The Tomb Raiders .... Return to the Quest for El Dorado

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Tombraiding has been Hollywood glamourised through the Indiana Joneses and Lara Crofts and a range of new video games that play on this land-based version of the kind of piracy that used to prevail on the high seas around the Caribbean. And it dates back to the Caribbean as a target in the quest for El Dorado so many millennia ago. Not to be confused with body snatchers, it ranges from the activities of hobbyists seemingly innocently eager to hoard a bit of history so they comb graveyards to gather bits and pieces from or off tombs, to petty thieves looking to earn a quick shilling, to highly organised crime networks trading in black market heritage goods with complicity by individual collectors or even museum dealers participating in a very lucrative heritage trade market.

It has been a raison d’etre of interest in the Caribbean since

See Also: http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2012/10/centuries-old-heritage-tomb-spanning.html#more

https://sites.google.com/site/krisrampersadglobal/home/about-me/books

Diversity and culture of Ministries

Diversity & the Culture of Ministeries

by Dr KRis Rampersad 

(Part II)

Whereas we can learn a thing or two from the structures and systems the developed world has evolved for arts infrastructure, education, support and patronage, when it comes to culture, and indeed multiculturalism, few, if any, can hold a candle to us. Our confidence in this fact that usually only surfaces through chest-thumping pierrot grenades or robber-type talk have not found full expression because of justifiable dissatisfaction with the state of the arts, and the unholy alignment of arts and culture in our governance system.

Just as growth and development of our arts and recognition of their universality have been overshadowed in the jostle for ethnic and cultural space, our appreciation and confidence in the diversity and multiculturalism we have evolved since we joined the indigenous peoples in this land have been curtailed from full independent flight.

The former Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism, during our sitting at the international heritage meeting in Bali last December, asked my opinion on the place of legislation in culture, reflecting the doubts all his predecessors have shown on this subject—similar to the question posed from the global floor to the now erstwhile T&T UN ambassador, oblivious to the new international awakening and probing on this subject.

This unease that has plagued culture ministries of yore stem from nervousness about legislation and policy pronouncements on our culture. In general definition, culture is “our way of life” that includes, but is not contained in, just the arts of music, dance, performance, painting etc to include elements as cuisine, fashion, walk, talk, religious practices—any number of traits that identify a people who have evolved in a particular environment. I have presented extensively abroad (Sans Humanite Sans Policy in relation to the Carnival Creative Arts (Turkey); Trini Lime Time: Attitudes to Cultural Policy in Rebel Cultures (France) among them—on the rebel nature of our cultural heritage and beliefs held, even by some judges, that the law has no place in culture.

The roots and raison d’etre of our cultural evolution—defying explorers, buccaneers, slave masters, police, schoolmasters, privateers, any authority figure—as the also erstwhile Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs would have oh too painfully, shockingly, recently discovered—inhibits surrender to any (even just perceived) impositions of structure, rules/codes.

The inability of our governance to date to grasp this; its significance; the need to fully appreciate and understand it, is couched in the last regime’s “situational analysis” on culture on the Vision 2020 Committee Report:
• Attitudes of selfishness, lawlessness, greed, dishonesty, indifference to others.
• Violent manifestations in the home, community, workplace, language of leadership, music.
• Tendency to describe ourselves through notorious deeds.
• Negative “languaging” of our space.

The visionaries therein seemed oblivious to their own negative imaging of what is essentially our sense of freedom and the inherent liberating effect this has had on our culture that is quintessential to who and what we are. Furthermore, the drive to urbanise our cultures and make them “economically viable” (duh?), through instruments like the European Union-Cariforum Economic Partnership Agreement, for instance, loses its sense of direction about the nature of culture in a society in mad-hatter pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Herein is the national, regional, international contexts for a Ministry of Diversity and Social Inclusion which itself incorporates the multiculturalism mandate—hence my recommendation that this word be dropped and a Ministry of the Arts exist in its own right, just as a Ministry of Multiculturalism/Diversity and Social Inclusion can exist in its own right; as other appendages to the once Ministry of Arts and Culture—Sports, Women/Gender, Community/Social Affairs et al—have evolved identities and mandates of their own towards a more people-centred approach to governance.

In a culture-centred approach to development, there is more than enough for such an infrastructure with a diversity mandate to: harness our substantial experiences of multiculturalism for the benefit of a world reeling from escalating impacts of new migrations; build confidence in this experience and knowledge to benefit us and the international community; reverse the hurts and dissatisfaction of having our cultural selves forcefitted into the corsets of alien governance models and administrations. It seems opportune, then, that in this the jubilee year of self-rule, we begin to redress this so every creed and race can find an equal place in a substantive and pragmatic way.

 For more visit www.krisrampersad.com

From http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2012-08-22/diversity-and-culture-ministries

The Culture Challenge pounding at the doors

"Cultural activist, Dr Kris Rampersad and others have suggested the ministry submit the draft policy for public comment"  - Artist Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago

Artists Coalition wants national cultural policy soon

SUNDAY 9 JANUARY 2011

ACTT’s interim president, Rubadiri Victor, aired the groups’ views during a Thursday meeting of artists and cultural industry stakeholders, held at offices of the local Entertainment Company on Long Circular Road, St James.

He noted there was a draft policy which was now stymied by the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism’s need to create a multiculturalism language around it. However, he said they don’t seem to know how to do this.

In other countries, he pointed out, a separate agency looks after multiculturalism issues for the entire Government. Cultural activist, Dr Kris Rampersad and others have suggested the ministry submit the draft policy for public comment, all aimed at having a cultural policy by May 2011.

This issue, it was pointed out, was of paramount importance to ACTT members because a national cultural policy was a requirement for “hundreds of millions of dollars of UNESCO funding,” members said.

Victor spoke about the impact of poor communication between Government and cultural organisations on meeting the requirements to access UNESCO funding.

Victor reminded ACTT members of a 2006 meeting between cultural stakeholders, Government and UNESCO officials, which had fizzled out.

The application paperwork, which had to be completed by the State, was given a “failed” mark by the UN and sent back to TT for improvement. However, Victor claimed the document ended up languishing on the desk of someone who was on vacation.

After bringing the matter to the attention of Trade and Industry Minister, Stephen Cadiz, Victor expressed hope that this oversight would not re-occur in the future.

“Hopefully,” he declared, “they understand what is at stake, and it is clear that the cultural sector must be part of the negotiations. We almost lost out on hundreds of millions of dollars in funding,” Victor said.

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt :

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PITRI PAKSH: CEREMONY FOR THE LIVING

Every year, during the September/October period for approximately fifteen days, Hindus observe the Pitri Paksh (loosely translated as ancestors' time), by engaging in reflection, prayer and remembrance; a manifestation of gratitude to those who have paved the way and who continue to live through us. As is the case with many ancient ceremonies, misconceptions are common for the purpose and theological principles underpinning the rituals are not generally understood. All Hindu rituals are grounded in the social, psychological and meta-physical domains with a core goal of maintaining order in the family, society and country. The ritual is not the end itself but rather a means or process towards a more noble and lofty cause of remembering and acknowledging the sacrifice and contribution of those who have died.

In this regard, the rituals performed in this period are similar to remembrance ceremonies in both the secular and religious worlds. Examples of the former are Memorial Day and Remembrance Day. Gratitude is one of the stronger threads of the social weave and hence a primary aim of the period is to engender and foster this essential and critical human characteristic. It is thus for the living who perform it. The continuity of life (spirit, energy and matter) is expressed in the tenet of reincarnation and thus the prayers that are proffered are meant for the benefit of the reincarnated ancestor in his/her present life. To many, this is a difficult concept to acknowledge or grasp, particularly those whose construct of the world is assembled from inflexible dogma.

Such individuals can be found in both the secular and the religious communities who share a commonality; a one-dimensional binary world view, one that is inconsistent with the inter-related multi-dimensional complexities of the universe. Religion, like other endeavours of man, seeks to provide an understanding of the world.

The problem with dogma based belief systems is that the evolving world is constrained to conform to a model that might not represent reality. On the other hand, process based belief systems are able to accommodate changing situations and thus are more relevant as they provide a model that is aligned with existing situation. Hinduism and Buddhism are process based religions which provide the individual with the algorithms for effective decision making.

Authority, responsibility and accountability lie fully in the domain of the individual upon which the concept of karma and its corollary, reincarnation, are based. The theory of karma indicates that our present life trajectory at any point in time is the dynamic conjoint of past and present actions. Since we are accustomed to thinking that the outputs of actions are limited to a finite time scale, conceptualisation of the continuity of the effects over large distances and time periods requires effort. To give a simple example, an earthquake occurring for a few seconds near the eastern shores Pacific ocean take a few hours to be felt on the western shores; as it takes time for the waves to propagate. Now imagine, a few minutes later, a second earthquake occurs a bit west of the site of the original quake.

Waves near the western shore would be the conjoint of both waves; that is, its present characteristics is a product of both actions (quakes). Put another way the effects of the past and present are coexisting and by extension, the future is a product of the present and past; the idea behind karma. At the physical plane level, the performance of the rituals for one's ancestors is a product of a past action or consistent set of actions. By performing these rituals, the future actions of one's offspring are influenced. In other words, an action by an ancestor one generation removed will affect the actions of a successor one generation forward. Put another way; actions from the distant past impact on the present and future.

The clear conclusion, even if one did not subscribe to the reincarnation and karma, is that the worship of the ancestors impact positively on the living, over many generations. To say otherwise is to deny the fundamental characteristic of what makes us human. To criticise the ceremony as worshipping the dead is to admit one's own ingratitude to one's fellowman.

From article by Pundit Prakash Persad

Sun Oct 03 2010, Sunday Guardian

PITRI PAKSH: CEREMONY FOR THE LIVING | The Trinidad Guardian

Grow Safeguard Preserve Create A MultiMedia Legacy

With rapidly changing technologies in media, many of our knowledge resources are fast disappearing or becoming inaccessible. We are in the process of digitising our archives representing more than 30 years of contemporary Caribbean development linked to more than 10,000 years of regional pre and post colonial history and heritage. Make contact.

To support, sponsor, collaborate and partners with our digitisation efforts. Or to develop your own legacy initiatives, and safeguard, preserve, multimedia museum, galleries, archives, make contact.

Budgets crucial to diversify economy through arts and culture

Trinidad and Tobago would be missing a crucial opportunity for diversifying the national economy if Government’s 2010-2011 Budget does not contain the necessary provisions to propel the arts and cultural sector from dependency to self-sustainability.
Arts and culture is a billion dollar industry elsewhere. It is the kind of returns from museums, from performances abroad, from sales and downloads of a range of cultural products in a world hungry for new entertainment on the one hand; and on the other, from fulfilling the cravings for new reflections of self and identity that our multiculturalism can provide. It has the potential to help individuals and communities to sustainable livelihoods. However, the structures and systems and investments necessary that can help us take advantage of this are sorely lacking.
The potential is not only our music, song, dance, drama, literature but outside-the-box industries of fashion and cuisine. We are sitting on a multi-million dollar revenue earner in literary tourism, but there are as yet no real facilities by which we can capture this international interest. Digitisation of access to these is also crucial. It is the duty of Government to create the environment to enabling and facilitate this; to promote public-private sector partnerships with individuals and groups in the sector, and to ensure that no one group or groups of organisations have the monopoly of access to these facilities.
At a time when the world is rapidly moving towards forms of energy other than petroleum, it is ridiculous to consider further incentives and tax reductions to the oil sector, when efforts should be concentrated at making that sector compensate for the imbalances it has created, and developing those sectors that have longer-term and more sustainable potential, particularly those related to the arts and culture sector. Europe and North America are trying to ‘buy up’ as much world cultures as possible, we seem all-too-willing to sellout our cultural assets and not even to the highest bidder– just look at the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM.
The 2010-11 Budget should present clear measures to provide effective tax and other incentives to the creative sector for the development of talents, products, communities along with a short, medium and long term vision that gives culture its rightful place at the centre of national development, not just piecemeal and tokenism. That would also include revising the mainstream (preschool/primary to tertiary level) education curriculum, teacher training, and education materials to reflect and enhance appreciation for local arts and multiculturalism, along with intelligently utilising the new arts megastructures to effectively cultivate and provide opportunities for creative enterprise and activities easily accessible to the masses. With this should come review of all ‘national’ competitions to lift the standards and quality of products being awarded by state and private sector funds, while helping to facilitate development of audiences, readers and participants. Where is our National Arts Council that is equipped and resourced to pull together and make holistic and effective the work of the National Carnival Commission, National Archives, National Trust, National Libraries and Museums for instance?
The spin offs are not only tangible economic benefits, but other social spinoffs – reduced crime, poverty, stress on social services and the intangibles of civic ownership, and national pride.