of the spheres that my work has reached and touched: my family, relatives, siblings, nephews and nieces; villagers; my early and later teachers, classmates, the educators and cultural and gender advocates who were also awarded and guests that night who have followed my work; and to media colleagues - many trapped in uncertainty of the current media climate; women and men in many spheres of interests and endeavours across the globe who have become part of my journey and my story of a LIFE! HoleHeartedly!

That it means so much to so many has enhanced its value to me. Thank You! As I have said time and time again, 'No woman is an island, it takes a world...'

Next: Behind the Red Curtain of the National Awards Ceremony and the Medal for Development of Women

Career Highlights Journalism and Development of Women, Dr Kris Rampersad

Dr Kris Rampersad work has spanned the arenas of Education; Literature, the Arts and Culture; Media Communications and Information; and Gender Equity, Empowerment and Advancement for access to opportunities from grassroots to high level agenda setting international arenas. This has enhanced the impact and ability to envision and advocate for meaningful gender and culture-sensitive approaches to sustainable development in ways that bridge and span gaps between and among fields and disciplines from agriculture, culture, industry, education, governance and ICTs for all ages and across gender divides.

She functions as an Independent educator, researcher, author, advocate, activist, advisor, mentor, facilitator and consultant.

Highlights of Media/Journalism Career: Spans print, television, education and advocacy across spheres of conventional and new media prnt and production 1988-2018.

v Blog Demokrissy is a widely read by international think tanks, including the UN community. It won the BBC/UNESCO Communication Initiative policy development blogging for new media

v Coordinated international media for Summit of the Americas and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings

v First sitting journalist to complete doctorate. Inspired many journalist to pursue higher education.

v Articles and columns have occupied and guided public opinion from editorial pages for some 30 years

v Doctorate on process of literary development and influences of journalism on award winning writings considered seminal and ground breaking in its depth and scope that spans 100 years of socio-cultural-political evolution of Trinidad and Tobago. Published as Finding A Place

v Wrote first book on the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Through the Political Glass Ceiling, released on the eve of election of 2010 with prophetic insights into premiership of Kamla Persad Bissessar.

v Third book LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago represents almost everything written in fiction from Sir Walter Raleigh 1595 to the turn of the 21^st century was commemorative publication of 50^th Jubilee Anniversary of Independence;

Presented ground breaking research at first World Summit on Information Society in Tunisia on engendering ICT policy. Has helped develop media, information and communication policy as integrated into achievmeents of Millennium Development goals and Sustainable Development Goals at global levels of agenda setting and policy making of the UN Commonwealth and OAS agencies.

Pioneered research on gender sensitive policy making in areas of Freedom of Information, Access to Information, and other spheres for hemispheric, commonwealth and UN bodies

v Served as Editor of Sunday Guardian and presided over the transition from broadsheet to tabloid.

v Founding journalist of Newsday – wrote first lead story, ‘5000 Lives Saved, dubbed ‘the good news reporter’

v Youngest journalist to win BWIA media award for excellence in journalism. Won in social and economic commentary category for gender bender article, War of the Sexes Goes to the Calypso Stage from Discover Trinidad and Tobago series

v Won Pan American Health Organisation Award for Excellence in Health Reporting

v Top student of diploma course in international journalism , Rajasthan Patrika Award from Indian Institute of Mass Communication (Scholarship).

v Research and Writer of programmes of Cross Country for AVM Television (as well as AVM Special Report, Survival (food programme) Booktalk among others. Cross Country became rated as the number one local programme that held prime time television spot for its duration and won several BWIA Media Awards.

v Awarded Nuffield Foundation Fellowship to Wolfson College, Cambridge

v Awarded fellowship by Foreign Press Centre of Japan

v Commonwealth Professional Fellow

Highlights of Gender Actions

For almost three decades Dr Kris Rampersad has been devoted to leveling the playing field for women and girls in pursuit of:

•Gender equality in the work place

• The elimination of all forms of discrimination against women by the promotion of gender equity.

• Legislative and cultural reform to ensure gender equity.

• Institutional mechanisms for the advancements of women.

• Economic empowerment by: overcoming marginalization, oppressive social norms access and rights to resources;

• Incentive and awards based initiatives encouraging women to fulfill their potential and

• Education- based programs, initiatives or personal action that offer and afford women broader choices & enhanced opportunities

Highlights of Gender Actions & Achievements

Highlights of such achievements in pursuit of implementation of the CEDAW recommendations for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and promotion of gender equity include:

1. Research, preparation of the pioneering comprehensive national report and spearheaded follow up action in the InterAmerican system to encourage State bodies to implement the CEDAW convention provisions and recommendations that informed the Summit of the Americas, Commonwealth and UN processes.

2. Her work in awareness raising and building capacities to understand gender sensitive policy and legislation to strengthen the capacity of institutions in addressing gender inequalities as for reform to the child marriage act, gender sensitive budgeting and engendered political processes.

3. She coordinated the outreach and advocacy for the Commonwealth Foundation’s campaign for gender equality for Commonwealth Women Affairs Ministers Meetings. This fed into the Commonwealth Head of Government Meetings to build acceptance of the Commonwealth Campaign on the slogan, ‘Where’s the Money for Gender Equality.’ It spotlighted and propelled the movement of gender equity beyond rhetoric to actioning developmental programmes.

4. Her impact on gender equality in the workplace has been not just in pursuing the rights of colleagues in the workplace but for across-the-board equity in treatment, equity in promotions and remunerations; representation of women at higher levels of administration and decision making.

5. She has been a strong advocate to removal of discriminatory practices and revisiting entrenched notions of gender roles within social systems and cultural practices through her work with traditional and grass roots communities across the Caribbean.

6. She has herself blazed a trail for women in the media and has filled several senior level positions as well as being the first sitting editor to have completed a PhD while in the demanding and high-stressed environment of the newsroom, as well as in her actions in supporting women journalists.

7. From the inception of her career as a journalist Dr Rampersad supported the global mandate for equality of women that came out of the Beijing Platform for Women, and has a substantial portfolio of articles, columns as Woman to Woman, interviews, investigations, that tell women’s personal stories of trials and triumphs, revealing discrepancies and imbalances from data, highlighting the plight of the underprivileged, unearthing inequalities in national life, in the homes and in the work place, and the campaign against domestic violence.

8. She has also been actively involved in supporting and encouraging women’s development from community to international policy arenas.

9. Her writings, from profiles of achievements to policy critiques have encouraging women in public , civic and entrepreneurial arenas, utilizing all her roles to this end.

10. She has initiated and developed a number of awards for women.

i. As editor she partnered with the United Nations, corporate community, NGOs and others to spearhead the Woman of the Year Award. S

ii. She conceptualized and piloted to national and international acceptance the Commonwealth Caribbean ‘Women Agents of Change’ Award, which was the forerunner to introduction of the Medals for Women in Trinidad and Tobago.

iii. She identified women to be recognized among others for the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers’ and Broadcasting Association Awards for Media Excellence.

11. She created & produced television documentary as the series That is Woman that features leading women figures in national life to showcase women’s achievements and have them tell their stories in their own words, and researched and scripted many other stories of women for radio, television and print.

12. For the most part of the last fifteen years she has been the spokesperson on women’s issues and gender parity, shaping and supporting the work of local and international Networks for gender equity and the advancement of Women of Trinidad and Tobago.

13. As an educator, she also trained women in gender sensitive approaches to policy making, understanding and engaging with media.

14. Among organisations that have benefitted from her input are UN Women/UNIFEM; UNESCO dedicated programme actions on its priority focus on women, the Caribbean Institute for Women and the Commonwealth Women’s Organisation; CIVICUS – World Assembly for People’s Participation.

15. She was researcher and lead spokesperson for gender equality for the OAS Active Democracy Network in the build up to and through the Fifth Summit of the Americas and presented pioneering research on gender sensitive approaches to changing development policy agenda in areas of Freedom of Expression, Access to Information .

16. At national level, she articulated to build awareness as the Outreach and International

Relations Director of the Network of NGOs for Women and articulated the vision around the Put A Woman Campaign of the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women, which drew from the UN resolutions for gender parity in national decision making. It included the slogan, A Woman’s Place is in the House – Of Parliament, that saw the .drive for fulfilment of the quota of women in Parliament along with women in the positions of Speaker of the House and President of the Senate. The same campaign also supported the ascension into office of the First Female Prime Minister and first Female President of Trinidad and Tobago in one decade.

17. She wrote the pioneering book, Through the Political Glass Ceiling, that along with mapping the journey of the First Female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago through her speeches also includes revisionary research, study and analysis of the national politics of the day through gender and cultural sensitive lenses that has become a text for gender studies and analyses. This has become an important global text in appreciating the challenges of women in ascension public office.

18. These contributions spilled over to her functions in other arenas. As the Co-Chair of the UNESCO Executive Board’s Public and External Relations Commission responsible for programme actions she drove and supported international actions and motions to strengthen UNESCO’s priority focus on women and gender equality as well as in championing rights of journalists and others and for injecting gender sensitive approaches to decision making in culture, education, information and other spheres.

19. She was herself acknowledged and featured in Hazel Ward Redman’s celebratory series as CentreStage and Woman of Substance and has been featured in articles as Express Woman, ‘Helping Dreamers Dream’ and Newsday Woman’s Weekly as Changing the World With Ideas.

20. She has mentored many at national and international levels

Education

St Julien Presbyterian School New Grant Princes Town - Primary School:

St Stephen’s College, Princes Town - Secondary School:

PhD in Literatures in English University of the West Indies

BA Literatures in English, sociology, politics, University of the West Indies

Diploma in Mass Communication - Indian Institute of Mass Communication, India and its highest award Rajasthan Patrika Award;

Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge UK (globalisation);

Commonwealth Professional Fellowship

Participated and benefitted from numerous courses, lectures, workshops in multimedia, information technologies, leadership, management, computing, managing diversity, and conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage.

Scholarships and Fellowships:

Wolfson (Journalism) College, University of Cambridge UK;

Foreign Press Centre of Japan (journalism fellowship);

Association of Commonwealth Universities, Professional Fellowship;

UWI Post Graduate Scholarship;

Awards & Commendations:

Ø Trinidad and Tobago Luminary Award 2015/2016

Ø Winner Development Policy Blogs on New Media (BBC Trust/UNESCO Communication Initiative); 2011

Ø Award for Excellence in Health Reporting 1994 (World Health Organisation/Pan American Health Organisation)

Ø Award for Excellence in Journalism (BWIA) 1987;

Ø Moms for Literacy Award for Literary Achievement

Ø International Who’s Who in Cultural Policy Research (ConnectCP)

Ø Award for Contribution to Literature and Culture; (Global Organisation of Peoples of Indian Origin)

Ø Rajasthan Patrika Most Outstanding Student Award (Indian Institute of Mass Communication)

Ø British High Commission Award for English Literature

Ø UWI Award Student Awards.

Organisation Affiliations – International/National

Ø Founding Adviser, International Institute for Gastronomy, Culture, Arts & Tourism

Ø Founding Member, U40 Coalition on Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Ø Founding Member, Scientific Committee, International Culture University

Served on numerous committees and boards, including

Ø UNESCO General Assembly, Chair Education Commission

Ø UNESCO Executive Board, co-chair Programmes and External Relations Commission, member of Special Committee

Ø Chair, National Museum and Art Gallery;

Ø Chair, National Commission for UNESCO of Trinidad and Tobago

Ø Member Trinidad and Tobago Government Expert Panel on Arts and Culture Member, Trinidad and Tobago Registry of Cultural Workers Committee

Ø Member, Trinidad and Tobago Heritage Tourism Committee

Ø Founder,/Coordinator Awards for Agricultural Journalism

Ø Founding member, Friends of Mr Biswas – St James House for Mr Biswas

Ø Founder/Coordinator, Trinidad Theatre Workshop Fund for Literature, Drama, Film

Ø Outreach & International Relations Director, Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women

Other Career Highlights

International Development Educator, Lecturer, Facilitator, Consultant: 21 years

MultiMediaMedia/Journalism: 30 years: editor, manager, investigative reporter, script and storyboard writer, producer/publisher in print, electronic and new media

Author: Finding A Place (Ian Randle Publishers, 2001); Through the Political Glass Ceiling; LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago

AudioVisual Producer/Director/Writer/Researcher:20 years

Academia - lecturing at tertiary level formal, non-formal and informal sectors, course design, development and evaluation - 22 years

Some 30 years’ experience in developing formal and informal education sectors as a researcher, writer, educator, outreach and communication specialist and analyst of culture, migration, rural and urban development, diversity, multiculturalism and related areas of cross sectoral sustainable development;

Holds a PhD in Literatures in English. Doctoral theses examined issues of globalization, migration processes of adaptation and society-formation drawing from global-local knowledge and experiences of media and literary development of a small island state.

Have written and published extensively on themes of identity, migration, adaptation, urbanisation, and rural development in contexts of youth, gender, trade, crime, ecology, education and other topics;

Numerous peer reviewed articles and conference presentations, including three books that approach the issues of migration and social adaptations from various angles: journalism/information and communication (Finding a Place, Ian Randle Publications, 2002); gender appreciation (Through the Political Glass Ceiling - Race to Prime Ministership by Trinidad and Tobago’s First Female Kamla Persad Bissessar (2010) and popular culture (LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago (2012);

Educator/Train the Trainers & Capacity Building :

a: UNESCO: Training of Caribbean Stakeholders in diversity appreciation, activating Cultural Heritage and Creative Sectors: Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis. UNESCO..

b. Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). Training of Caribbean Agriculturalists in Outreach, Education and Development of Academic Journals and Publications:

c. National Institute of Higher Education Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST): Development of Outreach Initiatives for Science Popularisation:

d. Caribbean Institute of Women in Leadership: Develop Course Materials and Train Caribbean Women Leaders in Gender Sensitivity, Diversity Appreciation, Engagement & Outreach: Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada

e. The College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT): Development and Delivery of Journalism and Literature Courses

f. Part Time Lecturer: Literatures in English; Foundational Courses; Literature and Caribbean Society: University of the West Indies.

g. External Supervisor, MSc Thesis Cultural Diversity Management: Institutional Reform

h. External Thesis Editor/Publication Adviser

i. Guest Lecturer: Literature, Culture, Media, Civic Empowerment for Sustainable Development, University of Catalona, Barcelona, Spain

Career Highlights: Education & Culture:

Educational Policy Development: Formal and Informal Education, Literature, Media Outreach, Lifelong Learning and Global Citizenship Education:

a. Capacity development for cultural and civil society communities across the Americas Successful trained stakeholders of all three Caribbean Small Island Developing States which achieved World Heritage status over the last five years (Antigua and Barbuda, 2016; Jamaica, 2015, Barbados, 2011 prior to this last inscription was in 1998).

b. Pioneered several international level policies through UNESCO/other international agencies for relevant actions for integrated and transboundary approaches to positively impact the Sustainable Development Agenda and integrate culture in development, promote global citizenship, rationally explore issues of migration and adaptation.

c. Devised models for multisectoral media and cultural outreach including one adopted from a model developed for the Caribbean for ACP-EU Seminar on Media and Agriculture, Brussels;

d. Development of the blue print of the action plan being used English speaking Caribbean countries for implementation of UNESCO Conventions; culling appreciation and development of incentive and award schemes; integrating developmental approaches across sectors and national boundaries and developing transboundary connections.

e. More than 15 years’ hands on experience in development and implementing policy programmes and actions in the global to local cultural heritage and creative industries spheres in UN agencies, UNESCO, OAS, ACP-EU, Commonwealth and civil society glocal organisations;

f. Keenly committed to working on realization of the sustainable development agenda, even beyond its stated goals to proactive engagement of culture-centred development for equity and fairness in all spheres and have participated in its development globally & locally;

g. Lifelong experiences of NGO work and community level experience in cultural development and have both culled international policy and worked on implementing such areas as Creative Cities, World Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Creative Industries, Copyrights, Trade and Development; Slave, Silk and Indentured Indian Immigrant Routes, Memory of the World, Rural and Urban cultural development, policy and legislative reform, civil society, youth and gender participation, empowerment and equity

Career Highlights: Journalism, Media, Information and Communication

j. More than 30 years as a communicator and journalist and about a decade as producer and publisher in multimedia forms exploring comparative cross-cultural and issues;

k. Extensive experience in research, writing for multimedia forms and presentation of messages on migration, diversity, inclusion for sustainable development, with intimate knowledge of most of international policy instruments in these regards and devising, developing, implementing and evaluating policies and strategies, advice and technical support, managing the process and content, transactions and operations in these areas and combined experiences in Management, having been a staff manager of a major media house before an independent career in cultural project management and policy development in the cultural and allied spheres of education and communications

l. Extensive experience in networking and collaborations both internally and externally, across boundaries, sectors, stakeholder interests, institutions and agencies with considerable successes in devising and developing networks around cultural matters, working with the diplomatic community, embassies, intergovernmental agencies, regional and international organizations, the European Commission and the European Council, Organisation of American States, Commonwealth Secretariat and commonwealth Foundation, InterAmerican Institutions and other organisations of the UN system, and Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Regions.

Find Dr Kris Rampersad on Social Media as:

KrisRampersad: LinkedIn/Instagram/YouTube/PInterest/

KrisRampersad1: Facebook; @krisramp – Twitter;

Blog Demokrissy – www.krisrampersad.blogspot.com

National Awards List 2018 The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (The highest award in TnT for distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Mr. Wendell Mottley - Former Finance Minister/Athlete	National Development/Public Service
The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has replaced The Trinty Cross, which was changed by Government following a High Court ruling in 2006 that the award indirectly discriminates against certain religions

The Chaconia Medal (Gold) (Community Service)
Mr. Jones P Madeira - Editorial Executive Consultant	Public Service/Journalism
Dr. Romesh Mootoo - Medical Practitioner	Medicine/Health
Dr. Waveney Charles - Haemotologist	Medicine
Mr. Ewart Williams - Former Central Bank Governor	Public Service
Ms. Joan Yuille Williams - Former Minister of Community Development & Gender Affairs	Culture/Public Service

The Chaconia Medal (Silver) (For long and meritorious service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Dr. Clifford Alexis - Musical instrument Specialist/Educator/Composer	Culture/Community Service
Mr. Neville Jules - Retired Pan Player/Arranger	Culture/Community Service
Mr. Roy Narinesingh - Publisher/Author/Editor	Education
Pundit Seereeram Maharaj - Pundit	Religion/Culture
Dr. Kern Tobias - Caribbean Union Conference President	Community Service
Pundit Bhownath Maraj - Pundit	Religion/Culture

The Chaconia Medal (Bronze)
(For outstanding and meritorious service to Trinidad & Tobago)

No recipient(s) this year nominated for the Chaconia Medal (Bronze)

Hummingbird Medal (Gold) (For loyal and devoted service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Mr. Kent Bede Bernard - Court Caseworker	Sport
Ms. Hazel Thompson-Ahye - Attorney	Public Service/Youth Development
Ms. Angela Murphy - Physiotherapist	Medicine/Health
Dr. Helene Marceau - Medical Doctor	Medicine/Public Service
Mr. Winston "Explainer" Henry - Calypsoniane	Culture/Education
Dr. Ian Anthony Hypolite - Psychiatrist/Athletic Coach	Medicine/Health
Dr. Varma Deyalsingh - Family Doctor/Psychiatrist	Medicine/Health
Mr. Thomas E Lawrence - T&T Civil Aviation Authority Chairman & Retired Airline Captain	Public Service

Hummingbird Medal (Silver) (For loyal and devoted service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Mr. Michael Paul - Retired TSTT Technician	Sport/Community Service
Mr. Haji Mohammed Hosein - Retired School Principal	Sport/Education
Mr. Narrie Aproo - Black Indian Masquerader	Culture/Community Service
Mr. Keith Thomas - Swim Coach	Community Service/Youth Development
Mr. Arnold Alpheus Ransome - Lead Baritone Singer, Southernaires Choir	Culture
Ms. Ella Andall - Calypsonian/Actress	Culture/Music
Mr. Willard "Relator" Harris - Calypsonian	Culture
Mr. Donric "Funny" Williamson - Calypsonian	Culture
Mr. Fred "Composer" Mitchell - Calypsonian	Culture
Mr. Teniel Campbell - Cyclist	Sport
Mr. Dylan Carter - Swimmer	Sport
Mr. Nicholas Paul - Cyclist	Sport
Mr. Kwesi Browne - Cyclist	Sport
Mr. Njisane Phillip - Cyclist	Sport

Humming Bird Medal (Bronze) (For loyal and devoted service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Sariah Estrada - Student USC	Gallantry

The Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) (For outstanding and meritorious service to Trinidad & Tobago)
Mr. Michael Scott (Posthumously) - Retired Teacher	Arts/Community Service
Dr. Oswin Christian Rose - Consumer Law Specialist	Public Service
Ms. Beryl Irma Brewster - Senior Nursing Lecturery	Public Service/Health
Mr. Prem Premanand Nandlal - Retired Industrial Chemist	Medicine
Dr. Rasheed Usman Adam - Medical Doctor/Neurosurgeon	Public Service/Medicine
Mr. Ronald Richardson - Retired Teacher II	Community Service/Education
Mr. Bronson Berry Merritt - Retired School Supervisor III	Education/Public Service
Mr. Teddy Brathwaite (Posthumously) - Retired Deputy Commissioner of Prisons	Public Service/Defence Force
Mr. Liaquat Ali Shah - CEO/Chemical Engineer	Public Service/Health
Ms. Camille Hosein - Retired principal	Education/Public Service
Mr. Francis Seupaul (Posthumously) - Retired Principal	Education/Community Service
Ms. Lynette Lalla-Chote - Retired Principal	Education/Community Service
Dr. Lester Efebo Wilkinson - Retired Ambassador/Permeant Secretary/Consultant	Public Service
Mr. Mahmud Sultan Dean Aziz - Retired Barrister at Law) Public Service	Public Service

The Public Service Medal of Merit (Silver)
(For outstanding and meritorious service to Trinidad & Tobago)

No recipient(s) this year nominated for the Chaconia Medal (Bronze)

The Public Service Medal of Merit (Bronze)
(For outstanding and meritorious service to Trinidad & Tobago)

No recipient(s) this year nominated for the Chaconia Medal (Bronze)

Medal For the Development of Women (Gold) (For Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Women's Rights and Issues in Trinidad and Tobago)
Dr. Krishendaye Rampersad - Writer, Journalist, Educator	Journalism/Development of Women

Website: https://goo.gl/FDLQdg:

What My Mother told me: https://goo.gl/CxBJrr

Nobel Blogging: Demokrissy trends with global think tanks https://goo.gl/8cVB8g

The Funeral Scores. Sir Vidia Naipaul final farewell in a fanfare of Naipaulian fictive irony https://goo.gl/NQibgR

Year of LiTTributes to Laureattes https://goo.gl/oW81Nm

Demokrissy trends with worlds leading think tanks https://goo.gl/ua3rXm

My Collision with Stephen Hawkins: https://goo.gl/Fx47Ak

Reflections on the Death of Nobel Laureate Sir Vidia Naipaul see link https://goo.gl/7eBP5a

Authors Tete-aTete Dr Kris Rampersad and Sir VS Naipaul https://goo.gl/gU11Jv

Noble Tears of a Nobel Bard Death of Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott https://goo.gl/WXbMpv

Sportscapes Cricket Games We Play LiTTours: https://goo.gl/ENum7X

TheMagic and Realism of gabrial Garcia Marquez RIP https://goo.gl/s7y2oc

Pat Bishop: The Killings, the curfew… https://goo.gl/DgFk9E

Lagahoo tribute to the independent spirits: https://goo.gl/C7kND1

Earth Quake Earthquake

Youtube video: https://youtu.be/A8TgWZPuEkE

LiTTscapes: Facebook: https://goo.gl/HBJsmM

Five Year Old Child Stars at LiTTribute: https://goo.gl/fn3oTR

One LiTTle bookshop: LiTTscapes and the Nobel Laureate https://goo.gl/cpvr2T

Launch LiTTribute: https://goo.gl/g1mmED

Through Novel lenses Youtube https://youtu.be/_zWHPEQCqHA

LiTTscapes Child Star Tops SEA: https://goo.gl/iNqt32

Prophesy A.Bourdain and Aboud. Port of Spain and Lebanon : https://goo.gl/zwtyWq

Devil’s WoodYard, Earthquake Aug 2018 https://goo.gl/myXCAQ

Migrants Motherlands Mothercultures https://goo.gl/MGrnPQ

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

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/

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