Monday, June 6, 2011

First man ‘functionally cured’ of HIV - Yahoo! News

Friday, June 3, 2011

VS Naipaul finds no woman writer his literary match – not even Jane Austen | Books | The Guardian

VS Naipaul's absence has cost this parliament credibility | Hari Kunzru | Books | guardian.co.uk

Hari Kunzru criticises Turkey over VS Naipaul Islam row

From UK Guardian

Hari Kunzru criticises Turkey over VS Naipaul Islam row

This article is more than 14 years old

British writer attacks Turkish record on free speech as he steps in to replace VS Naipaul at opening of literary event in Istanbul

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British novelist Hari Kunzru has attacked Turkey's record on free speech at the Istanbul literary event the European Writers' Parliament, describing VS Naipaul's absence from the event "regrettable", and calling for the repeal of the notorious article 301 of the Turkish penal code.

Kunzru stepped into the breach to deliver the opening speech this morning in place of Naipaul, who withdrew from the EWP earlier this week "by mutual agreement" with the organisers following a row over his criticisms of Islam.

Kunzru referred to the Nobel laureate's absence and said: "I feel we would be stronger and more credible if we were to deal with divergent views within this meeting rather than a priori excluding someone because of fear that offence might be given."

The writer also attacked Turkey's record on free speech, citing the cases brought against novelist Orhan Pamuk and editor Hrant Dink under article 301 of the country's penal code, which makes it illegal to insult Turkey, Turkish ethnicity or Turkish government institutions.

Kunzru told the assembled authors: "Pamuk faced trial for giving the following statement to a Swiss magazine: 'Thirty thousand Kurds have been killed here and a million Armenians. And almost nobody dares mention that. So I do.'" He added: "Dink, one of Turkey's most prominent Armenian voices was convicted under article 301 then murdered by a young nationalist, who was subsequently photographed in a police station surrounded by smiling officers, against the backdrop of the national flag. There are many other examples in Turkey of the weapons of offence and insult being used to silence dissent. Turkey is obviously not alone in this, but since we are here, it is important that we acknowledge it."

Kunzru said he believed one of the most tangible and immediate results of the European Writers' Parliament would be to call for the repeal of section 301 "and a declaration that no European writer should have to operate under the threat of similar laws".

The novelist acknowledged that his criticisms risked causing offence, but said: "Our kind Turkish hosts have invited us here, as an international group, to air our views, and so it is my belief that we must not shy away from recognising the situation here, where we are speaking." He added: "It would be absurd to assert freedom of speech in the abstract without exercising it in concrete terms."

Kunzru has been outspoken in the past in defence of his beliefs. In 2003 he refused the award of the £5,000 John Llewellyn Rhys prize for his debut novel, The Impressionist, because it was then sponsored by the Daily Mail. Kunzru rejected the prize because of what he called the paper's consistent "hostility towards black and Asian British people", telling the organisers to give the cash to the Refugee Council.

Hari Kunzru criticises Turkey over VS Naipaul Islam row | Books | guardian.co.uk

For more go to: https://krisrampersad.com/

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Research

Saturday, May 28, 2011

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

Radical Radiance: Meena Keshwar Kamal | Imagine Today

When she was just a nineteen ear old student in Kabul Meena founded an organization called RAWA in 1977, which stands for The Revolutionary Association of the Woman of Afghanistan. RAWA is an organization that strives to “give voice to the deprived and silenced women of Afghanistan.” In 1981 she launched a bilingual feminist magazine called Payam-e-Zan (which means Women’s Message in English). This magazine, which was produced through RAWA exposed the criminal activities of fundamentalist groups that were damaging to basic human rights.

In addition to being a powerful and passionate advocate for Women’s Rights Meena was also a talented writer. I’d like to share one of the poems she wrote that I found particularly inspiring as a feminist:

***************************************************

I’ll Never Return

I’m the woman who has awoken
I’ve arisen and become a tempest among the ashes of my burnt children
I’ve arisen from the rivulets of my brother’s blood
My nation’s wrath has empowered me
My ruined and burnt villages fill me with hatred against the enemy.
I’m the woman who has awoken,
I’ve found my path and will never return.
I’ve opened closed doors of ignorance
I’ve said farewell to all golden bracelets
Oh Compatriot, I’m not what I was
I’m the woman who has awoken
I’ve found my path and will never return.
I’ve seen barefoot, wandering and homeless children
I’ve seen henna-handed brides with mourning clothes
Ive seen giant walls of the prisons swallow freedom in their ravenous stomach.
I’ve been reborn amidst epics of resistance and courage
I’ve learned the song of freedom in the last breaths, in the waves of blood and in victory
Oh Compatriot, Oh brother, no longer regard me as weak and incapable
With all my strength I’m with you on the path of my land’s liberation.
My voice has mingled with thousands of arisen women
My fists are clenched with the fists of thousands of compatriots
Along with you I’ve stepped up to the path of my nation,
To break all these sufferings all these fetters of slavery,
Oh compatriot , Oh brother, I’m not what I was
I’m the woman who has awoken
I’ve found my path and will never return.

Visit for more https://krisrampersad.com/

Radical Radiance: Meena Keshwar Kamal | Imagine Today

Kamla: Beyond the Glass Ceiling Review by Herman Silochan, c - Kris Rampersad - Open Salon

Together we are Pelau

Cadiz blames 'persons with other agendas' | Trinidad Express Newspaper | News

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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

International Culture University

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

Friday, May 20, 2011

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001918/191822e.pdf

Saturday, May 14, 2011

arcade.acted.org/images/arcade_livre_et_couv_BD.pdf

www.commonwealthfoundation.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=16LU0GdSEto%3D&tabid=247

Monday, April 18, 2011

Winner, UNESCO BBC Trust Blog ContestThe Communication Initiative Network

Locating invisible women in new media in global mass media gender assessments | The Communication Initiative Network

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Women in Canada's news industry still face glass ceiling: study

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Facebook murders

The Facebook murders

The wires were abuzz around this time last year. Twenty five year old Paul Bristol flew to London from Trinidad and Tobago to kill his ex-girlfriend, 27-year -old Camille Mathurasingh. He was enraged after seeing a photo of her on Facebook with another man. He stabbed her 20 times in her car in London. It became known as the Facebook murder.
There have been other similar incidents. One recalls the shock that shook Siparia when a mother of four left home for a date with a man she “met” on the internet. It turned out to be a date with death. Her decomposing body was found four days later mangled with the mangrove in the Manzanilla River. The autopsy revealed she had been strangled.
There are increasing reports of similar incidents around the world.
Emma Forrester of the UK changed her Facebook status to single after separating from her husband, Wayne He returned to their family home and hacked her to death with a meat cleaver. He claimed he was provoked when she changed her marital status to 'single' on Facebook.
In October last year, a married Zimbabwean man accused his mistress of having an affair after she altered her Facebook account. He whipped her with wire. Both were immigrants to Britain. He told British police that “such savage attacks” were common in his homeland.
Another, a mother-of-two was murdered by her jealous husband after she posted on Facebook that her marriage was over.
Teenager Ashleigh Hall was lured to her death by a convicted serial rapist,Peter Chapham. He had posed as a teenage boy on Facebook. They planned to meet. He collected her from her home in Britain, drove her to a lay-by, tied her up, raped and strangled her. Another schoolgirl met her ex-boyfriend, who was charged with murdering her, on the site.
Also in the UK Mary Griffiths was a Facebook friend of John McFarlane. He broke into her home when she was asleep, beat her and shot her twice with a bolt gun, normally used for stunning animals. He claimed to have been provoked by a message she had posted on Facebook that he was "delusional" if he believed they would ever have a relationship.
In less bloody forms of abuse, a former boyfriend posted nude photos and videos of a Philippine girl in an account he had created under her name. He mailed a copy of the video to her Muslim parents.
UK studies have shown increases in crimes linked to the social networking site - more than 100,000 in the last five years. Murders and rapes were among them bit they also found a range of range of other crimes, from terrorism and gun crimes to pedophilia, fraud, hate crimes, malicious messages, suicides and threats of violence.
Investigators found that offenders sometimes use fake identities and befriend victims scandalously in order to abuse their trust, bully, harass and use their private information for various ill doings.
The incidents have stimulated a raging debate on an off line. Facebook fans have been discussing their occurrences and entering the debating whether Facebook and similar social networking sites are encouraging such crimes, or whether the incidents merely mirror the extent of violence and abuse of women that already exists in societies.
Facebook estimates that more than 700 million Facebook updates are posted each day by its more than 400 million active users who share photos, messages, contact friends and link with others who share similar interests. In many cases, some of these interactions take place with strangers. One UK study found 85 per cent of women on Facebook in that region had been contacted by strangers on Facebook.
The internet has opened up private lives into new avenues of potential violence and has led to a rise in cases of electronic violence against women through cyber harassment, stalking, online pornography, and unauthorised recording, reproduction and distribution of images and videos.
Yet, it is believed to be social, even professional, “suicide" to avoid such sites. Even organisations like End Violence Against Women (EVAW), and the UNIFEM virtual knowledge centre to end violence against women, use the internet with the former also on Facebook.
The Association of Progressive Communications Women’s Networking Support Program (APC WNSP), based in the Philippines, is working to help women around the globe better understand new technology and its potential and impact on their rights and lives.
They too use the internet, among other forums, to communicate their messages, functioning from a belief that persons who understand technology - know how it works, how to use it and change it with technical knowledge have more control over it. Some of the tips they offer to persons to protect privacy on the internet are:
• Do not to disclose too much personal information to social networking or dating site, even such information as place of work, address or telephone number which can become a map to a potential killer.
• Pay attention to the consistency of the information being revealed by online ‘friends’. The more inconsistencies, the greater the chance that the person is lying about themselves.
• Stop all communication with people who are obsessed with trying to pry personal information from you.
• Be on the look-out for warning signs such as the use of foul language, disrespectful remarks, signs of anger for no apparent reason and elusiveness in answering direct questions.
• If one decides on a face-to-face meeting with a strange “friend”, under no circumstances agree to meet with that person at one’s home. Have these meetings in public and tell someone where the meeting would be, with whom and expected time back.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Woman to Woman | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Woman Magazine

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

PM to PM: Kamla to Julia: woman to woman

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s pitch to her Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard to put a woman’s touch on the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) sets a new tone to these meetings. For the first time, the Commonwealth has a woman as its chair-in office who will transfer the baton to another woman. The ‘chair-in-office’ is assigned to the host country of the previous CHOGM. Persad-Bissessar inherited the post when Patrick Manning was moved from the office of Prime Minister, given that Trinidad and Tobago hosted the 2009 CHOGM; and it will pass to the Australian Prime Minister which hosts the 2011 CHOGM.
It changes the tone of CHOGM meeting because these have historically been male dominated. In fact, in this period in which Persad-Bisessar and Julia Gillard are on the scene, they are among only three women of the fifty-four political leaders of the Commonwealth. The third female political leader in the Commonwealth is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed of Bangladesh.
The PM’s call is the kind of woman-to-woman conversation that new development thinkers are encouraging and believe is essential if there is to be progress in the UN’s Millennium Development Goal towards more balanced global development.
It is anticipated that it will also change the tone and impact of women in local politics where the track record has not been altogether encouraging.
A review on interventions in support of women’s participation in electoral processes in the Caribbean between 2007-2008, released by UNIFEM last year, tells that women in politics have not had the impact on their societies as expected.
In the first instance, the review which initially targeted examination of interventions in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and either St. Lucia or Guyana, had to curb its ambitions and focus only on Trinidad & Tobago and the Put a Woman project of the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women because it was the only one that “provided a substantial enough base for making an assessment.”
To its key question on “whether the significant increase in the number of women Members of Parliament (MPs) in Trinidad & Tobago in 2007 had led to an increase in the representation of women’s interests in Parliament,” the simple answer was, “No”.
It describes the aim of Put a Woman to transform the culture of politics in Trinidad & Tobago by making it more inclusive, beginning with women. This was to be achieved through:
 Training women across party lines to understand government at both local and national levels and in gender mainstreaming government decision-making;
 Encouraging more young people to take part in the electoral process;
 Documenting and publishing information on women in local government in Trinidad and Tobago;
 Making the environment conducive for women to effectively participate in the highest levels of decision-making; and
 Creating a critical mass of gender-sensitive elected or appointed women representatives who would influence policy in national political bodies.
This translated into actions involving political skills training; revitalization of the Women’s Political Platform; documentation of women in local government; and the establishment of a Women’s Political Participation Fund.
The review identified Put a Woman’s major successes as the reach of the training it provided and the significant increase in the number of women elected to Parliament following the training. With local government elections postponed in 2007 and 2008, the Political Skills Training concentrated on training for the national elections of 2007. It used various approaches to working with women who were potential nominees or candidates along with women working to support them and reached more than 500 women. It updated the Women’s Manifesto; prepared a document on women’s contribution to local government and the establishment of a small Women’s Political Participation Fund which distributed nominal sums as expressions of support to 13 women candidates.
Among the weakness it review identified was the project’s inability to establish a Women’s Political Caucus.
But, it concluded, “more critically, “the project did not lead to increased representation of women’s interests by women Members of Parliament in spite the increase in their numbers and the exposure to ideas and tools which the project had provided.”
It found that women MPs were in the main not raising issues of concern to women, and cited reasons as their failure to work across party lines and with women’s organisations. the problem was one of the quality, not the quantity of women MPs.
But there are other broader underlying factors. These, the review identified as:
 The nature of the political party culture in the region;
 The sometimes antagonistic differences among women and how this impacts on the aim of creating a critical mass of women in Parliament;
 The diminishing space that national governments have for decision-making; and
 The possibilities and limits of national and local government.
This was discovered of the political environment in Trinidad and Tobago, but it is also a reflection of the political environment globally. And these are the areas that Persad-Bissessar and Gillard will have to transform in their party systems and in their local and national politics, if they are to make substantive impact on the policies and directions and affect a ripple effect across the Commonwealth.

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Frank Birbalsingh reviews Finding A Place

Help Us Digitise

Frank Birbalsingh reviews Finding A Place http://www.indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/june4/artse.html

http://www.indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/june4/artse.html

The Trinidad Guardian -Online Edition Ver 2.0

http://www.indocaribbeanworld.com/archives/july2/index2.html#toronto

Finding A Place Booklaunch Toronto 2003

Finding a Place by Dr Kris Rampersad was launched in Canada at the Canada-Caribbean Literary Convention in 2003. Sessions took place at the Convention as well as a reception with the author, Dr Kris Rampersad at the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in Canada.

Finding a Place presents groundbreaking research of the processes of socio-economic, political and cultural adaptation of Indian indentured immigrants in general with specific contexts of settlement and evolution in the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago. It adapts Dr Kris Rampersad's doctoral thesis, Indo Trinidadian Literature - 1850 to 1950.

Book traces T&T PM’s road to victory -- NationNews Barbados -- Local, Regional and International News -- nationnews.com

Building Capacity for advancing Caribbean Agricultural Development

One of the outstanding outreach and advocacy initiatives for agriculture and food security developed in conjunction with the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute. As the world transitioned from conventional to new media, the holistic approach involved retooling executives and extension officers in use of new media tools, revising internal and eternal communications strategies and approaches, devising new mechanisms for engaging multisectoral stakeholders and broadening partnerships in public, private, NGO, media and academic sectors as well as revising CARDI's range of outreach materials that include newsletter - the CARDI Update, the academic CARDI Journal, the bulletins on sound agriculture, animal husbandry and food security practices as well as conceptualising, coordinating and introducing the agri-journalism award and strengthening understanding of the impact of climate change on agriculture.

This collaboration, apart from the above named outputs and outcomes, provided a new unique model for multistakeholder engagement that was adopted internationally by CARDI's EU-ACP partners and the Agri Journalism award to encourage outreach and awareness about food security, healthy lifestyles and agriculture and its satellite industries and economies. To develop your campaign and outreach initiatives or to sponsor development of these experiences for further outreach make contact

CARDI Update 2009 -2 .pdf (application/pdf Object)

Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute - News Article

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Spore - A stronger voice for agriculture

CARDI and the Campaigns for

CARDI Update 2009 -2 .pdf (application/pdf Object)

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Global Integrity Report

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Democratic Governance report

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

Cutting edge journalism

Friday, March 4, 2011

100 Days-100 Ways for UN Women. Stimulating the gender agenda

The challenge to the gender agenda is real to impact effective change.

Deeper analyses on capacity of women leaders for change; challenges, solutions given belief that even where women’s leadership and participation have increased, there has not been concurrent impact on their spheres of leadership. As primary transmitters of culture, knowledge, education, women have not been changing, but replicating and transferring habits, beliefs and practices that promote inequalities to the boys as much as girls. Address perceived lack of impact women leaders have been making in their spheres beyond the victims’ veil/as recipients to shapers and molders of modes/models of governance to direct targeted programmes/actions and meet targets for gender equity.

Listen, Break the Bias Women and Development Interview

Listen: Changing the Conversation Gender & Development at Inauguration of First Female President

“100 Days → 100 Ways” for UN Women e-camp@ign launched!

The official launch of UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment, took place on Thursday, February 24^th, marking a new era for women not only at the UN but around the world. The event, “Honouring the Past: Envisioning the Future for Women and Girls,” was an historic occasion. The new women’s entity is now in the midst of its first 100 days and in the process of developing its strategic plan. Now is the time to provide inputs and suggestions to UN Women on how it can best serve the needs of women and girls around the world. What type of new UN Women are you envisioning? What concrete suggestions can you provide to Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the new Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women?

On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day this year on March 8^th, and the first 100 days of the new UN women’s entity, the “100 Days → 100 Ways” for UN Women e-camp@ign is being launched to collect over 100 contributions from around the world on how the UN Women can better serve women, promote women’s human rights and be a champion for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. These contributions will be directed to, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, and delivered to the UN Women. March 8^th will be a day of action for the “100 Days → 100 Ways” e-camp@ign.

At the UN Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action against Poverty, organizers of the “100 Days → 100 Ways” e-camp@ign is being formally announce the “100 Days → 100 Ways” e-camp@ign at the Grassroots Women’s Speakout on UN Women event on Wednesday, March 2^nd which Ms. Bachelet will attend. The final compilation of the 100 Days -> 100 Ways e-camp@ign will be delivered at the end of the 100 Days in April.

DemokrissyMarch 4, 2011 at 7:12 AM

Deeper analyses on capacity of women leaders for change; challenges, solutions given belief that even where women’s leadership and participation have increased, there has not been concurrent impact on their spheres of leadership. As primary transmitters of culture, knowledge, education, women have not been changing, but replicating and transferring habits, beliefs and practices that promote inequalities to the boys as much as girls. Address perceived lack of impact women leaders have been making in their spheres beyond the victims’ veil/as recipients to shapers and molders of modes/models of governance to direct targeted programmes/actions and meet targets for gender equity.

Dr Kris Rampersad,
Media, Cultural and Literary Consultant
Author: Through the Political Glass Ceiling & Finding a Place
International Relations Director, Network of NGOs of Trinidad & Tobago for the Advancement of Women

100 Days-100 Ways for UN Women: “100 Days → 100 Ways” for UN Women e-camp@ign launched!

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Chaotic stage set for chutney, soca ‘sans’ policy

The Ravi B incident at Skinner’s Park on Sunday night only highlights a deeper malaise in Trinidad and Tobago of what is wrong with the promotion of culture of this country and the need for an Independent Commission for Culture and sound directions for cultural policy and actions.
On the one hand, there is the yet unanswered questions of where were the police while a contestant was calling on the crowd to ‘pelt something’, and why did they not react instantly? (The answer may be that their culture of lethargy is so deeply entrenched it was definitely on display that night). On the other hand, the entire framework of the show points to the kind of lawlessness that seems to be pervading the society. In the broader contexts, which are likely to move into oblivion in the now-ensuing ‘bacchanal over B’ in which all and sundry is currently finding delight, it all points to the futility of trying to advance a sector just by throwing money at it, especially in the absence of informed vision and directions.
The intemperate behaviour of the fans who responded to the call instantly proves that judging of a competition of this nature ought not to be left solely in the hands of injudicious groupies.
How could a competition purported to be an international one be conducted in a kind of ‘no rules’ framework that would choose the winner through instant messaging – the same format proposed for the upcoming International Soca Monarch competition? Have those who devised that scheme taken a look at the statistics of technological savvy individuals in this country?
All data reflects that most citizens own at least two cell phones – the numbers of cellphone users in all reports point to above 120 percent which would effectively give those cell phone owners who are interested at least two votes. That is aside from the nagging question of what kind of tracking system was in place to ensure that no one voted more than once.
Additionally, the vote-by-text system also immediately eliminates many citizens, and certainly many chutney soca fans not too familiar with the technology - clearly very, very large numbers if anyone were paying attention to the startling recent revelations about high levels of information technology illiteracy in the country discovered by the Caribbean Telecommunication ICT Roadshow. And that is compounded by the fact of reported technical difficulties with the online streams done for the benefit of the ‘diaapora’ who were also invited to key in to text in their votes, again on the assumption that they are all cell phone whizzes.
Besides the high potential for technological lapses, any competition - international or not - ought to be adjudicated by professional judges guided by clear ground rules; who understand the genre they are called on to referee. If that was the case, the knowledgeable judges would recognise that a substantial number of the presentations at the show were directly replicating music from Bollywood which should have instantly eliminated them from qualifying for the finals of a competition which much-touted two million dollar prize was meant to advance the artform. Whatever rationale for that system that gives precedence to over-exuberant ready-to-pelt groupies, and deprives genuine artistes from making the competition and winners’ row, may deserve being pelted.
How that potentially infringes on the copyright of the musicians, is but one issue, to other equally important matters that includethe implicit insult of such copycats to local musical talent, and the resulting denial of true expression of creative development of the unique amalgam of musical influences that are at the heart of our multicultural milieu. Indeed, chutney soca evolved out of the music of India – the Bhojpuri peasant songs of north India, not the tinselled tones of Bollywood, mind you – and judges who understood the genre would have immediately recognised how the wholesale replication of Bollywood music was incongruent with the succinct chutney-soca genre that we have evolved.
Within this context, the issue of a two million dollar prize becomes mute, because the broader concerns detailed above show that no amount of money thrown at culture would fix the festering malaise in the continued lack of sound, well-thought out strategic directions, planning, policy and actions for local culture.
That conclusion is no different to what surfaced at a UNESCO meeting of Caribbean cultural practitioners I facilitated in Grenada last year – that approaches that are piecemeal, lack vision, and a holistic framework are doing more harm than good to our cultural sector. That has been behind the continued criticism of various plans and actions towards the past - shorn of insight and appreciation for the tremendously unique cultural situation we find ourselves in that can become trendsetting to the rest of the world in their newly evolving diversity.
And that will persist for as long as we fail to clearly define on our own terms the roles for the state, the private sector, individual artistes, promoters and others in the mix. We have been hearing that a cultural policy – in the making for the last 47 years, is still in the making. Who is making it and what is their expertise in understanding the ramification of cultural policy, remain a mystery. Whoever they may be, a word of advice that they frame our cultural direction so that it can leverage the international environment and not the other way around of being led by metropoles (foreign experts) – who like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron are pulling hairs to come to terms with their newfound multiculturalism.
We may happily allow ourselves to be drawn into the bacchanalia of the moment in inebriated oblivion to the broader picture, or take time to shed a tear for culture, until the next controversy breaks out – perhaps as we trigger our instant messages for the next International Soca Monarch?
Dr Kris Rampersad is a UNESCO Culture Consultant and a Director of the International Culture University (www.icu-edu.org).

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Letter to UN Women

Dear Michelle Bachelet,
Congratulations on your appointment as the first head of UN Women.

Like others in this forum, I am thrilled to learn of the creation of a new space for women’s voices and activities within the UN system.

Indeed, it signals a broadening of the approach to international governance and for recognition of the contribution and potential contribution of women to the process and to balancing the equation for nearing the millennium development goalposts.
However, I believe there is need for significantly deeper interrogation and analyses on the capacity of women leaders for change; to identify challenges and come up with solutions given that there is widespread belief that even where women’s leadership and participation have increased, there have not been concurrent reflection related to their impact on their spheres of leadership.
I may refer to a recent analysis, for example, which highlighted the clear disjoint between increased women’s participation, in this instance, political participation, and the impact they have had on their areas of jurisdiction in the Caribbean where, not only efforts at increasing participation are sporadic and piecemeal, research and documentation in this area are also poorly lacking.
That report looked at efforts by the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women, of which I am international relations director, in increasing political participation by women through training, networking, funding and documentation.
It found that representation of women’s interests by women in power did not increase, despite increases in their numbers and the exposure to ideas and tools of gender equity. Women MPs and decision makers are not raising issues of concern to women as they should.
For this, there may be several reasons. These are the reasons that UN Women needs to unearth and turn its focus on. Not to discount the fact that in several societies, including our own, there are substantial numbers of disadvantaged, disempowered women, it seems for too long we have hid behind the victims’ veil; as recipients rather than shapers and molders of modes and models of governance whether at the domestic, national or global levels.
But there is an inherent paradox that most of the societies where the problems seem most endemic, boast of matriarchal systems. There is another paradox that UN Women can lead the way in deciphering: that while women – stereotyped as we are – have for centuries formed the majorities in the nurturing category and hence part of the baseline in shaping character, habits, beliefs and behaviour – as care givers, mothers, teachers, nurses –there does not seem to have been any equivalent transference of notions of gender equality, equity and respect for women across the board in our societies.
In effect, it seems to me that as architects of the perspectives and outlooks of boys as much as we are of girls and as primary transmitters of culture, knowledge and education, women have not been changing, but replicating and transferring habits, beliefs and practices that promote inequalities to the boys as much as the girls who grow up to become leaders.
We need to examine more deeply and find means of addressing perceived lack of impact women leaders have been making in their spheres in a more holistic manner. Commendations to the Organisation of American States for organising the upcoming symposium on women’s leadership in collaboration with your organization, UNIFEM and others, but unless the outcomes of this are not collated and critically analysed and set before the global public, it runs the danger of becoming another talkshop.
What are the anticipated outcomes of this forum? Increasing numbers and increasing awareness are clearly not enough. There must be deeper focus on targeted programmes and actions that can bring desired results for gender equity, as well as for women to not just pass on responsibility for shortcomings and failures on historical and/or patriarchal systems and beliefs, but also to come to terms with and admit our own failures as well as part of the process of mapping a way forward.
I would like UN Women to deepen the introspection and interrogation of the intrinsic ways women have been shaping our societies – to unearth both the negatives and the positives and so advance and evolve more meaningful solutions for new directions. In doing so we can celebrate successes, but we also need to own our shortcomings.
Qualitative is as important as quantitative change. Are we owning-up to our own responsibilities for the gender gaps and development divides? What have we as women, mothers, as executives and leaders not done? Where have we fallen short? This seems to me to also be a crucial element in the way forward.

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Nominate 100 women agents of change

Every morning for some 60-odd years, she was up by 2 am; prepared food for her family and set off to plant or reap crops of sugar cane, and later vegetables, ground provisions and beans before the sun came up. On those mornings when she did not go to the land, she went to the wholesale and retail market in San Fernando or Princes Town to sell the produce, which she would also share with neighbours on request.
When she returned home, it was to prepare meals, clean the house and look after the demands of 13 children, two of whom she had inherited.
Poverty was not a condition she acknowledged. She instilled in her off-springs that intelligence was the greatest wealth, and that came with knowledge and education. No sacrifice was too high to ensure that her children had as much of that as could be accessed.
She had no parenting books to consult, because she never leant to read English, and what ought to be primary and secondary school days were occupied with looking after the domestic wants of relatives who took her in. Her mother had died when she was only and infant. Married at 15 with her first child at 18, parenting came from instincts and whatever information on child-rearing was passed on through oral lore, neighbours and friends. None of the sons, and eight daughters scattered across the hemisphere in variety of fields that now do acknowledges women’s work, some supporting families of their own, ever questioned her authority on parenting. All draw inspiration from her effervescent spirit, tirelessness, and refusal to be cowed by life’s seemingly daunting confrontations, including loss of her husband two decades ago.
At four scores and one this month, it is difficult to get her to break that routine. Still up in the wee hours of the morning, all but one of her children in homes of their own, her indomitable spirit refuses to allow her to concede that her health is failing and she is less capable of doing the things she has been doing all her life. Frailty of body is in constant conflict with strength of a mind that has been the catalyst of change for three generations.
Her contribution to home, family and community would never feature in either assessments of productivity or otherwise for national or other recognition. Recognitions, when they are given, are usually to those who have developed a public image, as executives, politicians, singers and actors, people in media, education, sports, science, research and others.
But many of these would claim that there was some catalyst for change that fuelled their success, and in many of those instances, these would be a woman. Though the lights of fame may never shine in their sunburnt faces, women like these have been the bedrock of our society, on whose shoulders stand the achievements of our businessmen and women, executives, sportsmen and women, politicians, superstars and other professionals. These are the women whom the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women hopes to bring to national attention with its call for 100 Women Agents of Change.
In support of the theme for Commonwealth Day and in recognition of the centenary of celebrations of International Women’s Day by the United Nations, the Network, in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago chapter of Friends of the Commonwealth are looking for 100 women among us who have been catalysts and who have inspired or are inspirations for change.
It is the Network’s belief that in remembering and acknowledging the real source of genius or of greatness, and the hallmarks of true achievement beyond the sizes of one’s incomes, cars, houses or the number of times featured in the media, those who hold high office are less likely to err. As we get organisations and communities contemplating and submitting nominees, we are hoping they will also engage in interrogating definitions of success and achievement, which will help us move closer to identifying the true centres of power and influence in our society.
In keeping with this year’s theme, Commonwealth’s Day, March 14, Women as Agents of Change celebrates women whose work has made a positive difference to the lives of others; who are successful in their own right; have achieved something for other women and whom can be proudly held up as role models. It will identify the transformative role women have in our society, and our world.
The exercise echoes the awareness tabled by the Network and other women’s organisations at the 2009 Commonwealth People’s Forum in Trinidad and Tobago “that gender equality is viewed not only as a goal in its own right, but also as a key factor in enhancing democracy and peace, eradicating poverty and violence against women, ensuring education for all, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality and combating HIV and AIDS.”
Nominee may come from any walk of life, social background or profession. A nominee could be a professional, charity or NGO worker, volunteer or family member. By submitting a nomination, persons must have the nominees’ consent to allow the text and any supporting documents and photographs to be published, publicised or otherwise promoted by the Network and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Winners must be willing to participate in publicity surrounding the competitions including the publishing of their details, photographs and video footage which will be made available in all media, including on the internet.
The 100 women selected will be featured in a publication on Women Agents of Change in Trinidad and Tobago, and from them will be drawn nominees for the Commonwealth Women Agents of Change who would form part of the delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth Australia in October 2011.
Further information and nomination forms, which include contact details of nominee and persons nominating (who must not be self are available on the Network’s website (http://www.networkngott.org; email: networkngo@mail.tt)
Completed forms must be submitted to the Network at the Professional Center, 11-13 Fitzblackman Drive South, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, by February 26, 2011.
Also, listen to Heartbeat Radio 103.FM for further details and join our Women Agents of Change of Trinidad and Tobago discussions on facebook.

Monday, February 14, 2011

And now a desparate call to housewives | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Woman Magazine

Friday, February 11, 2011

Together we are Pelau (Ezine Ready)

Together we are Pelau | MelvilleHouseBooks.com

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 :

For more visit www.krisrampersad.com

Demokrissy

Dr Kris Rampersad is an independent sustainable development strategist, consultant, multistakeholder facilitator, educator & multimedia content creator/innovator. find out more www.krisrampersad.com