Take back communities from so-called leaders

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Take back schools and communities from so-called community leaders, chair of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO, Dr Kris Rampersad told educators last week. She was addressing the closing ceremony of a joint initiative by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education in Port of Spain for pilot training of some 125 principals, school supervisors and teachers. Dr Kris Rampersad, Chair of Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO “For too long our children have been kidnapped and our society has been hijacked and held to ransom by bandits and criminals who are held up as community leaders and to whom, tragically, the society now seems to be turning for advice to address the very problems they create. You are the community leaders,” Rampersad told the graduates, before they were presented certificates of completion of the course, Leading for Literacy Now! “For too long the schoolmaster and mistress who were once significant and pivotal axes of social life in our villages and districts, have either abdicated their roles as leaders or been forced out of them by other social pressures,” she continued. The educators participated in a pilot training in leadership skills training towards improving literacy levels beginning with primary schools with special focus on teachers of Infant I and II. A national call was made by the Commission through the Education Ministry and the participants were selected from voluntary applicants. “For too long we have been held to ransom by bandits and criminals in the guise of leaders and social and community leaders. We ask you now to go back and reclaim those spaces; to see yourself and to present and represent yourselves as the leaders that you are. To put your hands up proudly when there are calls for meetings and discussions and consultations with community leaders and say that you are leaders in your community. We ask you that you return to your schools to no longer cower before bullying parents and misguided children and take charge!” Rampersad said. She noted that the course has helped equip and tool principals and teachers to return to the new school term with fresh perspectives and approaches to face some of the challenges they may confront. The exercise was conducted by facilitators from the UK-based National Training College for School Leadership with financial and other technical support from UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, the National Commission, BMobile and the Army Leadership Training Centre of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment. “We ask you to use what you have learnt here to not just influence but to transform the directions of our education system and by extension our society as well,” Rampersad urged, noting a growing nervousness in the society enveloped in a wind of change that is causing considerable restless and which requires solid management of the processes of change and transformation. Acknowledging that the problems facing educators are many, and not insignificant, she challenged the trainees to take their learning back to school and expressed the hope to see positive results by as early as the end of the first term – by December 2013. “Three months is a very long time in the life of a child, and we know how much they can learn in short a short period. We need to capture their minds and imaginations before someone else does,” Rampersad pointed out. She said the participants will be engaged in continuous assessment and will share their experiences and recommendations for expanding the programme to all schools and districts of Trinidad and Tobago, adding that commitment for such support has already been expressed by the Ministry of Education. “We do not deny that the challenges are many and these times demand all our energies and intelligence to manage the changes that are inevitable. We have to ensure that such management occurs and we do not have the negative repercussions as we are witnessing taking place in Egypt and Syria and elsewhere. Let us manage and redirect the changes that are inevitable, drawing from your wisdom and experiences to positively impact our youth and harness their restless energies for change,” Rampersad said. “It will require open-mindedness, flexibility and a lot of patience.” She also noted that, once the expected results are realised, the Commission hopes to be able to hold up Leading for Literacy Now this as a model project to UNESCO to share with the Caribbean and its global community. https://sites.google.com/site/krisrampersadglobal  http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Take-back-communities-from-so-called-leaders%2C-says-Trinidad-UNESCO-chair-17393.html

Kris Rampersad joins UNESCO group

Kris Rampersad joins UNESCO group Story Created: Apr 5, 2013 at 10:35 PM ECT Story Updated: Apr 5, 2013 at 10:40 PM ECT Trinidadian author and educator Dr Kris Rampersad is one of six international experts who will serve on the consultative body of the international InterGovernmental Committee on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The decision to appoint the experts was made at last December’s meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee in France and Rampersad was elected as Vice-Chair during the committee’s first meeting this week. As a member of this organ, she will participate in scrutinising applications to the UNESCO’s Register of Best Safeguarding Practices, the Urgent Safeguarding List and requests for international assistance in relation to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Rampersad is a UNESCO-trained expert towards helping communities strengthen mechanisms to safeguard their cultural heritage. She has been conducting capacity building exercises in this regard across the Caribbean, including in countries such as Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. Rampersad has been examining and critiquing national and international policy instruments, including UNESCO mechanisms, and devising mechanisms and recommendations for culture-centred development for more than a decade. Rampersad, who is also the Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO, recently published LiTTscapes–Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago. —CMC http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Kris-Rampersad-joins-UNESCO-group-201720511.html T&T Author Dr Kris Rampersad on UNESCO international culture body By Caribbeanemag on April 5, 2013 | From caribbeanemagazine.com http://www.zimbio.com/Caribbean+Entertainment+News/articles/JuevBlOChHK/T+T+Author+Dr+Kris+Rampersad+UNESCO+international Author and educator, Dr Kris Rampersad has been invited to serve on the consultative body of the international InterGovernmental Committee on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation. Rampersad was also elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the consultative body during its first meeting held in Paris this week She is one of six international experts who will serve on the committee in their individual professional capacity, following the decision which was taken at last December’s meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee in Paris, France. As a consultative member, she will participate in scrutinising applications to the UNESCO’s Register of Best Safeguarding Practices, the Urgent Safeguarding List and requests for international assistance in relation to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Dr Rampersad - an independent media, cultural and literary consultant and facilitator - is a UNESCO-trained expert towards safeguarding cultural heritage and strengthening community and national tangible and intangible culture mechanisms. She has been conducting capacity building exercises in this regard across the Caribbean, including in countries as Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. She has also prepared and trained Caribbean youths, policy makers, decision makers and cultural communities in accessing the provisions of the Conventions towards strengthening mechanism for cultural survival and endurance. She further participated in the intergovernmental meeting on intangible cultural heritage in Bali, Indonesia in December, 2011. Rampersad has been examining and critiquing national and international policy instruments, including UNESCO mechanisms, and devising mechanisms and recommendations for culture-centred development for more than a decade. She has also been engaged by various international and regional agencies to present her perspective and coordinate multisectoral examination of development issues, bringing together policy and decision-makers, academics, private sector, media and civil society on a range of fields including science, technology, communications, agriculture, gender among others. A journalist, and newspaper editor, her research and recommendations are represented in UNESCO publications as well as the Commonwealth Foundation’s Putting Culture First Report; the culture reports of the ACP-EU (Africa, Pacific, Caribbean-European Union), and the International Who’s Who in Culture Policy Research among others. She is the author of the highly acclaimed LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago; Through the Political Glass Ceiling, and Finding a Place along with numerous print and new media journals and fora on culture, gender, literature, media and development. Rampersad is the Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO. Friday, April 5, 2013 T&T AUTHOR DR KRIS RAMPERSAD ON UNESCO INTERNATIONAL CULTURE BODY 9:50 AM Caribbean E-Magazine No comments Author and educator, Dr Kris Rampersad has been invited to serve on the consultative body of the international InterGovernmental Committee on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation. Rampersad was also elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the consultative body during its first meeting held in Paris this week She is one of six international experts who will serve on the committee in their individual professional capacity, following the decision which was taken at last December’s meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee in Paris, France. As a consultative member, she will participate in scrutinising applications to the UNESCO’s Register of Best Safeguarding Practices, the Urgent Safeguarding List and requests for international assistance in relation to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Dr Rampersad - an independent media, cultural and literary consultant and facilitator - is a UNESCO-trained expert towards safeguarding cultural heritage and strengthening community and national tangible and intangible culture mechanisms. She has been conducting capacity building exercises in this regard across the Caribbean, including in countries as Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. She has also prepared and trained Caribbean youths, policy makers, decision makers and cultural communities in accessing the provisions of the Conventions towards strengthening mechanism for cultural survival and endurance. She further participated in the intergovernmental meeting on intangible cultural heritage in Bali, Indonesia in December, 2011. Rampersad has been examining and critiquing national and international policy instruments, including UNESCO mechanisms, and devising mechanisms and recommendations for culture-centred development for more than a decade. She has also been engaged by various international and regional agencies to present her perspective and coordinate multisectoral examination of development issues, bringing together policy and decision-makers, academics, private sector, media and civil society on a range of fields including science, technology, communications, agriculture, gender among others. A journalist, and newspaper editor, her research and recommendations are represented in UNESCO publications as well as the Commonwealth Foundation’s Putting Culture First Report; the culture reports of the ACP-EU (Africa, Pacific, Caribbean-European Union), and the International Who’s Who in Culture Policy Research among others. She is the author of the highly acclaimed LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago; Through the Political Glass Ceiling, and Finding a Place along with numerous print and new media journals and fora on culture, gender, literature, media and development. Rampersad is the Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO. http://www.caribbeanemagazine.com/2013/04/t-author-dr-kris-rampersad-on-unesco.html Trinidadian Named To UNESCO Group Published: Friday April 5, 2013 | 4:05 pm0 Comments PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidadian author and educator, Dr Kris Rampersad is one of six international experts who will serve on the consultative body of the international Intern Governmental Committee on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The decision to appoint the experts was made at last December’s meeting of the InterGovernmental Committee in France and Rampersad was elected as Vice-Chair during the committee’s first meeting this week. As a member of this organ, she will participate in scrutinising applications to the UNESCO’s Register of Best Safeguarding Practices, the Urgent Safeguarding List and requests for international assistance in relation to Intangible Cultural Heritage. Rampersad is a UNESCO-trained expert towards helping communities strengthen mechanisms to safeguard their cultural heritage. She has been conducting capacity building exercises in this regard across the Caribbean, including in countries as Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. Rampersad has been examining and critiquing national and international policy instruments, including UNESCO mechanisms, and devising mechanisms and recommendations for culture-centred development for more than a decade. Rampersad, who is also the Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO, has recently published “LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago”. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/extra/article.php?id=2297