Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed
As the international discourse turns to walls and
fences in an atmosphere of uncertainty, fear, and growing hyper-anxiety at
intolerance and perceived threats to peace and harmony, the forms and
frameworks of the constructs of peace come sharply into question.
As the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrates the 71st birthday of its
Constitution (November 16) where the phrase is enshrined and has given UNESCO
its motto: Building Peace in the Minds of
Men and Women. It might have been overlooked in the hype over the election
of Donald Trump as the next US President - incidentally on the anniversary of
the symbolic end to the Cold War in the fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9). Incidentally
too, Trump was born just days before the signing of the Charter of the United
Nations which makes their fates remarkably intertwined, and maybe too
co-dependent. On my calendar, too, is another anniversary, that of the
Commonwealth People’s Forum in Uganda, Africa on this day (November 18) and
encounter with another world leader, Prince Charles who celebrates a birthday
on November 14.
UNESCO’s anniversary focus on its goals for a
culture of peace and the current climate of unease at the fate of peace efforts,
give cause to pause and reflect, not only in the contexts of Trump’s platform pronouncements
on the need for walls and to review America’s relationship with these
institutions, even as we remember that one of the authors of the UNESCO
Constitution was an American - poet/playwright/essayist, Archibald MacLeish.
MacLeish is credited with authorship of the
phrase in the UNESCO Constitution, Since
wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of
peace must be constructed. Of Scottish immigrant parentage, his life’s work
pronounces on and paints with haunting prophetic poignancy the pathologic state
of panic of a country where individualism has metamorphosed into intense greed
reflecting democracy gone awry, floundering freedoms and the rise of fascism
and self-serving free enterprise:
And
there, there overhead, there, there hung over
Those thousands of white faces, those dazed eyes,
There in the starless dark, the poise, the hover,
Those thousands of white faces, those dazed eyes,
There in the starless dark, the poise, the hover,
There with vast wings across the cancelled skies,
There in the sudden blackness the black pallOf nothing, nothing, nothing -- nothing at all.
From The End of the World,
Archibald MacLeish – American Poet, Author,
Essayist
MacLeish has among his legacies of poetry, plays,
essays and musings on the minds of men, his achievements as a statesman and
Librarian of Congress who set the LoC on the path of the international status
it enjoys as a repository of intellectualism and culture. He headed the first
US delegation to UNESCO when its Constitution was crafted 71 years ago, and composed the phrase from
which is derived the motto of the UN organization charged with the processes – education, culture, science and
information - that shape, if not govern, the minds of men. The motto remains
embedded in the UNESCO psyche and modus operandi, although America’s
relationship with the institution has been on rocky ground intermittently since
the 1980s, more intensely so in recent times with renewed uncertainty from
Trump’s proposed dollars and cents approach that could easily overlook the more
esoteric and intangible values that peace building involves.
The Prince Eyes The Wall of Greatness
It brings to mind another time and another world
leader, Prince Charles, who incidentally celebrates his birthday two days
before UNESCO. Almost nine years to this day, on November 18, Prince Charles is
the chief guest CPF’s Chief Guest at the Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF) in
Uganda, Africa in the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The Prince and I, with scores of onlookers, are
standing before another wall – The Wall of Greatness.
The Prince’s eye is on one or the other of the
messages on the wall. One reads, “A brick a day builds the future from today
and a palace for tomorrow.” This wall is constructed from people’s desire for
peace, prosperity, equality and equity. The Wall is an open platform for ideas,
not unlike the platform and repository of diverse ideas and opinions that
founding architects envisioned UNESCO to be.
In the
face of looming challenges, seventy years on, how many bricks have been laid
and to what extent has these peace building institutions been able to live up
to the vision of its founding architects, then intent on constructing a culture
of peace out for a world emerging out of the ravages of war, colonialism,
Nazism and Hitlerism, racialism, bigotry and prejudice?
The
Minds of Men and Women: The clock ticks to Paris Attack
One year
ago, hours before the world would be rocked by a fatal series of explosions
across Paris on that fateful day in November 2016, the exact thought played in
my mind: who knows what lurks in the minds of men and women?
From the
days earlier, I sat with scores of other men and women from across the globe,
in
utilizing, framing, altering, adapting and crafting mechanisms to help in the
construction, and in some cases, deconstruction and reconstruction of the defences
of peace.
After an
intense two-year-plus of international to local level consultations and
discussions, followed by days of sittings to iron out directions, clauses,
phrases, and firm up actions and maneuvering the multitude of variations of
opinions driven by cultural, social, political and economic differences, we had
reached unanimous consensus. Our recommendations for the future direction for
global education includes its intersections with culture, information,
communication, science, humanities and technologies and incorporates future-looking
dimensions of inclusive lifelong learning in synergy with conventional learning
forms, and forward thinking global citizenship issues. The Report of the Education
Commission, which I chaired, was set before the UNESCO General Conference for
approval.
The
General Conference is the biennial gathering of member-states, one of the
organs – the other is the Executive Board – that approves the suggestions from
the meetings of the minds of men and women to construct the defences of peace.
Location is the bedecked Salle One at Place de Fortenoy in UNESCO’s
Headquarters in Paris.
As I
waited for the General Conference to signal its acceptance of the Commission’s
work, I thought of the security processes applied to get into the building. It
included a system of accreditation along with meeting visa requirements and the
airport and immigration requirements of the host country. Then there were the
physical security scans from friendly gate keepers, and badges that function as
the passport into the meetings. Through the portal of peace, in dark and not so
dark suits and demure or colourful dresses, passed benign philosophers, poets, peace
advocates and lobbyists. The same processes were used for those of the more
radical ilk; technocrats of conservative or liberal order; politicians
visionary or mundane. Among them were men and women who held lofty ideals and
outlooks and were thrilled to be part of the process of upliftment and charting
the course for development in the path of human history; but among them, too,
were, also, novices, inexperienced politicians and power mongers and those with
petty ambitions, institutional and personal insecurities, harbouring grudges,
prejudices and hatreds.
A
microcosm of the minds of the men and women in the world poured through the
security posts, but the scanners would be hard-pressed to detect any dangers
that may lurk in the minds of any of those, I thought, privy to some of, but
not all, of the undercurrents – political, social, cultural, economic –and
going over potential scenarios and their treatment and handling that will not
expose the façade of diplomacy that pervaded the atmosphere.
So what
mechanisms were there; what checks on the minds of the men and women entering
the walls and halls, and the danger that may lurk therein? What defences did
the organization or any of the occupants have if not peace, but war, vengeance,
violence raged in some of the minds of the men and women who were entering its
walls? What inspection and what security checks were there on these? And what
warnings and signals of danger should we look out for?
To build
the defences of peace, the institution and those participating were making
themselves vulnerable to such unknowns in the minds of men and women.
From
unfolding occurrences behind the scenes, it seemed that while the processes of
physical security might have been well thought-out, the defences of the
institutions and its peace processes remained significantly vulnerable to the
unknown, metaphysical elements in the ‘minds of men and women’.
And indeed,
this nebulous factor became the source of the most challenging moments of the
meetings and encounters within the walls.
It was
answered with forethought and careful planning for potential scenarios and
identifying markers that will raise flags of potential disruption about which
we kept informed from observable ‘trends’. These may take the form of the
ideology or pronouncements of an individual or country, the issues they hold on
the front burner, the way they might have voted in the past on an issue, the
resolutions they might have piloted or in which they would have taken a keen
interest.
But was
that sufficient? What of those with no known history, who had not articulated a
position?
Insidious
stirrings on the days involved in moving the Education Commission to consensus
had brought closely home how precariously stood the goals of constructing and
maintaining the defences of peace, and how easily the selfless contributions of
the global community can be overturned by an underdeveloped mind and uninformed
actions and posturings of the uninitiated, the uninformed, the ignorant, the
insecure and immature egotist.
Emblazoned with Prometheus’ Fire
That the light that seems to irradiate out of the
fire of my badly lit ‘Prometheus’ may illuminate the spirits of those who are
in charge of the tremendous task of unifying the world through culture.
It
crossed my mind that if it was that kind of embedding that was required in
constructing this peace, one could not expect that it would be accomplished
just by the few minutes within these walls.
The painting framed the deliberations as we put
the finishing touches on what has become the global agenda for education that
would impact future generations, and I had cause to draw strength and
inspiration from it in the ensuing days. I drew attention to it, as did my
associate, the Mexican Ambassador to UNESCO with whom I had co-chaired on the
UNESCO Programmes and External Relations Commission as we prepared some of the
draft decisions that were now before the Education Commission.
Prometheus is the fascinating Robin Hood-like
figure of Greek Mythology who is reputed to have stolen fire from the Gods and
gave it to mankind. The son of Jupiter, Prometheus personifies forethought, as
the one who thinks of and plans for the future, as were many of those who had
taken the time to stay in Salle II and conduct the business of future
generations, rather than succumb to the effervescent and alluring charms of the
host city, Paris.
Those who worked with and empathised with the
plight of the underprivileged, the marginalized and disadvantaged, sat through
the meetings offering their fire – the light of their knowledge – that will
help identify solutions that may alleviate the plight of others, not unlike how
Prometheus was moved by the plight of mankind, shivering with the cold, dying
from hunger, and the prey of wild beasts, without fire. His father rejects his
request to give fire to ease their plight. Jupiter’s generation held the conservative
view that if men had fire they might become strong and wise and turn against
the Gods, so they demonstrated preference for a world in poverty and ignorance
as the already endowed gods continued to amass wealth to maintain power and
dominance, not unlike, it seems, some of the leaders in our own generation.
People
come to the table, whether representing individual, collective or national
ideologies, present these, debate and negotiate with others the pros and cons
of these, and around the table options are presented, analysed and decided on.
The Wall
of Greatness becomes flesh. With all its vagaries, the
70-year old bureaucracy charged with building peace in the minds of men and
women, has walls that are porous for negotiation, to collate and engage those
who wish to participate in building and fortifying elements of peace in the
minds of men.
Yet, it
is most vulnerable to the minds of men and women who enter with sometimes
fixed, inflexible and hidden agendas that are undetected and impermeable to the
systems and mechanisms it have evolved, albeit still in the process to perfection,
and which remain the glaring gaps in its defences. In effect, it is in its
strength and openness to engage, is also its weaknesses through which those who
are the enemies of freethought, ideas, equity, inclusion, can penetrate.
For there are always other antithetical Epimetheus-like
disruptive forces at play. Epimetheus unleashed those forces by consorting with
Pandora who was sent by the almighty, vengeful and power-engrossed Jupiter to
revenge Prometheus and interrupt the prosperity he was bringing to humankind.
As the myth goes, Pandora gave in to the temptations of opening the box
prepared by Jupiter with its array of diseases, depression, and miseries for
mankind. As the legend goes, the vengeful Jupiter also sent Vulcan to chain Prometheus
to the mountain peak where he was left exposed to the shrieking storm winds,
eagles clawing at his body for ten generations until Hercules rescues him.
Constructing Consensus, Building Peace
At its
most balanced and inclusive, the processes of UNESCO, reputed as the UN’s incubator
of ideas, facilitate and create an environment for open embrace of ideas and
ideologies that allow for easy engagement of seemingly conflictful and
contentious positions, bridging gaps and breaking down divisive walls to
construct inclusive defenses through education, culture, science and
information. UNESCO’s system of negotiating consensus, what I have elsewhere
identified as the institution’s prime and most underrecognized asset, its
intangible resource. Its successes and experiences of negotiating consensus
from extreme positions to grounds acceptable to the majority, have been the
moments when in its 70 years it can hold its head highest, and I was fortunate
to be part of some of these, as MacLeish himself have been. The most fulfilling
moments will be when delegates rose above the narrow localized and domestic
tethers to acknowledge the greater good and reach consensus. It is an
invaluable life skill. Those who take the time to sit through the meetings
would appreciate how it is done and better yet have faith restored that it can
be done.
But that’s
at the best of times.
The
worst of times are when the institution and its processes are waylaid and
forced to deviate from its goals – particularly when it allows the intrusion of
other forms and methods of persuasion and capitulation: the unbalanced pressures
of political and economic powers, or dominant cultural prejudices– to
overshadow and derail its core focus of building peace. We experienced many,
many moments of these as well.
Yet, we were able to, with unanimous consensus,
craft actions for education so next generations to be able to warm, cook, and
feed themselves and develop lifelong tools for sustenance. So concluded our
report and presented it before the UNESCO General Conference feeling, like
Prometheus must have, that with fire would come that new Golden Age, brighter
and better than the old.
That November
day, the day Paris rocked, unknown to many in the room, was played out several
signature moments when the constructs of peace would be challenged and the individual
and organizational strengths were tested to hold its own against understated
threats to its processes of building the foundations of peace. It was a test of
the minds of men and women with knowledge, experience and understanding to
triumph over inexperience, ignorance and prejudice.
Then the
final moments. The Chairman of the Conference was just about to drop the anvil
to announce adoption of the Commission Report, when somewhere among the
delegation, a hand went up. The Hall paused, in silence. It was not unusual for
a delegate to make an intervention at this stage, in fact the procedures
allowed for and encouraged it. It was part of the consensus building mechanism,
to ensure that no one leaves with doubts. It was not unusual, nor was it
altogether unexpected as the Chairman and a few relevant others are kept
apprised of potential scenarios and of any undercurrents that may precipitate
disruption of the proceedings.
He
graciously allowed the delegate requesting the floor. It turned out to be an
assertion and reinforcement of the raison d’ etre of UNESCO, followed by
another, from delegates with experience to understand how various stages of the
processes may be used to construct the defences of peace in the minds of men,
coming at a time when they felt such reinforcement of the processes,
principles, and ideals were needed. The interjections deepened the
acknowledgement of the processes that go into holding the fragile strands of
peace building together, above the petty insecurities, egotism, cowardice and
prejudices. Knowledge, experience and cooperation had come together as defences
of peace, perhaps just as MacLeish and the other authors of the UNESCO
Constitution might have intended.
‘Congrats
Kris. Well done. It is adopted. It is over.’ Relief poured out with messages I
received commending the successful and satisfactory completion of the agenda
and the adoption of the report.
Foregoing
the round of chatter and cocktails that would later follow, I left the building
and its pseudo constructs of security against the minds of men and women to
connect to the buzz of humanity that is Paris. It was Friday the 13th
November 2016. The day Paris shook and the walls of several of its cultural
institutions would come under attack.
(To Be
Continued - Next: Paris Under Attack ...)
PostScript: The US Elections and the UN
A Great Wall of Isms Schisms
One year ago, as now, a collision and collusion
of coincidences create cause to contemplate the construction of the defences of
peace of the UNESCO motto.
Who are the cast for the task, where are the
energies and imagination to be harnessed from the architects of peace?
What are the steps to construct, reconstruct,
repair, raise and/or reinforce its walls?
How would they ward off the rising decibels of
the cries of havoc that signal the impending release of the dogs of war?
When may the walls be relaxed, relax to release
the bridges to consensus building that will be its ultimate test of endurance?
While there has been much spotlight on the
election of Donald Trump who will take office in January 2017, there has been
much less attention on the new leader of the United Nations, Portuguese António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres
who also begins his term in January 2017. UNESCO would also be choosing a new
leader in 2017.
Where the UN has been engaged in their
deconstruction, Trump has vociferously championed the construction of walls.
The optimist anticipates that, campaign rhetoric behind him, the
responsibilities of the office will afford the pragmatic businessman, himself a
child of the post-war world (born on the same week the UN Charter was drafted)
to well appreciates the importance of stability and peace for a prosperous
business environment and the value of embracing the best talents of all
individuals and institutions across borders and boundaries to achieve those
ends.
For a character who has shown that he knows
what to say to win an election, it may not be farfetched to believe that he
would also do what needs to be done to right the imbalances and inequities,
once he understands what they are.
Trump’s platform rhetoric that presents the UN
and its agencies as ‘not a friend of the USA”, promises or threatens –
depending on from whose perspective it is viewed in the current polarized
climate - to cancel the US involvement in hard-won long-negotiated global
agreements on climate change, nuclear weapons, trade deals and other
international treaties and what he perceives to be the UN’s ‘weaknesses and
incompetence’. His views draw on criticism of the UN and its agencies and many
of its institutions over the decades, some not unfounded, though largely
evident when it imitates or bows unfairly to the pressures of existing super
systems.
The UN’s own involvement in soul searching over
the last few years have not been impervious to its need to effect greater
efficiencies and provide member states with greater value for money, but, much
of the value of its work remains unassessed, under assessed and eludes the
application of monetary accounting tools, like the intrinsic values of social
stability, peace, and social inclusion.
These can easily fall off the radar in any
assessment as Trump’s dollars and cents approach, or stated concerns in
relation to its occupation of headquarter space on US soil that resonate with
similar force as his pronounced intolerance of illegal immigrants and advocacy
of a wall between the USA and Mexico. While playing on some general concerns
about the shortcomings of the organization, it overlooks the non-monetary and
intangible values of the peace processes, social stability and appreciation of
diversity and inclusion.
Consensual Consensus – the post truth of
elections
The English definition of consensual is ‘existing
or made by mutual consent.’ The definition of consensus is, ‘a general
agreement about something, an idea or opinion, that is shared by all the people
in a group.’ The subtle difference, discernible to a native speaker of English,
is generally lost in translation in the multilingual environment of global
policy making.
At the sessions of the Commissions of the
UNESCO Executive Board, as at the Education Commission of the General
Conference, the consensual (with emphasis on each syllable) approach, climaxing
in consensus was often loudly applauded, with good reason. It is the keystone
for the construction of peace. An idea crafted into a resolution might have a
few consensual supporters and many dissenters, but building it block by block
to consensus involves long tedious hours, sometimes days or even months and
years of thoughtful drafting, crafting, lobbying negotiating ideas and finalizing
their transference into acceptable texts towards agreement.
The post truth of election will be the leader
and his/her followers’ consensual embrace of negotiating consensus so as to
meet the aspirations of the many. In the tableau as vast as America claims is
its reach, Trump may yet learn of not just consensual engagement and interaction,
but also its discourse, texts and context in negotiation and achieving consensus.
That is almost diametrically different to the markers
by which he has judged his success as an entrepreneur, and now as a politician,
where winning is the name of the game. It is not only the swamp of lobbyists in
Washington that has made murky the waters of negotiations and created
imbalances in the mutuality of consensualism. The darkest moments of organisations
like UN and UNESCO, as with governments across the world have been when the
swamp creeped in to drown, choke off and misdirect the paths too its vision and
goals. Some recent developments, including in the negotiating the Sustainable
Development Goals come to mind.
The challenge is for the incoming leaders of
the US, UN along with other nations and institution to work towards identifying
common ground, adopting consensualism, and by meshing pragmatism with creative
incorporation of the mechanisms for peace, equity, inclusions and
sustainability work towards countering the explosion of intolerance, extremism,
racism, nepotism, bigotry across not only the US, but in societies where
similar murkiness is testing their tolerance and appreciation of diversity. For
a character who has shown that he knows what to say to win an election, it may
not be farfetched to believe that Trump would also do what needs to be done to
right the imbalances he has frowned on, once he understands what they are. It’s
the starting point towards consensus building to what now seems the two forces
of peace and its opponents. Trumpism could yet assume an entirely novel
character than the current hysteria envisages with a challenge the
consensus-builders towards a convergence of ‘isms’ and ‘schisms’ and construction
of new directions for peace, equity and prosperity drawn from the best
experiences of capitalism, communism, socialism and the other isms that have
evolved into schisms.
It the test of the mettle of the leaders,
thinkers and technocrats administering the process to utilise the best skills,
talents, experience, imagination, creativity of architects of peace with the
best of the knowledge, skills, talents, imagination and experiences of those
who have been calling for its greater efficiency and relevance?
It is commonly held that the United Nations
system was born off the ravages of the extremism demonstrated by Hitler and the
resultant devastation of the second world war as a vow that such travesties
never be repeated. But it may more accurately be said to have been been sustained
by every generation’s universal desire for harmony, peace, and prosperity. Its achievement
requires consensual cementing of the schisms between the isms – and the time
may yet be ripe for that.
Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development educator, multimedia practitioner & advocate for equity & change who likes to think.
LinkedIn: krisrampersad; FB: krisrampersad1 T:
@krisramp; Blog: Demokrissy
@lolleaves @krisramp @krsrampersadtt @johnkerry +RealDonald Trump @realDonaldTrump @BBCRosAtkins @ForrestWhitaker @Time @CNN @BBCWorld
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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/
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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