It is good to see people offering solutions for a change, rather than a litany of complaints. However, the solution offered by Ms Fatimah Mohammed of scrapping the Masters of Arts in Carnival Studies to alleviate the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s financial woes—suffers from seemingly illogical premises.

First, without considering the overall causes of the university’s financial crisis, chopping a programme was advocated—rather like Cinderella’s stepsister chopping off her big toe to fit her foot into the glass slipper. We know how well that went. What intervention in the crisis would such a move make? The department is not large nor does it command a larger portion of the university’s beleaguered funds than other, larger programmes.

Next, a Master’s degree was equated with a Bachelor’s degree. Both are important in establishing credibility and credentials. However, at the Masters level, one is also producing scholarship, affecting the discourse surrounding the discipline, changing the way the world understands the discipline. A Master’s degree, in other words, means simply that—Mastery of a given field. As with most formerly colonised spaces/places, our culture (multi-ethnic, chaotic, rich, and nourishing) has been parsed and parcelled by foreigners spending a few months here and then declaring themselves experts. A Master of Arts in Carnival Studies helps us reclaim our own.

Then you argue that the scope of carnival is narrow—not reflective of our multi-ethnic reality. I often wonder why once a certain ethnicity lays claim to anything it is suddenly exclusive. How, as Trinidadians, we do not assume this exclusivity with anything else. Doubles is a perfect example of an ethnic food having national/inclusive connotations. Better still, why do we default to European standards as neutral spaces/positions?

Why is it that it was dismissed that academic enquiry in carnival has the potential to create an inclusive space? Allowing us to see the linkages between Hosay and carnival, for example? The influence of tassa on soca rhythms to celebrate the fact that until the 1884 Hosay Riots Africans participated in Hosay and after the riots it was a regular sight, as Roaring Lion sang in “Mary Ann,” to see the “Indians with they Hosay coming down” on Carnival Monday and Tuesday?

However, the most illogical premise is that culture only has a dollar value as though a cultureless society can thrive; as though education can and should be monetised; as though ignoring our heritage and cultural intersections in the name of multi-ethnicity will actually create unity not discord?

Why discard the spaces/places that allow for in depth discussions of US? We—all races, all ethnicities—have developed carnival. We—all Trinbagonians—our zeitgeist, our ethos, fuel this national festival—this ritual of nationhood. Shouldn’t WE study this and understand it?

DR KELA NNARKA FRANCIS

Thursday and yesterday the workers at Customs Dept withheld their services and supported the call by their union leader, Watson Duke.

The country and small business are being strangled, for example, with challenges to obtain forex from the banks. The “holidays” don’t help.

Importers are unable to get their shipments from the Bonded Warehouse and the Port of Entry. The importers will lose millions of dollars by paying rents and demurrage charges, which consumers will eventually have to pay, along with heavy taxes introduced in the budget.

We are seeing small businesses closing shop all over, which is a sad state.

As the Finance Minister remarked, he has the right to increase taxes to run the country.

Petrotrin is still operating at a loss, the high salaries are still being paid, the government is still renting offices.

What are the ministers of trade, tourism, finance doing to obtain forex? Our country is in a critical situation and late in implementing the infrastructure to buffer the economy against these shocks.

Years ago the church would voice their opinion when you had a strong Archbishop. Christmas and carnival are in the air and I hope the masses are not distracted by the holidays, while there are serious matters facing our country that need to be addressed by government.

The Chamber is too silent on these matters; the poor and middle class are hurting. Unless improvements are made in living conditions, the country is heading for social unrest.

GORDON LAUGHLIN
WESTMOORINGS

The major crime news at the forefront of the electronic and print media are the murders of Prisons Officers and their request for political asylum in Canada. It is claimed that these hits are coming from within the prison walls and our Prison Officers are lame ducks awaiting death. The statement by the Prison Officers Association to the Attorney General is to make laws to protect their membership. If not, on to Canada.

Now in every community in T&T there are at least 20 members of the protective services. The Housing Development Corporation has a mandate of a 10-20 per cent allocation for members of the protective services. So, do you, the citizenry, feel comfortable and protected by the presence of members of the police, defence force, prisons and fire offices as neighbours in these communities, in the time of need or otherwise?

Note, every Prisons Officer lives with his prisoner 24/7; they know the prisoners’ relatives, friends and criminal associates. The Prisons Officer knows the prisoner’s charge sheet, his state of mind and his possibility/probability of committing heinous crimes, for they all live together behind these walls. But what does the Prisons Officer do with that info? Nothing.

Every police officer in these communities is either the schoolmate of a suspect, or he knows the drug dealer, the gunman, the human trafficker, you name it. But he/she suppresses the info. From experience, they keep away, saying “dey doh want their names calling.” So police do not trust their own police brother/sister.

Criminals are then left to play themselves in front of their protective services. Things are so chubby some of these delinquent officers get involved in the crime trade too, by assisting their criminal batch. Then, when father time hits home, we marching and playing dumb.

Within these organisations there are good and bad officers and no one can wish death upon anyone else. Let’s fix and do the job for the satisfaction of ourselves first, so that others may live safe in their communities.

ATHELSTON CLINTON,
ARIMA

It’s the hashtag that rocked the world.

Since #MeToo went viral two weeks ago in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, Twitter reports that more than 1.7 million women and men have used the hashtag in 85 countries.

In Italy, women rallied behind a version called #QuellaVoltaChe, which translates to “That time when,” while French women decided to out their harassers by name under #BalanceTonPorc, which roughly translates to “snitch out your pig.”

At least nine well-known powerful men have been accused of various forms of sexual assault, including former President George HW Bush, Hollywood producer James Toback and journalist and author Mark Halperin. And just last week, California Rep Jackie Speier launched #MeTooCongress, asking Washington staffers to share their stories on harassment on the Hill.

But can a hashtag, a meme or any viral moment—no matter how widespread—really turn into a lasting movement that will create social change and reduce sexual abuse of women?

Maybe. But experts say it’s going to take a coordinated effort between antiviolence organisations, the media and Hollywood as well as concrete actions from each and every one of us, especially men.

“I am really tired of talking about women,” said Toni Van Pelt, president of the National Association of Women. “We must focus on the men. We must be demanding that the men step forward and take responsibility, whether they think they are the good guy or not. They are not the good guy if they are not speaking out against this, if they are allowing the bullying to continue.”

It’s the men’s turn

A Call to Men, a violence prevention and male socialisation group, is hoping the launch of its new campaign, #IWillSpeakUp, will help the cause.

“We felt like we really needed to respond because it’s out of control,” A Call to Men co-founder Ted Bunch said. “And it’s not just Hollywood. Viewing women as objects, property and having less value than men is something that all males have been taught, even by ‘well-meaning men,’ and we pass that on to our boys. So this has to become a men’s issue, because men won’t stop unless other men say so.”

Launched Monday in conjunction with the Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by Law and Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, the campaign includes an op-ed and public service announcement featuring male celebrities such as Danny Pino, Blair Underwood, Christopher Meloni, Anthony Edwards and Peter Hermann, who all encourage men to pledge better behaviour toward women under the hashtags #IWillSpeakUp and #SupportSurvivors.

The theme of the PSA is “I’ll say something next time,” Bunch explained. “It finishes with a line that we frequently use when we train men on healthy, respectful manhood: ‘Most men are not abusive. But they are far too often silent about the abuse committed by other men. Their silence is as much of the problem as the abuse.’ “

A viral graveyard

Social media is littered with the digital bones of once-vibrant hashtags and memes, so getting the momentum behind #MeToo to translate into literal action could be an uphill battle.

Last year, Canadian-born writer Kelly Oxford shared her story of being groped at age 12 on the bus; the response from women to her #ItsNotOkay was unprecedented. But it soon faded.

Other hashtags expressing social outrage over sexual abuse have suffered similar fates: #YesAllWomen, #WhyIStayed, #YouOKSis, #EverydaySexism, #ToTheGirls and #BrockTurner, to name a few.

#MeToo was created over a decade ago by female activist Tarana Burke, who works with Girls for Gender Equity and founded Just Be Inc, organisations focused on empowering women of colour. She launched the hashtag after her own experience with abuse kept her from helping a traumatised young girl.

“I could not find the strength to say out loud the words that were ringing in my head over and over again as she tried to tell me what she had endured,” Burke wrote on her website. “I couldn’t even bring myself to whisper...’me too.’”

Though Burke sees #MeToo as a movement, she admits that the hashtag’s popularity ebbs and flows. “I’ve seen it happen over and over again in small waves, but to see it happen en masse has been pretty amazing,” she told CNN.

Some social activists blame the media for the public’s short attention span, believing that online interest is driven by the amount of time and attention the press gives to any given subject. Just look to #Charlottesville, #Ferguson and #BringBackOurGirls.

Others point to “slacktivism,” a portmanteau of “slacker” and “activism,” as part of the problem. It’s a pejorative term coined by sociologists to describe keyboard activists who react to an online movement so they can feel good about themselves, but these social “slackers” are thought to stop short of taking offline action.

Saturday Night Live poked fun at armchair activism this year with a skit called Thank you, Scott, starring comedian Louis CK as a well-meaning man who shares a few articles with his Facebook friends.

But it’s no laughing matter. A University of British Columbia study found that public displays of support, such as “liking” a charity online or wearing a lapel pin, hurt that charity’s fundraising efforts, as people failed to follow through with their wallets or volunteer their time. Private displays of activism, such as signing a door-to-door petition, fared better.

Keyboard apathy is such a problem in fundraising that in 2013, UNICEF Sweden tackled it with a hard-hitting poster and video campaign: “Like us on Facebook and we will vaccinate zero children against polio. We have nothing against likes, but vaccines cost money.”

There have been successes, most notably the 2014 ALS #IceBucketChallenge, which raised more than US$115 million for causes related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

According to the ALS Association, more than US$77 million of that went to research, which recently scored by uncovering a key gene, NEK1, that contributes to more than three per cent of ALS cases.

Another hashtag to make the leap from online social activism to the street was #BlackLivesMatter. It burst onto the scene after the 2012 killing of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic man. #BlackLivesMatter gained national prominence during violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the killing of 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown by a white police officer and has since grown to 40 chapters, including Canada and Britain. This summer, the group won the 2017 Sydney Peace Prize.

Though much has been written on the demise of the hashtag and what that means for the movement, co-founder Patrisse Cullors disagrees. “It’s not a hashtag that built the movement,” she said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “It was organisers, activists, educators, artists—people who built an actual infrastructure so that a movement can exist and have life.”

From meme to movement

That’s exactly what is needed to solidify #MeToo’s viral legacy, according to sociologist Jen Schradie, who studies digital activism for the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France.

“Based on my research, the movements that are most successful are those who have an organisational infrastructure in place: a network, a coalition, a united front of a group of celebrities or established organisations,” she said.

She points to the civil rights movement as the ultimate example of success.

“The energy we see in the #MeToo movement is very similar to that of the civil rights movement,” Schradie said, “but the difference is, the civil rights movement was able to connect people who just heard about it with actual organisations who were coordinating resistance.

“I’ve found that the groups that can sustain high levels of online participation are those which are more structured and have volunteers and staff dedicated to keeping that online effort in place.”

“People want concrete ways to be part of a solution, and that’s where the #MeToo movement needs to go,” said Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

“Talking about victimisation doesn’t end victimisation,” she said. “We need people to intervene. We need whistle-blowers. Parents need to be great role models. Ask your school, church, civic organisations and youth sports clubs to be proactive. Walk the walk in your own home.”

Many of these men’s and women’s rights organisations say that all anyone has to do to get involved is reach out to the many local, state and national organisations that have been fighting for equality for women for decades. Volunteer. Donate time and money. Do more than lift your finger to “like.”

“Funding for prevention work is hard to get, yet investment in this space is critical,” Bunch said. “We are trying to go upstream and prevent things before they start. It’s not in a man’s DNA. It’s not who we are. We are socialised to behave this way. That has to stop.”

“This could be a watershed moment if this connects the dots,” Van Pelt said. “Connect the dots from a culture of male authority and patriarchy to the fact that women do not get equal pay; connect the dots to birth control and abortion that is being kept from women.

“Because if women are in position of authority, they will help stop the submission of other women,” she continued. “So that men can’t corner them, can’t force them into sexual acts, because women won’t need the financial stability. The economic security.”

(cnn.com)

The disaster wrought by Hurricane Maria has set off an anguished debate across Puerto Rico, where friends, family and co-workers are arguing fiercely over the morality of leaving the blacked-out island for the US mainland versus fulfilling a patriotic duty to rebuild.

More than 140,000 Puerto Ricans have left since the storm hit Sept 20 and some experts estimate more than 300,000 more could leave in the next two years. That’s on top of a similar-size exodus over the last decade of economic crisis, creating a massive population loss for the US territory of 3.4 million.

Most of those who have left went on their own. Aid groups and the US government helped evacuate large numbers of the elderly and sick. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has offered to help relocate those still in temporary shelters, about 2,400 people as of Friday, to temporary housing on the mainland.

Many of those leaving are facing recriminations from fellow Puerto Ricans who accuse them of abandoning their homeland when it needs them the most.

Nilsa Montes, an unemployed waitress, said her friends and family often talk negatively about those who have left.

“They always get criticised because people point out, ‘Hey, you didn’t stay,’” she said. “I wouldn’t move because I don’t give up.”

The drive to stay in Puerto Rico and help rebuild has become a sociocultural movement with its own slogan echoing Montes: “Yo no me quito,” or “I’m not giving up.”

Those four words have become a popular hashtag posted next to pictures on social media of Puerto Ricans rebuilding homes, distributing food and water or simply relaxing on the beach. Some who left or are leaving respond with messages that they would stay if someone found them a job, power or water.

The “yo no me quito” message carries so much meaning that when Denise Centeno, who runs the Hispanic Family Counseling centre in Orlando, Florida, recently played The Blessed Island by a singer who included those four words in its lyrics, she provoked an unexpected reaction from clients.

“People who had come from Puerto Rico were crying with a horrible feeling of guilt,” she recalled. “They feel like, ‘Wow, I gave up. I wanted to stay.’... Of course they feel hurt.”

In a recent chain of comments on Twitter about the merits of staying against going, one Puerto Rican wrote: “Those of you who left are fleeing from catastrophe while those of us who stay will lift the flag even higher than it already is.”

People who have left bridle at the criticism.

Carlos Rodriguez, an unemployed security guard and volunteer paramedic, moved with his wife and two young girls to the US mainland on November 2 from their hometown of Cayey, nestled in Puerto Rico’s once-lush central mountains. The family lost its home and car to the storm and is now sleeping on the couch of a relative in Providence, Rhode Island, while looking for permanent housing and a job for Rodriguez. His parents, however, stayed in Puerto Rico.

“You have no idea how much I would like to be able to help my family,” Rodriguez said by phone from Providence. “I’m here trying to do that.”

Maria downed trees, homes and power lines in a 12-hour rampage with winds of up to 154 mph. Much of Puerto Rico remains without power and 15 per cent has no running water more than a month after the hurricane. It is the longest blackout in US history, and officials have said the overall hurricane damage could range from US$45 billion to US$95 billion on an island already mired in an 11-year-long recession.

The post-hurricane exodus will have its own economic impact, said economist Joaquin Villamil, chairman and CEO of Estudios Tecnicos, an economic consulting firm.

“It is having a terrible effect,” he said, noting that retail sales are already down, and that the shrinking population will lead to a drop in tax collections and affect multiple sectors including housing. “Not only are you going to have an older population, but it will be poorer.”

Professionals are leaving at alarming rates, and the island could see an overall 25 per cent drop in population from 2000 to 2025, with three million people or less expected to remain by that year, down from 3.8 million nearly two decades ago, Villamil said.

“It’s a very serious problem,” he said. “The demographic transition is the driver of what happens here economically and socially.”

The debate about staying or going is rooted in Puerto Rico’s status as a US territory. While their island isn’t a state, Puerto Ricans can seamlessly move elsewhere in the US, but many feel an identification with the island that is akin to national pride.

“We need to stay here and help each other. Why are they running away from this problem?” said Sharon Velazquez, a homemaker who lives with her family in the western municipality of San Lorenzo, one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Maria. “We are not giving up ... We have to keep fighting.”

The fight isn’t new in Puerto Rico. About a half million people have left in the past decade as a result of the long economic crisis, according to a report by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York.

“For some years now, there has been some resentment,” said Luis Martinez-Fernandez, a history professor at University of Central Florida who focuses on Puerto Rico culture. “Those who were adamant about staying and making that point, they have dug deeper in their position.”

Of the more than 140,000 islanders estimated to have left since the storm, more than 130,000 went to Florida alone, followed by Pennsylvania, Texas, New York and New Jersey, researchers at Hunter College said. Among them are an estimated 14,000 public school students, Education Secretary Julia Keleher said.

Ivone Nieves, a teacher, spent three days working in water up to her ankles after Maria, then decided to move to Orlando. She arrived November 1, and her partner and four children are scheduled to arrive December 4.

The family was left without water or power, and Nieves said she wants a better future for her children. She said she already has two job offers.

“We can help lift up the island from anywhere in the United States,” she said. (AP)

Yesterday, eye specialists around the world celebrated World Keratoconus Day. The Ophthalmological Society of the West Indies (OSWI) said this disease which can be prompted by rubbing the eyes, affects 170,000 people in the US. Keratoconus is also somewhat common here, but many with eye trouble might not be aware they even have the disease.

What is keratoconus?

The cornea is the clear window of the eye. It is responsible for refracting most of the light coming into the eye. Keratoconus blurs vision by thinning the cornea, the transparent front part of the eye. As the cornea thins, it begins to distort and bulge, and becomes cone-shaped rather than the usual round shape. Therefore, abnormalities of the cornea severely affect the way we see the world making simple tasks, like driving, watching TV or reading a book difficult.

Significant loss of vision can result as the cornea is primarily responsible for the eye’s focusing power. Keratoconus is the most common corneal dystrophy in the US, affecting approximately one in every 2,000 Americans or approximately 170,000 people in the US. The Caribbean is no different as there are many people who have the disease and may not even be aware of it. The precise cause of keratoconus is unknown. It is thought that genetic factors may contribute, and that eye rubbing can lead to eye trauma, as well as trigger the release of enzymes which weaken the cornea. Eye rubbing can result from underlying diseases such as atopic or allergic conjunctivitis (swelling and inflammation of the whites of the eye, also known as pink eye).

Treatment available in the Caribbean

Eyeglasses or soft contact lenses may be used to correct the mild nearsightedness and astigmatism caused in the early stages of keratoconus. As the disorder progresses and the cornea continues to thin and change shape, rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are generally prescribed to correct vision more adequately. The contact lenses must be carefully fitted, and frequent checkups and lens changes may be needed to achieve and maintain good vision. Intacs, intracorneal rings, are sometimes used to improve contact lens fit. Corneal crosslinking is also a new treatment option under investigation to halt the progression of keratoconus. In severe cases, a corneal transplant may be needed due to scarring, extreme thinning or contact lens intolerance. This is a surgical procedure that replaces the keratoconus cornea with healthy donor tissue. There are many treatments available right here in the Caribbean including crosslinking corneal surgery and intacs transplant.

The Ophthalmological Society of the West Indies takes this opportunity to remind people of the importance of checking their eyes. If you are having problems with your eyes, you should visit your ophthalmologist to get the necessary care and treatment.

In June, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said over 400 students across schools in the nation were on suicide watch. This was subsequently confirmed by psychologist and president of the T&T Association of Psychologists Dr Katija Khan who said some of these students are as young as seven.

Perhaps, because of this serious and critical reality, the NGO More (Manufacturers of Real Empowerment), which is staging the Miss Awareness Teen Pageant tonight at the Central Bank Auditorium, has decided to focus on this social issue as it presents its 2017 edition.

The topic of suicide hit really close to home for the organisers of Miss Teen Awareness, hence the decision to highlight it in 2017. Director Timon Olivieri revealed that last year the pageant’s 2015 first runner-up, Faith Gajadhar, 15, the pageant’s youngest contestant, took her own life.

Gajadhar attended St Francois Girls College and was very active in modelling, public speaking, football and dragon boat with the school.
Remembering her, Olivieri said upon entering the pageant Gajadhar developed a passion for HIV/Aids awareness and worked with the NGO to help with the development of the 2016 contestants. “She was a very quiet soul,” said Olivieri, “never angry; never showing any signs of problems in her little world. However she left us too soon.”

He added, “This topic is so important because since she (Gajadhar) took her life, lately we have seen an increase in suicide acts throughout the country and abroad via social media.”

Olivieri told the T&T Guardian the first show in 2015 was inspired by an events management course at Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School. He said: “I wanted to create my own signature event and seeing that I like fashion shows and pageants, I decided to create the pageant and establish the brand Miss Teen Awareness with the goal of it becoming a future international competition that would be staged right here in T&T.”

Olivieri said the pageant focuses on young girls between the ages of 14 to 19 who are novices to the modelling and pageant world. They are then trained using the fundamentals of pageants along with life skills training that are also incorporated into the training process. He added: “They learn simple hair and make-up preparation, public speaking, etiquette training, talent management, networking, communication and modelling skills.”

Olivieri explained that because the brand is Miss Teen Awareness, the pageant annually highlights and focuses on social issues of the day. In the past two years it has focused on HIV/Aids, and violence and abuse, respectively. The purpose of opting for these societal topics is to educate the delegates themselves and the wider public on these social ills.

The Miss Teen Awareness pageant has also collaborated with upcoming artiste and composer Vernice “Trinibaby” Herreira who has also been trying to create a positive platform for young people through her music. Last year her song One Love received steady rotation on local radio stations and garnered favourable views on her YouTube Channel.

Herreira would be assisting the 2017 winner with some outreach programmes during her reign.

Olivieri promised that the 2017 Miss Teen Awareness winner would continue raising awareness on the issue of suicide at the nation’s schools and various institutions during her reign.

The young team of budding chefs from the Trinidad Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI); Malique Archer, Akeel Ronaldo Lobin, Darius Cumming, Anabella Jones and Shane Walker emerged winners of the restaurant category of this year’s Angostura Bitter Rivals grill-off competition held on November 5 at the Chinese Association. Sherry Wilhite, with her team Spiced Girls, was the winner again this year in the home chef category.

Wilhite ran away with $7,000 plus a hamper, while TTHTI chefs won $5,000 which was donated to the charity of their choice - Diabetes Association of T&T, a release said. All chefs put on a splendid show for the patrons of the free event, who came out to witness the grill-off and see how creative the chefs could get with the use of Angostura aromatic bitters and Angostura orange bitters. Judges; Chef Jason Peru, Quincy Ross of EatahFood, chef John Rojas of Angostura and chef Shaun Alexander of FoodieNationTT, were blown away by the creativity of the taste and presentation of the food and the meticulous craftsmanship executed by all chefs on show.

Vitra Deonarine, brand manager for the Bitters brands, said “Angostura Bitter Rivals allowed us to connect with our consumers through engagement, demonstration and activation.

Competitors had to prepare two dishes: a meat and a seafood, showcasing the versatility of Angostura aromatic bitters and Angostura orange bitters.

They were judged, on Taste, Originality, Presentation and Creative use of both Angostura aromatic bitters and Angostura orange bitters. We were happy to see so many participants and supporters at the event.”

This year was the second Angostura Bitter Rivals event with five restaurant teams - Sails, True Food Service, Hot Dog Republic, Flame On and the winner TTHTI.

The home chef teams taking part were - the Master Grillerz, Pepper Boys, The Pallet, Left hand Dumpling and of course this category’s winner, The Spiced Girls headed by Sherry Wilhite.

Mixologist Raymond Edwards, demonstrated a few cocktails and flair bartender Saied Ali mesmerised them with his exciting skills.

Angostura’s roving bar truck was on site, while a host of vendors, showcased and sold their specialities. They included; Chimichanga Mexican food Truck, Quan Kep’s Pork Shed, House of El, Oui Cuisine, Nice N Spicy, Les Soeurs Desserts, Nik Nak Sweet Shack, Snowie TT, Denille the Gourmet Cakist, Dalana the Ice Cream Chef and Exotic Caribbean Mountain Pride chocolate. Host for the event was Ryan Jaggesar from FoodieNationTT.

1How many years have you been in business?

After 30 years in business, I remain dedicated to leading for today while at the same time keeping an eye focused on tomorrow. Without formal business education I quickly assessed my needs for a successful business outcome, driven by determination and desire to be the best.

As the first Security Officer, I struggled to be recognized but soon developed a reputation for dependable, reliable, efficient service. Getting clients to be proactive with adequate funding for security initiatives was one of the greatest challenges. Above all, I upheld that no business was too small, no opportunity would pass and every weakness was a challenge, as l became more irrepressible through the years.

As needs arose, I expanded the core business to include an accredited Central Monitoring Station with uniqueness of remote CCTV and keyless monitoring.

Cash management soon followed with a specialty fleet designed for high-security and low operating cost. Simultaneously, our electronic security business took of with integrated solutions being the focus and my expertise with relevance allowed competitive advantage.

Demand for secured information technology platforms was quickly recognized and new products and services like Inteltrack and Geographic Information Systems, bespoke platforms were created. These products now form the basis of some government’s rapid response initiatives.

The vision for the future is to provide more scientifically based services, continue regional and international expansion, and use E commerce and E learning infrastructure for security and public safety products.

2 What has been your biggest success?

My greatest success was building a professional management team and building the desirable work force with the correct ethics and trust. This being Amalgamated security services with a regional footprint in six countries, Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Guyana, Antigua and the obvious Trinidad and Tobago.

3 Have you ever failed at any endeavour?

I have had some failures throughout my journey but this was used to strengthen my resolve and they became lessons of what not to do.

4 What makes you decide whether you want to enter a
new venture?

Market research, recognizing the windows of opportunities when they present themselves and taking advantage of my vision for what would be needed in the future.

5 Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Work hard, be persistent and have patience and keep God in your life while following your dream.

6 Have you ever felt like you could lose it all?

No, but market conditions do pose risks that one must mitigate against by introducing diversity, and reinvestment and the building of one’s human capital.

I think this has aided in not considering this as an outcome.

This also means not having all your eggs in one basket by diversifying your investments (tourism, real estate, E commerce).

7 What drives you?

The satisfaction of my successes and the ability to realize my ideas and see them work beyond my expectations. My work is so satisfying that it really is not work and therefore I don’t need to be energized. I love what I do. My vacations are always aligned with my work implementing “out-of-the-box” ideas that ultimately prove their value.

8 When did you recognise that you’d “made it”?

I never thought of this, but I would say that my success started when the company growth was consistent from year to year, my return on investment was evident and the many third party recognitions, whether locally and or internationally of my entrepreneurial successes and innovative work. This is well documented along with the most recent award of an ‘Honorary Doctor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, a nomination for the T&T Chamber Master Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2015, the CIO 100 Award 2015 as a leader in innovation and business value creation and the Service provider of the year 2015 award by the TTCSI to name a few.

9 What do most people think about you that may or may not be true?

I am passionate about my work

I am fair and just with people

I work too hard

I am a perfectionist

I don’t believe in failure

I am very analytical

I am calm under stress

I am strategic

I believe in creating a family type work environment

I could be very autocratic and self-opinionated at
time

I am loved

10 What do you believe are the key factors to succeed in business?

I would think as a leader one must have a broad repertoire of styles and use them appropriately:

Lead by example

Develop a reputation to deliver on promises made and no task is too difficult to do with the right level of perseverance

You must have the eye for making the right decision

Have a vision and stay on target

Hard work never kills

American author and former dot com business executive, Seth Godin once said, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.”

This is exactly what the Managing Director of GISCAD Ltd, Desmond Dougall and his partner Sudesh Botha did when they decided to take a leap of faith and ploughed their savings into an entity that was being divested by its parent company which was undergoing a diversification drive.

A combination of two acronyms - GIS and CAD - Dougall said the successful partnership came into being 14 years ago when he and Botha, who were both employed by Illuminat at the time, “Decided to divest this part of technology they were in, so we took it over and started our own company.”

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.

It is widely used to optimize maintenance schedules and daily fleet movements.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.

CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications including automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics and many more.

A father of three, Dougall said even though uncertainty surrounded the move, “We took over some of the distributorships and clients they had in this area which was very limited at the time and we developed it from there.”

The Petit Valley resident who holds a Masters in GIS from the University of Holland, laughingly referred to himself as the “tech geek” in the partnership.

Dougall, who acts as the main face of the company explained, “It is a very specialised field dealing with land information systems.”

Indicating the many roles he has had to adopt over the years, Dougall said it became imperative in order to ensure the company’ s continued survival and growth.

He said, “From an entrepreneurial side, this is how many companies fail because everybody is either technical or administrative, but you must have a mix as everybody can’t be technical.”

However, Dougall said it hasn’t been quite as smooth as some believe.

He admitted, “We got into some hardship between 2008 and 2010 because we weren’t really paying attention to those kinds of issues.”

“But we had to buckled down and put some real structure and discipline in place, financial-wise.”

Having determined the niche market they wanted to reach, Dougall said they started off providing consulting services and advising mainly government clients before taking on a larger customer base in the form of commercial entities.

Their client base today now extends further afield to several territories in the Caribbean including the Barbados Statistical Office.

In T&T, Dougall said, “We were helping the Ministry of Planning, providing satellite imaging for the entire country. High resolution and detailed imaging to help with the physical planning of the country.”

Although they enjoyed the benefits of such work, Dougall said, “In order to provide bread and butter money at the same time, we took on a few distributorships for technology companies.”

This resulted in them becoming the Caribbean agent for AutoCAD.

AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application.

Dougall said this meant they, “Interact with all engineers, architects, surveyors, contractors, construction companies, governments and utility companies.”

He said consultancy work was akin to that of a roller-coaster ride in that, “Sometimes things are good, sometimes things are terrible so you need things to even out the cash flow.”

Two years after they formed GISCAD Ltd, Dougall and some friends hit upon the idea to provide GPS tracking services in a country where the field was relatively new.

Setting up GeoTrac, Dougall said it now boasted the reputation of being the leading Fleet Management System in the Caribbean region.

It is a GPS based fleet and asset management solution designed to assist business owners, managers, and supervisors to manage all of their mobile assets

With GeoTrac, Dougall said a company could be provided with up-to-date-information regarding their cars, trucks, trailers and mobile phones at the touch of a button.

Channeling their efforts into providing this service for commercial clients, Dougall explained, “We wanted to provide a higher-end service that provided a lot of information and reporting for commercial clients so it would help them understand, not just where things are but how their drivers are driving, where they are visiting, what their day looks like and general intelligence about the use of their assets and their personnel.”

He added, “It helps them with their HR management, stock and inventory management and helps them ensure their drivers are representing the company in a positive light.”

Pressed to say if the service was used by employers to “spy” on their employees, Dougall said it could be interpreted in this manner.

With over 300 clients utilising their services to date, Dougall said their fleets ranged from 275 vehicles for one company down to a one/two-car fleet for a smaller organisation.

Asked how they were able to manage the thousands of commercial vehicles currently outfitted with GPS traversing the nation’s roads, Dougall stressed, “We don’t manage it. We allow the client to do that.”

He said GISCAD only installed the device following which the client is provided with the appropriate software to continue the process, thus ensuring they maintain control of the system.

He added, “We train you on how to use the system and it’s all online, so you can access the information from anywhere in the world, even off your phone.”

Dougall said while many companies go this route mainly for security purposes, they firmly believe clients should receive the full range of services to suit their needs.

As such, he said, “We are providing a continuous service to our clients. We are not just giving them a one-time facility. We are helping them with efficiency and improving investment.”

Going one step further for their clients “who have clients of their own,” Dougall said they had undertaken two “mapping” exercises across T&T in 2008 and 2013 respectively, moving from 8,000 points to 25,000 points.

He said, “Every single road in the country was mapped, except where was considered dangerous.”

The 2013 exercise took nine two-member teams a period of nine months to complete.

Dougall said, “We are providing a lot more information to our clients to help the efficiency of their systems and that was why we stayed with commercial clients.”

He said the rationale behind it was, “If we are not providing something of value, then we are of no use to our client.”

Declaring this to be their mantra, Dougall said it had been reinforced even more so in these trying economic times as, “You can’t be a nice-to-have in these times, you have to be absolutely integral to the operations of your client’s business.”

He went on, “If you are not integral to your client’s business and not providing value on a daily basis, then you are of no use to them.”

Dougall said while many companies had experienced a contraction, GISCAD continued to record growth as their clients valued their operations.

He said, “While business in T&T has not dropped, it is not growing fast either. It has stabilised and there has been minimal growth which is more than most companies can say now. However, our growth outside of T&T is growing rapidly.”

He said although they experienced a “dip” in their financials during 2015/2016, they have since recovered due largely in part to sound business structures.

Elaborating about their operations abroad, Dougall said they decided to expand the services sector into Guyana where they were now ranked as the number one provider of GPS tracking services in the territory.

Similarly, they also enjoy the same status in Grenada and St. Lucia - with fledgling operations in Antigua, Haiti and Belize.

With so much commercial growth outside T&T, Dougall said they had not been adversely affected by the local foreign exchange shortage.

He said, “Anybody who only has a business that their income is in TT and their expenses are in US, they can’t survive.”

Dougall urged companies to explore opportunities further abroad in order to survive these tough economic challenges.

He said, “Find something that people need and want to buy.”

Dougall credited his wife as being a pillar of support and an invaluable resource during the time it took to establish the business and ensure its success.

He admitted to missing birthdays, holidays and special occasions but he said the love of his spouse was the “glue” that kept him sane and also ensured his kids turned out to be normal, happy and healthy individuals.

Dougall concluded that establishing and maintaining the lifetime value of a customer was a carefully blended concoction of targeted engagement and relationship building - all drawn from meaningful data analysis.

He said it was only when business owners understand their customers needs and provide a solution to effectively alleviate those pains, would it create interactions mutually beneficial to the company and user.

His big take away is, “When customers are put first, revenue follows.”

Trade unions are a reality in most organized societies and labour markets across the world.

For as long as they have existed, trade unions have elicited mixed reactions among those who have either been in support of, or in opposition to them.

Essentially, a trade union is an organization intended to represent the collective interests of workers in negotiations with employers over wages, hours of work, benefits, and working conditions.

Unions often exist in specific industries and tend to be more common in sectors such as construction, telecommunications, transportation, oil and gas, and banking and finance just to name a few.

A trade union works like a democracy in that it holds elections for its members that seek to appoint officers who are charged with the duty of making decisions for union participants.

A union is structured as a locally-based group of employees who obtain a charter from a national organization.

Dues are paid by the employees to the national union, and in return, the labor union acts as an advocate on the employees behalf.

All most all unions are structured in the same way and carry out duties in the same manner.

The origins on trade unions can be traced back to 18th century Britain during a period of rapid expansion in the industrial sectors.

The prevalence of unions in various countries can be assessed using the measure “union density”.

The definition of union density is “the proportion of paid workers who are union members”.

In developed countries, at least, trade union membership and influence has declined over the past three decades.

Fewer wages are now set by collective bargaining, and far fewer working days are lost to strikes.

From an economic perspective, unions probably make unemployment higher than it would be without them, as collective bargaining often pushes wages above the level that would bring labour supply and demand into equilibrium.

However, unions can combat the excessive market power of some firms, particularly when the firms (or a government) dominate a particular job market.

They can support workers who are badly treated by management.

They may sometimes provide an efficient, and thus valuable, channel for communication between workers and managers, particularly in countries where conflict between management and unions is viewed as unhealthy.

In T&T, the Trade Unions Act gives full legal cover to “associations of workmen and masters, workers and workers and masters and masters” and legitimizes their functions as registered Trade Unions by the Registrar who is appointed under Section 8 of the Trade Unions Act.

The Trade Unions Division of the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development is responsible for providing services to Trade Unions/Associations in accordance with the Trade Unions Act, Chapter 88:02.

The first union in T&T was registered in 1935.

The four largest trade unions in T&T are: the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), the Public Service Association (PSA), and the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

Most investors get into trouble when they step outside of what Warren Buffett aptly defines as their “circle of competence”

In fact, for years the concept of the “Circle of Competence” has been used by Buffett as a way to focus investors on only operating in areas they know best.

A quote from the investing guru sums it up nicely: “What an investor needs is the ability to correctly evaluate selected businesses. Note that word “selected”: You don’t have to be an expert on every company, or even many. You only have to be able to evaluate companies within your circle of competence. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.”

The “circle of competence” concept is disarmingly simple.

Each of us, through experience or study, has built up useful knowledge on certain areas of the world.

Some areas are understood by most of us, while some areas require a lot more specialty to evaluate.

For example, most of us might have a basic understanding of the economics of a restaurant: You rent or buy space, spend money to outfit the place and then hire employees to serve, cook, and clean. (And, if you don’t want to do it yourself, manage.)

From there it’s a matter of generating enough traffic and setting the appropriate prices to generate a profit on the food and drinks you serve—after all of your operating expenses have been paid.

Though the cuisine, atmosphere, and price points will vary by restaurant, they all have to follow the same economic formula.

That basic knowledge, along with some understanding of accounting and a little bit of study, would enable one to evaluate and invest in any number of restaurants and restaurant chains; public or private.

However, can most of us say we understand the workings of a robotics manufacturer or a biotech drug company at the same level?

Perhaps not.

But as Buffett put so eloquently, we do not necessarily need to understand these more esoteric areas to invest capital.

Far more important is to honestly define what we do know and to stick to those areas.

The circle can be widened, but only slowly and over time.

Mistakes are most often made when straying from this discipline.

The simple takeaway here is clear.

If you want to improve your odds of success in life and business then define the perimeter of your circle of competence, and operate inside.

Over time, work to expand that circle but never fool yourself about where it stands today, and never be afraid to say “I don’t know.”

Andre Worrell

Eighty-two-year-old retired school teacher Rose Rajbansee is an institution in her home town of Plum Road Village, Manzanilla. The long-time community activist, advocate and volunteer has given her life to helping people in her area by promoting rural women’s challenges and empowering women to enhance their economic and social well-being.

“Miss Rose” or “Mum” as she is affectionately known by members of the community gives advice and counselling free to people who come to her landmark home which is still used as a community centre of\ sorts like in the old days where residents would meet to discuss issues affecting them.

Rajbansee, who also served as president of The Network of Rural Women Producers, T&T (NRWPTT), The Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers and the T&T Federation of Women’s Institutes, has the honour of a building being named after her—

The Rose Rajbansee Centre for Training and Rural Development, in St Augustine.
Speaking to the Guardian at her home on Wednesday, Rajbansee said: “I got my passion for agriculture from my parents, Deokeenanan and Shoon, my mother. I still have a few milking cows, I’m slowing down. I don’t milk them myself but someone comes to do it.
“I still make dahi (yogurt), cottage cheese, ghee for Hindu prayers for people who purchase it for the ceremony.
“My experience and knowledge teaching food and nutrition at Guaico Presbyterian School comes in handy making amchar, kuchela, wine, jam, jellies, syrup, mango cakes, bread and crumble which usually sell out early for the Mango Festival,” she beamed.
She said when she was teaching, the Ministry of Education as an extension service gave classes in communities where women came out once a week on evening, and she was able to tutor them in food and nutrition mainly in the St Andrew county which afforded her the opportunity to travel and meet people in other areas.
Rajbansee said women would come to learn at her house and in those days Government paid the “handsome sum” of $1.20 an hour for teaching in the ‘60s.
She said as a teacher she earned the “handsome sum” of $65 a month of which $5 was deducted towards her pension.
Rajbansee said with that money she could buy a lot of staples, but people grew quite a lot of vegetables themselves and did not have to buy.
She said one of the things villagers did in the early days was give or exchange surplus vegetables with one another.
Rajbansee said she did not have any chronic diseases such as hypertension or diabetes, but recently she had a cataract operation. She has stopped teaching women in the communities for five years.
She said she got “plenty sleep,” ate anything she wanted (roti with any vegetable but no meat on mornings), while lunch was rice or ground provision. Rajbansee still drives to the nearby shop.
Rajbansee said there was no “cooking gas” or kerosene stoves as a young girl growing up with her parents so they cooked with wood on a chulha and the ashes were used to clean the wares.
She said a dam was constructed by the local community led by her father, the owner of the land where the spring was located in the 1950s that provided clean drinking water to the villagers of Plum Mitan for more than 50 years before it was turned over to WASA.
When asked if she had any advice for the younger generation, Rajbansee said: “Be truthful to yourself and all else will follow.”

Understand your financial lifestyle

The best way to manage credit cards is to be intimately aware of your financial lifestyle: that is, your needs versus your wants. Most people who run in to credit card trouble often end up confusing the two.

Understanding how your money comes in, and how it goes out, is essential to determining the role a credit card will play in your life. If you find yourself constantly relying on your credit card simply to make it through the month then perhaps it’s time to reassess other areas of your lifestyle. A credit card should be used to supplement your lifestyle, not sustain them.

Pay of all balances on time and in full

Since a credit card is essentially a loan, the faster you can pay of your balance, the less that loan will cost. Credit card debt typically constitutes one of the highest interest burdens an individual can be saddled with, and as such, paying all balances in full completely eliminates such charges. Additionally, by paying your credit card on time, you avoid late fees, improve your credit score, and keep your credit card in good standing.

Maximise rewards

Most credit cards offer users rewards in some form or another. These rewards can range anywhere from a “cash back” benefit, or “miles” on international travel. Once these rewards are available, they should be utilised fully. So while it wouldn’t be wise to spend money just to get a reward, it would also be unwise to allow any existing reward to lie dormant. Bottom line: once rewards are accrued, use them.

Watch that limit

Most credit cards have predetermined limits and it’s important to stay well clear of them. Charging more than your credit card limit could result in over-the-limit fees, a decrease in your credit limit, or other penalties imposed by the card provider. All told this increases the cost of possessing a credit card.

You’re the one in control

Like any other business, companies that offer credit cards are out to make money. While there’s nothing wrong with that, those who hold credit cards should always remember this fact so as to not find themselves in a disadvantageous position. Ultimately, the extent to which credit cards help or hurt is within your power to control.

ANDRE WORRELL

HOLDIP DIANNE MARSHALL former Assistant Registrar at Hugh Wooding Law School passed away peacefully on Tuesday 7th November 2017.She was the daughter of Roy Marshall (decd) and Verna Baptiste (Grenada). Sister of Carlton Hosten (decd) and Sonia Hosten (U.S.A.). Beloved Wife of Justice Malcolm Holdip. Mother of Jarryd (Grenada), Arielle and Yannick Holdip. Grand Mother of Jayden Park-Holdip. Sister in Law of Sallian Holdip, Owen Walker and Nancy Holdip(decd). Cousin of The Stephenson (Grenada). Niece of Jean Small (Barbados). Best Friend of Celia Clyne Edwards QC and Senator The Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George and Ambassador Penelope Beckles. Close Friend Venus Clarke, Deidre Lucas, Meryl Forsythe, Eileen James, Cecelia Rougier,Yvette Lawrence Hood(Grenada), The Honourable Mr. Timothy Harris (PrimeMinister, St. Kitts & Nevis), Sonia Edwards, Euphemia Roberts, Dawn Caines, Father Frank Power (St. Kitts &Nevis), Valda Henry (Dominica), Sister Claire Harris (Cluny)and Sister Ann Celestin (Camelite), devoted staff at the Hugh Wooding Law School and many others. Cultural advocate of the calypso steelband and mas fraternities in St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago.Avid contributor to radio I95.5FM, wack 90.1 FM and Talk City 91.1 FM. Funeral service for the Late Dianne Marshall-Holdip takes place on Wednesday 15th November,2017 at 10.00 a.m. at the Fatima Roman Catholic Church, Bushe Street, Curepe. Followed by a Private Cremation.The body will be removed from JUNIOR ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL FUNERAL SERVICES, # 14 KING STREET, ARIMA, at 8.00 a.m for the church. Enquires can be made at Armstrongs Arima. Tel 667-3250/ 776-2613.