Customers and other people fled upon hearing the gunshots, but returned shortly after to see Francis lying face down in a pool of blood. Members of the Arouca Police Station and the Homicide Bureau Region 2 are continuing investigations.
By chance I came across the first time publication in book form of the W.E. B. Du Bois Lectures, given by one of the foremost public intellectuals of our time the pioneering Jamaican sociologist Stuart Hall who died in 2014 in London. He was the founding editor of the impactful New Left Review and one of the most influential figures in the contemporary study of culture and politics. The lectures, already well known to students of sociology and admirers of Stuart Hall, were given at Harvard University in 1994 and have been widely referred to and pored over for the last twenty years. I had forgotten much of the detail but rereading his ideas in this beautifully produced new book entitled the Fateful Triangle: Race, Ethnicity, Nation, I was amazed how prescient he was in pinpointing migrants as the target for new nationalisms.
Everywhere we turn now, we find that to be the case. Close to home we have the so-called Dreamers of the USA, the 800,000 offspring of illegal immigrants who President Trump and many Republicans find a threat to US nationhood. The President has told Congress basically to undo President Obama’s plan to help regularize their status.
Maybe Congress will produce sensible legislation that would avoid their unjust and inhumane deportation, but I wonder to what extent a driver for his policy is the fact that the majority of the Dreamers belong to different ethnic and racial groups, those for whom the President appears to have little empathy.
In his lectures, Stuart Hall reiterates that while we can see that people look different from one another, race has no validity in science – scientific efforts to ground racial classification in science have failed – it is a social and cultural construct in which the stories of what our physical differences mean are imbibed and stick with us, yet are not fixed in reality; notions of race shift and slide.
He calls race “the floating signifier” and asks us to analyse the stories, anecdotes, jokes etc over time to see that historically race has had many different meanings. “It is only when physical differences have been organised within language, within discourse, within systems of meaning, that the differences can be said to acquire meaning and become a factor in human culture and regulate conduct”. He calls this the “discursive” concept of race, making reference to Michel Foucault, the French philosopher and historian of ideas.
What should concern us here and elsewhere is how we have allowed politicians and rulers, going back to conquest, Empire, the Atlantic slave trade, indenture and right up to now to use this shifting concept to divide us and give themselves power.
They have used the fact that who we are [our identity] has become codified in how we look, our phenotype, our dress and behaviour. The paradox for Hall is that we have come to identify ourselves as others see us, and oppressed groups instead of rejecting those identities have instead “flipped the script”, as Henry Louis Gates describes it in his Introduction, accepted the differences as defining and essentialised themselves.
It goes some way to explaining why in a place such as Trinidad with centuries of mixing and migration the boundaries of race remain so stubbornly fixed.
Whether it is the Nazis against Jews, Jews versus Arabs [both Semites and often hard to identify as physically different from each other], Rwanda’s Hutus and Tutsis, the Albanians and Serbs, the Armenians and Turks etc, etc, we can be easily led into patterns of extremely violent exploitation of difference.
The picking on defenceless Dreamers in the USA sadly shows that Hall was right: r a c e c u l t u r e and nation are l i n k e d.
I would say depressingly so.
The residents are claiming that for the past 18 years, the roadway, which is now nearly impassable, has been in a deplorable condition as a result of potholes and landslips.
From as early as 4 am yesterday, the residents, armed with placards, burned tyres along the roadway shouting, “Fix Our Roads Now.” The protest was staged amidst heavy rainfall. The residents believe that they have been forgotten by Government and are now standing up for their rights.
“This rain is nothing compared to what we have been going through, we are now completely fed up,” said resident Vidal Sonilal.
He said there were numerous potholes along the roadway.
Member of Parliament for the area, Rodney Charles, in a media release, reiterated calls for Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to repair the roads.
“The Minister needs to stop procrastinating and do the job for which he is paid by taxpayers and fix the bad roads in this constituency,” Charles said. On August 5, he said the Works Minister visited the constituency and saw for himself the deplorable conditions of the roads, but to date very little has been done to bring relief to residents and commuters.
The flooding along with several landslides and a major power outage in Cedros and Rancho Quemado and environs led to scores of families becoming marooned inside their homes yesterday morning.
Classes at the Cedros Secondary and Cedros Government Primary schools were suspended for the day because of the flood in Bonasse Village. Damages to household appliances and personal belongings could run into the thousands of dollars.
Affected residents have laid the blame for their dilemma squarely on the shoulders of the councillors at the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) who they accused of fighting inside the council instead of taking care of the needs of their burgesses.
According to the distressed residents in Rancho Quemado, all their complaints over the last few months have fallen on deaf ears.
At around 3 pm yesterday, councillor for the area Arlene Ramdeo toured the flooded region. She too blamed internal bickering in the SRC for the failure to complete dredging of rivers and drains in the area.
Among the families affected in Rancho Quemado were Laurencia Garcia, 30, her husband Darren Garcia, 32, their five-year-old daughter Delicia along with neighbour/ proprietor Sherry Mohammed, 36, and her family which includes her one-year-old daughter Abigail and husband Alban Coutou.
Mohammed told Newsday her mini-mart, on the ground floor of her home became flooded during the heavy rains.
“There is nowhere for the water to run off and it keep backing up into people’s homes,” the upset woman told Newsday. “|The drains need dredging but nothing is being done about it.
“This is not the first time and we are fed up.” Rains had been pounding since eight o’clock on Tuesday night.
According to Mohammed, the river overflowed its banks and water began entering her business place/home.
“Everything in my cupboards just floating around,” Mohammed said. She said her family was forced to stay in the water as their home’s upstairs apartment was being renovated.
Ramdeo told Newsday: “There is a lot of flooding in Rancho (Quemado) the rivers need to be dredged. We tried it with the small excavators in the regional corporation but they couldn’t do the work.
“We are now in the process of contracting big excavators to clean the rivers.” Ramdeo said because of the high absenteeism of councillors, the corporation was unable to get monies passed to contract the excavators.
Up to 3 pm yesterday, crews from T&TEC along with equipment from the Ministry of Works and Siparia Regional Corporation were kept busy in Cedros and environs as they restored power and removed five mud slides from along the Southern Main Road, Cedros, which made the roadway impassable.
The clean-up was monitored by Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh who expressed satisfaction with the work carried out by the authorities.
It was also noted that Grenada’s debt-to-GDP ratio declined to 83.4 per cent at end-2016 from 108 per cent in 2013, and by end-2017, it is expected to decrease further to around 72 per cent. Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness has praised Grenada’s fiscal discipline and complemented the Grenadian government for turning the economy around.
So why are these achievements by Grenada important? Are there lessons that can be learnt from their successes that we in Trinidad and Tobago can also consider? The Grenadian government has succeeded in restoring fiscal sustainability, strengthening the financial sector, and setting the stage for sustainable growth. The government also passed a substantial number of legislative reforms that helped strengthen the fiscal policy framework, including the Fiscal Responsibility, Public Debt Management, and Public Finance Management Acts.
The result of these initiatives has seen Grenada achieve a primary surplus in 2016 of 5.4 per cent of GDP owing to higher than projected revenues and continued expenditure restraint. Income and consumption tax revenues were boosted by stronger economic activity and improved tax administration. Stronger-thanexpected economic growth and imports caused a boost in Value Added Tax (VAT) and corporate tax revenues.
Implementation of the Inland Revenue Department’s (IRD) compliance strategy in 2016, including more audits, enforcement, and taxpayer services, has resulted in increased compliance and filing of taxpayer returns, particularly among professionals. Additionally, the IRD established an instalment payment plan with taxpayers that smoothed payments over the year and facilitated cash flow regularisation for the government.
To tackle the skills mismatch problem, the Grenadian government has undertaken an independent review of their youth employment programme and taken steps towards establishing a labour market information system including revising the education curriculum and developing new training and job search services in collaboration with the private sector.
Additionally, several other initiatives, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture, are underway to increase production, particularly targeted at promising export opportunities and the government is taking steps to boost private sector participation and capacity in agriculture, including commercialising remaining estates, addressing air cargo logistics to boost exports, and passing amendments to liberalise slightly the monopoly marketing boards for nutmeg and cocoa.
In particular, one of the more commendable initiatives by the Grenadian government was the establishment of the Fiscal Responsibility Oversight Committee charged with the responsibility of having oversight of spending by the Ministry of Finance, and the government also made an amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2015 to allow for more intense monitoring of the fiscal situation in Grenada.
The Fiscal Responsibility Oversight Committee comprises five members and a chairperson appointed by the Governor General, and will be an independent committee that will give the report on monitoring and compliance to make sure that Grenada complies with their fiscal targets.
The Committee’s responsibility is to monitor the fiscal situation of the Grenadian government in accordance with Fiscal Responsibility Legislation that was approved in 2015 and amended in 2016 as part of measures of the home-grown structural adjustment measures.
The Fiscal Responsibility Legislation establishes a transparent and accountable rule based fiscal responsibility framework in Grenada, to guide and anchor fiscal policy during the budget process to ensure that government finances are sustainable over the short, medium, and long term, consistent with a sustainable level of debt, and for related matters.
According to the legislation, other responsibilities include monitoring compliance with the fiscal rules and targets; laying before the House of Representatives for consideration an annual report on the status of implementation of the Act; and upon request by the House of Representatives, lay before the House of Representatives an assessment report on the degree to which economic forecasts are set out. The annual report will include the progress made towards compliance with the fiscal rules and targets with respect to the relevant financial year.
It is noted that the Grenadian government entered into the structural adjustment programme with the IMF in 2014 in order to address a severe fiscal problem, including a huge national debt. It is possible that we as a country can address our fiscal challenges before they require external assistance and implement systems that would assist in ensuring fiscal discipline. It cannot be business as usual and we need to accept this and move forward.
Set against the backdrop of years of fiscal deficits and increasing deficits as well as increasing national debt, there are several important lessons which jump out from Grenadian experience that we in TT cannot ignore: the development of a rulebased fiscal responsibility framework with supporting legislation, fiscal oversight committee, establishment of fiscal targets and rules and finally engagement with the population.
Lessons indeed worth learning.
In a brief statement issued yesterday, Imbert said he was deeply concerned for the members of our Caribbean family who were affected by Irma. “We are grateful that some of the islands under threat yesterday were spared, in large measure, from the full force of the hurricane.
We are also cognizant of the fact that others were severely battered and are still assessing their losses,” Imbert said.
He said as the powerful weather system continued on its trajectory, their thoughts now turn to those nations still situated within its projected path.
“We have been in contact with some of our neighbours and will do what we can to assist should that occasion arise,” he said.
He was about 1675 kilometres east of the Caribbean islands.
At this time he was not posing a threat to Trinidad and Tobago.
Another system was forming, but this time from the Gulf of Mexico, a system named Hurricane Katia. She formed as a hurricane at 4 pm yesterday.
However, since she formed in the Gulf of Mexico, with 75 miles per hour sustained winds, she was not an area of concern at this time. Meanwhile, Irma remained a Category Five and was leaving the Leewards and heading to the Greater Antilles and the track we have now is to go into the Florida area, where she seems determined to go,” said meteorologist Gary Benjamin.
Representatives from five groups within the programme gathered on Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, St Clair to protest.
One contractor, Akilah Jaramogi from the Fondes Amandes community reforestation project told Newsday she was not responsible for paying salaries yet many of the workers came to her begging because they had bills to pay and children to send to school and she felt it was time they took action.
“We tried to avoid protesting but you can’t stay hungry. If you are owing people, you have to pay them,” she said.
Jaramogi said the last time workers protested was three years ago and it occurred around the same time. “They really should put systems in place,” she said. During their protest, Jaramogi said Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat met them and gave them the assurance he would look into the matter.
When Newsday spoke with Rambharat he explained at the end of the financial year, they have to get additional funds to settle some of the wages and expenses.
He said he will take a proposal before Cabinet today.
“I would know exactly how to go about settling the outstanding wages,” he said.
Dear Ambitious Young Professional,
That is a great question – the value of professional networking cannot be overstated. Although almost everyone is on social networks these days, there is a big difference between setting up an online profile and knowing how to network effectively.
The first thing we recommend is that you cast a wide net. Your school alumni is a good place to start, but it may not be enough. I always suggest that people join at least three networks – one from their own profession (legal, IT, HR, etc), one that mixes different vocations together such as chambers of commerce, and finally, an NGO such as Rotary or AFETT.
Let’s look at the benefits of each:
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS: This is where professionals in your discipline will share trends, project ideas and discuss industry challenges. You will meet potential mentors and hear from professionals who are in positions that you hope to move into in the future.
You can also build a reputation as a thought leader, sharing expert opinions and experiences.
MIXED VOCATIONS : Networks such as Chambers of Commerce give you an insight into diverse issues. It is always useful to hear from professionals outside your discipline, as they will have experiences different from your own.
NGOs: Volunteering is a marvellous way to build a network of like-minded, caring individuals. Pick a cause you are passionate about, and then dive in. Volunteers build new skills and knowledge, boost career prospects, enjoy a sense of fulfilment and achievement, and enjoy enhanced selfesteem.
The key for success in established networks is to not just sign up for membership, but join the Board and become the president. No-one will know how great you are if you are always sitting at the back of the room.
Say Yes: In a column penned for the Harvard Business Review, Kathryn Minshew, CEO and co-founder of The Muse, advised young professionals to “Network Your Face Off” (figuratively speaking). That means saying yes to as many networking opportunities as possible. Whether it is a conference held by the Chamber or a cocktail gathering at your local Rotary club.
Every networking opportunity is one not to be missed. The only networking event that is a waste of time is the one not taken.
Be Prepared: You should have a pitch prepared for networking. Some things to consider including are: who you are, what your business is/what you do, and why that person should care. Your pitch can change depending on the event and who you’re talking to, but you should always be ready and prepared to articulate exactly what you do.
Additionally do some research so you have an idea of who may be attending, and their interests and background. This makes introductions so much easier.
Set Goals: Networking is daunting.
For each event, you should set a small and achievable goal, such as “I will talk to at least 1 new person” or “I will ask Mr. Big for advice about my new service”.
Don’t be Afraid: Even if you don’t know anyone, don’t stand at the back of the room feeling sorry for yourself.
Put your phone away and walk up to someone that looks friendly. Everyone has been in the same situation at one time or another, so they should want to help you feel comfortable.
Do Not Sell: Networking events are for sharing ideas and information and NOT an opportunity for you to sell your products and services.
Give to Get: The basic principle of networking is that you get back what you give. So hand out ideas, share advice, offer support … rather than asking for these things. Over time, this technique will rebound to your benefit.
Once you have started networking, you have to be proactive. You’ve handed out your hundreds of business cards, attended dozens of networking events and touched base with every contact you could think of. Now you can sit back and wait for the calls to start rolling in, right? Wrong. The only way you can be sure opportunity knocks is to go calling. Instead of waiting for the phone to ring, you should call new contacts (without pestering) them, as a follow up and request for further action.
To be an effective networker it is important to be polished: That snazzy new jacket may help cement the right first impression at your next networking event or interview, but being polished extends far beyond your wardrobe. It means proofreading every email you send, being polite even three hours into a painfully boring conference and not drinking too much at that business mixer. It also means not making bad decisions on social media.
Building an effective network takes times time and effort. But it is totally worth it. I can attest to that.
AFETT is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 2002 with the goal of bringing together professional women and engaging in networking opportunities, professional training and business ideas. ASK AFETT is a column meant to address issues and concerns of professionals seeking advice to assist in progressing in their careers.
Today’s response was written by AFETT member, Lara Quentrall-Thomas, founder and first president of AFETT, and chairman of Regency Recruitment & Resources Ltd – www.regencytrinidad.com . Learn more about AFETT at www.afett.com, search for AFETT Events on Facebook, follow us @ AFETTEXECS on Twitter or contact us at 354-7130. Email us your career-related questions at admin.afett@gmail.com.
SOURCES: http://www.careerbuilder.com/ advice/7-networking-tips-for-youngprofessionals https://www.linkedin.com/ pulse/20140914205239-190598742- 5-networking-tips-for-young-businessowners
Now, Piggott is an unhappy man as he said his precious garden would be destroyed by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) because of a series of town houses being built behind the Bon Air High School.
“They are running lines and pipes, and so on, about ten feet into the ground. Now, they said they have to pass the lines through the garden and, if they do so, it would damage all the fruit trees and so on,” Piggott said.
He told Newsday he spoke with several officials from the HDC and explained the situation about two weeks ago. He said they promised to return but have not done so to date. He also said while he lived on HDC property, the lot of land belonged to him.
“The workers said they got instructions to go ahead.
The guys are reluctant to run the lines and they are holding off as long as they could so I could save my plants. I had no prior notice and they didn’t come to the neighbourhood at all. No one was advised about this construction.” Several attempts to contact managing director at HDC Brent Lyons went straight to voice mail.
Attempts to leave a message were unsuccessful as a recording stated Lyons’ mailbox was full.
