T&T swimming ace Geo-rge Bovell made it three gold medals on the trot when he outclassed his rivals in the men’s 50m breaststroke Time Finals at the Marienlyst Open in Norway hosted by the Drammen Swimming Club and Lier Swimming clubs.

Boosted by his double gold performances at the Danish Open Swimming Championship which ended at the Bellahoj Swimming Pool, Copenhagen on Sunday, the 32-year-old T&T five-time Olympian won the 14th and final heat in 28.17 seconds well ahead of Jorgen Brathen (28.58) and Zoltan Horvath (29.03) as the trio claimed the top three places overall.

The duo of Christoffer Haarsaker (29.83) and Trond Vasslag (29.98) who also competed in heat 14th were fourth and fifth respectively while the trio of Andre Grindheim (29.38), Mads Steinland (30.71) and Alexander Barshiem (31.63) finished down the field.

Last Sunday, Bovell, an Olympic and two-time World Championship bronze medalist swam to gold at the Danish Open in the 50m breaststroke final in a new meet record of 28.01 seconds as he continues his preparations for a record fifth Olympic Games appearance.

In the fourth morning heat session, Bovell, won in 28.70 seconds from lane four, but had the third best time overall.

It was the second 50m breaststroke medal for Bovell for the season after he got bronze at the 12th Eindhoven Swim Cup, which also acted as the Dutch Olympic Trials, in 28.29  at the Pieter Van Den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium.

Earlier in the heats, Bovell was the third fastest when he won heat six of eight in 28.47 while he was fourth in 28.50 at the Sixth Trofoe di Citta in Milan in early March.

The first gold medal at the Danish Open for Bovell, a three-time Pan American Games 50m freestyle gold medalist, came on Thursday in  men’s 50m freestyle final in 22.79 seconds, ahead of Andreas Schiellerup (22.91) and Anders Lie (22.93).

Today in the 26th and last 50m freestyle heat Bovell also lines up in lane where he faces competition from Tom Moberg Johansen, Sigurd Bøen, Christian Tronvoll, Niksja Stojkovski,  Torbjørn Udjus, Mads Steinland, and Sebastian Steen.

Machel Cedenio won his outdoor season opener, the 400 metres sprint at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on Friday night at the University of Florida, USA. Cedenio clocked 44.79 seconds to beat David Verberg into second in 45.11 and Arman Hall (Florida) was third in 45.17.

Jehue Gordon also competed at the meet and was fifth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.38. At the Bermuda International Permit Meet also on Friday, Alena Brooks was second in the women’s 800m in 2:09.40 while Jamal James was third in the men’s version of the race in 1:51.32. 

Yesterday, Coppin State freshman Khemani Roberts had one of her busiest day in her young College career and she excelled winning the women’s heptathlon  at the Morgan State Legacy Meet in Baltimore, Maryland. Her stats read first in both the high jump (1.77) and 200m (25.09), second in the 800m in 2:32.55 and the shot put event with a best toss of 9.91m, fourth in javelin with a throw of 27.03, sixth in 100m hurdles in 15.40 and eighth in the long jump (4.65m).

Roberts was also active in the javelin throw and placed ninth with a best effort of 28.66. 

Much was expected of Coppin State high jumper Deandra Daniel after she was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week, announced by the conference office on Wednesday.

The senior business management major from Gasparillo notched her second first-place win of the outdoor season at the Hampton Relays on April 16. Daniel won the high jump with a leap of 1.73m placing first out of 14 competitors.

On Saturday, she sealed the third spot with a best attempt of 1.87m. Currently, Daniel leads the MEAC in the high jump event at 1.75 m recorded on March 17 at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational. She is ranked tied for 20th place amongst the entire NCAA Division I. 

In the men’s 800m,  Mark London, a junior at Coppin State finished second in a time of 1:50.65. At the Red River Athletics Conference Meet in San Antonio, Texas, Moriba Morain of Wiley College was unstoppable doing the triple winning the 100m, 200m and 400m.

The freshman won the 100m dash in 10.59, the 200 in 20.99 and the other event in 48.12. Quinn-Lee Ralph, a sophomore at Wiley, participated in both the 100m and 200m and placed second (10.62) and third (21.46), respectively.

Both then teamed with their schoolmates to nab gold in the men’s 4x100m in 40.67. Kendall Perouza was also successful in two events, placing third in the men’s 400m intermediate hurdles in 56.09 and the sophomore was part of the 4x400m team that placed first in 3:16.13.

 Shermund Allsop of Tiger Olympians placed fifth in 10.23 in the men’s 100m at LSU Alumni Gold at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium. 

LALLA RABINDRANATH (Robin) 0f 24 Eleanor Street, Chaguanas died on Wednesday 20th April 2016. He was the son of Shiela and the late Dwarika Lalla. Father of Brian, Kevin, Darrin, Jason, Leyanne, Ryan and Megan. Grandfather of Justin and Isabel. Father-in-law of Aliza and Steron. Nephew of Saraswati Dipnarine, Drishard and Flyod Neckles and Praby and Kamal Beharrysingh.

Funeral service takes place on Sunday 24th April at 10am at the Waterloo cremation Site. No flowers by request.

DE GANNES: Roma (née Awai) passed peacefully at her home on Monday 18th April, 2016. She was the daughter of Cecil and Gladys Awai (deceased) and the devoted mother of Ian, Sharon (deceased), Ann-Marie, Roger, Denise-Ann, Michelle and Christopher Jason. Cherished grandmother of Nabila and Giancarlo Villafana, Arianne de Gannes, Kyle, Stefen and Luke de Gannes, Pablo, Giovanni and Antonio Newal- lo.

Beloved sister of Rupert Lynch, Alloy Awai, Joan Ammon (all deceased) and Ruby Lynch- Samuel. Aunt of Mark, Karlene and Sean Ammon, Yvette and Gregory Lynch, Deborah, Sarah and Andrew Awai. Mother-in-law of Renwick Villafana (deceased), Gabriella de Gannes, Gordon Seemungal, Paul Newallo and Lauren Burgess. Cousin of Maureen Wong. Relative of the Awai, Ammon, Lynch, De Suze, Popwell and de Gannes families.

Funeral arrangements for the late Roma de Gannes take place at 10:00am on Tuesday 26th April, 2016 at The Church of the Nativity, Crystal Stream, Diego Martin. Interment at Mucurapo Cemetry. For enquiries call R.M. de Souza Memorial Chapel Limited 223-2007/ 637-2009.

PREVATT: LANCELOT Isidore, better known as Lance, died on 18th April 2016, aged 95. He was the beloved husband of Vida (nee Thomson) (dec'd). Cherished father of Ian (Sparkles), Judy, Daphne, Peter (dec'd), Trevor, Andrew, Colin and Beatrice and second father of Beverley. Father-in-law of Clyde Niles, Victor King, Merle Lewis, David Worrall, Rejane De Four and Sandie Dunne. Grandfather of Liselle, Mariel, Keris, Matthew, Marcia, Alyssa, Lauren, Edward, Amara, Alexander, Mercedes, Marixel and Sula. Great-grandfather of Taro and Theo.

Brother of Francis (Boysie), Rita Redhead, Wheeler Sealey, Otway (Sonny), Bernice Sullivan and Martin (all dec’d). Brother-in-law of Ivy, Hyacinth Redhead (dec'd), Kenneth Sealey (dec'd), Amy (dec’d), Zilma and Sushillar. Brother-in-law of Charles, George, Rica, Wynne, Gill, Fred, Dickie and Sonny Thomson, all deceased. Cousin of Barbara Jorsling and relative of the Thomsons, Domingues, Jorslings, Sobions, Rivers, Forgenies and La Fortunes.

Long time friend of the Valentines, Chandleurs, Ruth Polo, Joyce Croney, Charles Alleyne, Elsie Clapperton, Hugh and Stella Anthony (dec’d), Merle Callender (dec’d), Joyce Richardson (dec’d) and many others.

The funeral of the late Lancelot Prevatt will take place on Thursday 28th April 2016 at St. Theresa's RC Church, Woodbrook at 9:30am, thence to the Lapeyrouse Cemetery for burial. No flowers by request. A collection will be taken up for the Hearing Impaired of Trinidad & Tobago. For enquiries; call C&B: 625-1170. To send condolences please visit our website www.clarkandbattoo. com

The Children’s Authority has clearly outlined the scale of the problem they face in T&T with its report on cases between May 2015 and February 2016. Close to 1,000 cases of sexual abuse of children were recorded by the authority over that nine-month period.

The authority is aware of as many as 4,158 children who are in need of care, protection and rehabilitation and 915 of the reports have been categorised as sex abuse cases.

Within those troubling statistics are even more troubling profiles. Of the 148 cases of abuse against boys, 26.4 per cent involved boys between the ages of four and six.

While these numbers are disturbing, they follow a trend which began early in the new century that was formally acknowledged as early as 2011 as sharp increases in the number of reported cases of incest, rape and sexual offences became a norm instead of an occasional spike.

For most of the 21st century, the official engagement with sex abuse has been about placing the shame for these incidents where it belongs, with the perpetrators of these crimes instead of the victims who have unfairly borne it formerly.

The public has demonstrated growing confidence in the official and NGO support infrastructure that has been introduced over the last decade and a half.

Of particular note is the Victims and Witness Support Unit, a special purpose arm of the Police Service which has come to represent nothing less than a fundamental revolution in the way that police officers respond to sex abuse cases. The Children’s Authority is still in the process of creating the infrastructure it needs to meet the considerable challenges it is finding in the field, and the Child Protection Unit of the Police Service is still to find its feet in decidedly slippery circumstances.

In November 2015, Dr Shariffa Ali-Abdullah reported that 2,500 cases had been received by the authority, with 150 of them classified as emergency cases demanding priority action.

The Children’s Authority spent most of the years between 2011 and 2015 waiting on the proclamation of legislation that would allow it to take action on the laws it was created to enforce.

The Child Protection Unit was, in March 2016, still working with half the staff it needed to investigate the 1,709 reports brought to its attention between May 2015 and February 2016.

Successive prime ministers have said all the right things about the abuse of children in T&T. In January 2014, former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised that the Government would “put all of its weight behind ensuring our nation’s children are safe.”

In January 2016, after quickly establishing a Gender and Child Affairs Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was said, in a release from his office, to be “saddened by the reports in the daily newspapers concerning the safety of our nation’s children.”

Despite such heartfelt concern, the support systems to manage the volume of cases coming to official attention is clearly swamping the resources available. The statistics revealed last week offer ample evidence of the scale of the challenges faced by the Children’s Authority and the Child Protection Unit.

It’s time to properly support the agencies created to respond to child abuse with the manpower and infrastructural resources—the special purpose transition homes, therapeutic centres and accommodation—needed to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

Get used to the burning inferno that Trinidad’s forests have become. The COP21 UN Paris climate agreement seeks to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The last few months show what that can mean for our part of the world. 

Exacerbated by El Niño, March showed a global average temperature that was 1.2-1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, it was the warmest month in recorded history, as was January and February. 

In fact, 2016 has been the warmest year on record. Ever. The result is heat and drought, bush fires and water rationing. This is exactly in line with the scientific predictions for our part of the Caribbean. 

Bushfires cannot be blamed purely on climate change. Weather conditions set the stage for tinder-like conditions, but man is needed to light the fires. 

The myth of spontaneous combustion of trees and leaves is just that. It’s only in the Bible that a tree spontaneously combusts. Science shows that wood needs a temperature of at least 250°C to ignite. Short of a piece of littered glass, equally an act of man, magnifying sun rays to start a fire, the only way a fire starts is by setting it. 

Water is rationed as reservoirs run dry. The watersheds are burnt to a crisp. In Haiti the hillsides were deforested for use as firewood. Desperate Haitians destroyed their forests for short-term survival—damn the future. In T&T we just burn our forests out of apathy. Without trees, there is no water and without water there is no life. We see farmers abandoning crops because there is no water to irrigate their fields. So much for the eat local campaign. 

It is popular to categorise these extreme conditions as a one-off event attributable to El Niño. Scientists have looked back at the records and concluded that El Niño only adds 0.1°C to abnormal temperatures. This is the new normal. 

T&T is the second highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gasses. Globally our emissions are less than 1 per cent. There is little that we can do as a society to influence global CO2 emissions. 

Declining oil and gas production implies that our per capita emissions will drop, without any government or individual effort necessary. This means that our statistical CO2 problem will self solve. 

What will not self-solve, however, is our state of preparedness. Fire conditions will get worse each warming year. Set by humans, they are entirely preventable. Fire traces can be cut. Slash and burn agriculture can be stopped—most of this is on squatted land and it should not be tolerated no matter how many sweet potatoes and plantains are produced. 

This last is simply the difference between living in a lawful society and anarchy. The same goes for the enforcement of existing laws. So far, the arsonists who set the fires that took several lives this year, are still at loose. They will never be charged because we do not live in a society that values life any more than it values “bush.” 

The problems are not just on land. Ocean temperatures are rising. Ninety-three per cent of all the extra energy trapped by greenhouse gasses ends up in the ocean. By coincidence, 93 is also the percentage of the Great Barrier Reef that is bleaching due to these same high temperatures. Luckily Tobago’s reefs do not seem to be affected this time around, but that was not the case in 2010 when there was a severe bleaching event.

Reefs are not only under threat from high temperatures, but also from overfishing and pollution, agricultural run-off being the main offender. 

T&T’s failure to develop agriculture has been a benefit for reef health. It means comparatively little fertiliser and pesticide run off. Now that T&T seeks to develop agriculture to offset lost oil and gas revenue, it is important that agricultural practices are sustainable. 

Organic is the way to go, which will only be possible if a capital intensive approach is taken, but if pesticides and fertiliser are used, it should be under guidance of trained agricultural officers only. This means that a capacity boost is needed for the Ministry of Agriculture. 

It makes no sense to plant the land while killing reefs and fisheries. Reefs can deal with one thing at a time: overfishing, higher temperatures, ocean acidification and pollution; but they can’t deal with all at once. We can’t control ocean temperatures or acidity, at least not until some new technology comes along, but we can control agricultural run-off and overfishing. 

Our fisheries are unmanaged to the point that the EU Commission now threatens to embargo T&T seafood exports. This is a management and budgeting problem—or maybe more aptly a-we-don’t-give-a-damn-about-slimy-fishes problem. It can be fixed if there is the will. 

The recent temperature spike is our warning to do everything that we have done before differently. We cannot control climate change but we can manage how we deal with it. Prepare for climate change; it is here.

Amery Browne

The greatest battle of the modern era is the battle for the human mind. From the television programme that showcases a presidential candidate playing the saxophone, to the boardroom of the company that markets alcohol, to the chain-linked avenues of Guantanamo Bay, the global heavyweights have recognised that manipulation of the human mind can succeed where brute force might not.

This battle for the mind has been playing out closer to home with relentless ferocity. Someone building a hospital means she “cares” about the children. A sedan is somehow more “luxurious” than a custom-fitted helicopter. Someone is assessing the “architecture” of the security services so crime will go down soon. 

We are receding but we are not in “recession.” She is on the board of an NGO therefore she cannot be “corrupt.” The sandwich spread is made of chemically modified fat but it is “heart smart.” You can “save money” by buying something you don’t need when it is promoted as being on sale.   

In this theatre the average citizen finds himself bombarded by munitions that he or she has been ill-prepared to detect, far less to process and counteract. In the words of poet/singer Criss Jami, “In the age of technology there is constant access to vast amounts of information. 

The basket overflows; people get overwhelmed; the eye of the storm is not so much what goes on in the world, it is the confusion of how to think, feel, digest and react to what goes on.”

Notwithstanding the honest efforts of the good teachers in our midst, our education system continues to separate the “bright” from the “dull” and send them to their respective destinations in life, with the unifying factor being an overall lack of foundation for mental and emotional resilience, critical analysis and rational decision-making.    

One ominous lesson that history teaches us is that where there are folks who are vulnerable to exploitation there will be others poised to do the exploiting. Over the years many a fortune has been made upon the poor choices of the masses, and much of the financial world revolves around controlling and harnessing those choices to best effect.    

What would battle be without the elite special forces, and in our local scenario the Navy Seals of mind control have been those who’ve discovered that one can go from villain to hero with any given audience based on a simple principle: tell the people only what they want to hear. 

Indeed one newspaper was established by a former Government Minister specifically for that purpose and it continues to serve its purpose well.  

And of course others have found that a few well placed stories in select media houses can easily achieve the converse when necessary and turn anyone into a villain (sometimes if you stare into a “mirror” long enough you might even doubt yourself).

In all warfare there are casualties, and the modern battle for the mind has left many dead or badly wounded. 

Groupthink is a popular form of escapism which gives the illusion of shelter from the constant stress of trying to figure things out, but unfortunately such a retreat usually takes you further into the target zone. Additionally, our mental clinics and institutions are overflowing with people who have struggled with the burden of maintaining a healthy mind.  

But the strugglers in this regard are not limited to places like the St Ann’s Hospital, as evidenced by the aggression on our roads, by the hostility in our relationships, by the heavy use of euphoric pharmaceuticals, by the violence on our streets, and by our compulsive celebratory disrespect of everyone from a First Lady to a police officer who might be simply trying to make an arrest.

One of the most tragic outcomes of this struggle is the phenomenon of giving up.   

This is exemplified in the publicised cases of suicide, and is also associated with the other ways in which some people are choosing to literally let go...and this is where I am most concerned and therefore will be most direct.   

It is human to sometimes feel overwhelmed by the clutter of life, by the constant demands of others, and by the loss of your job, your relationship, your self-esteem or your peace of mind. 

It is human to sometimes feel weak. It is human to see only a dim future. It is human to lament the low tide and to forget that at some point the high tide will follow. 

It is human to sometimes see only the dark, because let’s face it, your eyes are human eyes and thus are relatively weak and limited.    

You can’t see around that corner but if you could you might see that miracle that is on its way. You can’t see the future but if you could you might have seen that another love, or another opportunity, or an actual cure was just a day away...just one more day. In this battle the best shield for your mind is faith. 

Don’t lose it, and never ever give up hope.

The radicalisation process in prisons is not a new phenomenon. Throughout history, prisons have served as schools for criminals and a universities for terrorists. Prison is an ideal place to radicalise inmates with extreme ideologies.

Previous research conducted by the international research organisation CEIFIT (Civilian Effort in Fight Against Terrorism) deems radicalisation the process by which inmates adopt extreme views and beliefs that advocate violent measures to gain political or religious outcomes.

Some of the characteristics that make prisoners vulnerable to radical ideologies include alienation, violent behaviour, anti-social attitudes and a need for protection.

Prisons throughout history have always served as hot beds for influencing people with radical ideologies because they are unstable environments where individuals are likely to explore new beliefs, support bases and associations.

While it is worth investigating this phenomenon, it is often difficult to gather information on the subject due to the sensitivity of those involved and the secrecy of their operations. However, if law enforcement agencies want to create counter measures they must understand the extent of the problem. While researching the issue, it is important to keep in mind the difference between legitimate interests in the Islamic faith and radical ideologies.

Efforts should be taken to distinguish between the two to detect and prevent the spread of radical ideologies. There are so many factors that go into prison radicalisation that an inter-disciplinary approach is the best way to start to tackle the problem.

This approach demands a combined and concentrated effort involving the prison authorities integrated with the intelligence agencies and national security agencies.

The vulnerability of our prisoners to radicalisation existed in the fact that there are a number of characteristics among inmates which may include a disaffected disposition, violent behaviours, criminal orientation and anti-social habits.

The link between terrorism and crime should not be underestimated. Terrorist organisations use criminal activities to raise funds through drug sales, fraud, robbery and extortion. Terrorist organisations and criminal gangs such as drug cartels and human trafficking work together for mutual benefits. Although the inspiration for criminals is monetary and for the terrorist organisation it is religio-political, the means to the goal are almost identical. 

The criminal gangs and terrorist organisations make tactical alliances for mutual gains. Since there is an abundance of criminals in prison, the terrorists have many potential “partners.” Therefore, the actions of criminals and terrorists in the area of crime are often very similar and they work together to help each other reach their goals. 

This co-operation can spill over into the ideological field as well. The issue is that this partnership can be used to recruit otherwise non-ideologically motivated petty criminals to the world of extreme Islam. Sadly, but in reality, the breeding ground is within the prison system.

In view of knowledge of the growth and widespread ideology, and in an effort of prevention and destabilisation, it is strongly recommended that a closer monitoring of the practices, processes and evangelism that is presently taking place, needs to be escalated. 

There needs to be seamless sharing of information amongst all agencies, with a commonality of the objective, and the cultivation of dependable information repositories must be formalised. Subsequently, there must also be an existing command and control specific to the agency that maintains primacy in this sensitive domain.

Commander Garvin Heerah

As the country continues to feel the pain of falling oil and gas prices, a number of local and international companies are using this opportunity to restructure their organisations. Unfortunately, what this mean in most cases is that employees are being sent home. 

I noted in the media that business groups across the country have called for a reformed industrial relations climate that will benefit trade unions and employees. From what was said the business groups want reform of the industrial court which they currently seem to think is biased in favour of the rights of workers. 

Any reform of the labour laws should have the sole purpose of increased productivity of workers aimed at raising the living standards and quality of life of citizen. The Govt/citizens should be weary of entertaining any request coming from these corporate cannibals in these difficult times.

History shows time and time again both in the local and international context that these corporate cannibals wound the economies, often leaving the tax payers of a country to foot the bill, to clean up the mess they leave behind. Some examples include the Clico fiasco, Arcelormittal mess, 1970’s exodus of oil and gas companies from Trinidad and the 2008 global financial crisis trigged by the greed of the banking class. 

These corporate entities often benefit from concession made by govts such as access to markets, tax breaks and an educated population. Yet they give back very little to a country.

Stricter regulations are required to monitor these corporate cannibals to ensure that citizens are protected. In these difficult times one looks on as these corporate cannibals are allowed to prey on and consume their consumers and at the same time call for changes to allow them to devour more.

Yasin Jamil Ali,
Bonne Aventure, 
Gasparillo

Sometimes, it is good to publicly celebrate the efforts of employees who, in the ordinary course of their work, deliver customer service excellence that some take for granted and many do not recognise. This is the case with PTSC bus driver, Michael Haywood. Passengers who travel on the Arima all-stop bus are very familiar with his work ethic.

On one occasion, Mr Haywood pulled into City Gate with a trip from Arima and off-loaded his passengers. What he did next stunned everyone waiting in the line. He then proceeded to pull up to the waiting passengers and made an immediate return trip to Arima. 

In all the years I have been a revenue generating traveller of the PTSC, I had never seen a bus driver do this. The normal “procedure” is to take the bus into the yard and the waiting passengers will continue to wait.

On another occasion, a former PTSC employee, on entering the bus, asked Mr Haywood to drop him off at an unofficial stop. Mr Haywood politely declined and the ex-employee literally turned beast and started to argue with him. Mr Haywood did not have to say a word as almost all the passengers on the bus had his back and did the talking for him.

Many times, he will arrive well before the scheduled departure period and leave promptly on time. Passengers know he takes his work seriously and is very much the professional employee. If PTSC had several more employees with his work capability and mindset, there would be no problems in regularly delivering excellent service.

Linus F Didier
Mt Hope

Our schools don’t teach or promote violence. There is nothing on the education syllabus that can or should influence our children in this way. It means therefore, that the violent tendencies of our children, more than likely stem from the home and the community. The behaviours we see manifested in our schools and on the streets are really reflections of the delinquency and dysfunction they pick up from within the environments where they live.

As a society, we must take responsibility for what is happening in our schools, because children live what they see. On a daily basis we are teaching our children by example, how to deal with crises and difficult situations. So we teach them how to protest to get what we want, to be defiant to authority and to resolve conflict with violence. 

We teach them how the strong takes advantage of the weak and how easy it is to get by through corrupt practices. They fashion their attitudes to be like ours. So when we abuse them at home, physically and mentally, they come to school and attempt to do the same to other children. 

When we assault our families and neighbours verbally and physically, they will do the same in the classroom, and even on the street. When we get on social media and “talk people business,” they do the same. I am sure some of us can remember a time when children were to be seen and not heard. 

They dared not be involved “in big people business.” When adults gathered to talk, children had to find their beds. Today it is quite different. Children are totally involved in “big people thing.” We see them front and centre in protest action for better school conditions, better road conditions, for employment. They are versed with social media and its use, hence the issue of cyber-bullying. 

They yearn to be like us and they take their lessons very seriously. 

It is very encouraging to see our Parliamentarians talking to students in search of solutions to the issues of school violence. But why are they not talking to parents, why not the 24 students who were suspended from Chaguanas North Secondary or those from El Dorado? Maybe these students can provide insights to their behaviour and living environments. 

It is my hope that as the committee’s scope involves social services, is indicative of the intention to focus attention on the underlying issues, and not produce a slew of recommendations that are just plasters for the sore. I wish to echo the sentiments of the Minister of Public Utilities and his suggestions for using retired officers. 

However, the tone of the recommendation suggests that their role should be one of policing the “bullies.” Greater good could come from using these resources in a mentoring capacity. As adults we must take up our responsibility to our children by exemplifying the behaviours we wish them to exhibit.

Garvin Cole
Tobago

I was somewhat disturbed to see your headline Saturday morning that a large new car dealer has been given a used car dealer’s license in 2015 and has been selling vehicles.

On the national conversation about the use of foreign exchange at no time was it mentioned that a large portion was used for the repatriation of profits for the big multinational players. 

From automotive, food and allied, finance, oil and gas, petrochemicals, we have large players now dominating our market. So here we have yet another example where profits will be repatriated. It seems that the Ministry of Trade did not do their homework here.

What was very disconcerting was the statement by the dealer that the vehicles will be sourced from their used car division. This according to customs and excise regulations is a related party transaction. 

The traditional used car dealers must purchase their vehicles at auction and pay for them in advance of arrival in Trinidad. What regulators have to look at is if there are any advantage to the new car dealers as opposed to the traditional used car dealer.

The Government needs to ensure that there are robust systems in place to make sure the playing field is level for locals in the face of unprecedented challenges from foreign companies in every industry.

Aleem Hosein
Retrench

Jamaica Opposition Leader Portia Simpson-Million has rejected calls for a boycott of goods and services from T&T over the alleged maltreatment of Jamaicans by immigration authorities at Piarco International Airport. 

The former prime minister said the boycott is not necessary because there can be diplomatic solutions. 

However, Simpson-Miller is insisting that the rights to free movement for Jamaicans under the Treaty of Chaguaramas must be upheld. 

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) has also rejected calls for a boycott witj JCC president Warren McDonald calling for other avenues need to be explored. 

However, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) William Mahfood said Jamaica should consider using its influence within Caricom until T&T honours its obligations for free movement of goods, skills, labour and services. President of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) Metry Seaga is also calling for a re-examination of the CSME.

Jamaica is the fourth largest market for T&T and buys approximately US$500 million of goods from this country.

The Foreign Affairs Ministers of T&T and Jamaica have held talks over the March 21 incident which triggered calls on Jamaican social media for the boycott. Former national security minister Gary Griffith claims more than 20,000 undocumented Jamaicans are burdening the country and costing the government to lose out on half-a-billion dollars every year. 

In a statement last week, Griffith urged Government not to be intimidated in its efforts to safeguard T&T’s security and economic resources.

Small states, which take huge chunks out of their annual budgets to make repayments to service their large debts to the multilateral financial agencies such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund, have the opportunity to cut back dramatically on those payments and instead spend a portion of the savings on mitigating the worse possible effects of climate change on themselves and the world.

It is a deal proposed by the Commonwealth (53 nations) comprising large numbers of small and vulnerable states and also having amongst its membership large and wealthy industrial nations such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand India and others.

Encouragingly, a number of non-Commonwealth industrial states such as the United States of America have, or are coming around to taking climate change projections seriously enough to want to do something about cutting their back on their harmful emissions into the environment. 

And this new and emerging interest in the potentially damaging impacts of climate change is being expressed even though the recommended containment measures coming from the United Nations climate change group and other scientific bodies will impact on the material production base of these large industrial powers.

Newly-elected Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Dominican-born, Baroness Patricia Scotland recently made the point at the signing of what is being considered a landmark agreement to save the world from the effects of climate change, that in saving the millions who are now suffering the effects of climate change we can be protecting the 7 billion world population from the projected grim reality of a massive change in the world climate.

“Imagine water crashing into your bedroom in the dead of the night, dragging you from your bed and into its cold murky depths. Imagine the roof above you being ripped away by a howling, raging wind…and imagine the aftermath,” the warnings of the Commonwealth Secretary General.

Beyond the most dramatic effects as outlined, the scientists have warned of the day-in, day-out impacts of climate change, from deluge to water scarcity, to decreases in food production to the flooding of low lying islands, especially those islands and the shorelines of continents that are below sea level for instance Guyana next door on South America.

Undoubtedly small island states are going to be the most exposed to the worst effects of climate change and not even the scientists are at this point definitive on the potential impacts.

In relation to having a responsibility to do something to slow and at best push back the impact of climate change; Trinidad and Tobago will be called upon to make quite demanding changes because of its damaging expulsions of toxic materials.

One view coming forward is to make judgments on the responsibility that each country has for the climate change based on expulsions on a per capita basis. If such a decision is made, Trinidad and Tobago will be heavily penalized given its relatively large industrial sector and small population in relation to the relatively large quantity of emissions released.

If there is any doubt about how this climate change is and will continue to impact, this year's ultra dry season and the not-too far away deluge that will come with the rains, if indeed they come in sufficient quantities, is an example.

Thinking about and doing what is right to avert the worse possible effects of climate change is not something only for governments and large industrial producers, it is a call for a change in the life-style that each one in the population has to adopt. 

The vision of youths running headfirst into a life of crime and civil disobedience is one that we see regularly on the media, is it a true reflection of the majority? One must admit that our society appears not to care about the slow learners in primary school, who were automatically promoted to higher education despite their challenges. Due care and attention was not given to ensure they could function at the next stage of their development.

There are however a majority of young people that are doing some very impressive work and are not receiving the same attention, if we look at the media time given to student fights and the like, compared to students in chess clubs, spoken word competitions etc, there is a big disparity.

The disparate reporting and emphasis tends to become a celebration of the misbehaviour in the eyes of the offenders, so much so, it seems that everyone is uploading a fight to social media in the hope it will hit the 7pm news. A New Orleans researcher demonstrated the link between the funeral celebrations of gang members and the perception of young vulnerable persons of it being a noble send off and tribute to the life lived. This is a terrible perception to create, it signals that a life of crime is acceptable and an early death is its own reward.

I am not arguing that our society did not create these ‘monsters’, it is well documented that the majority of school offenders are either illiterate or barely literate. This creates difficulty if progressing in life and building a positive vision for oneself, presents difficulty to access basic job opportunities. Yes, our society has created these ‘monsters’, as we seek to move forward and In light of the aforementioned, we should not censor these incidents but we should present a more balanced news report.

More balanced and in-depth reporting of the good things that are happening with the country’s youth is required, when last did we see a news reporter interview the parent of a successful primary school athlete? I am sure we can identify that nearly every family member and friend of a murder victim is interviewed. While the Police do their job, it is imperative that we provide some hope for those youths who are trying to be good citizens of this blessed country.

Keegan Denny

San Fernando