Warner urges schoolchildren kick out racism

SCHOOLCHILDREN across the nation were urged to “kick racism out of their lives.”

This statement was made by FIFA vice-president Jack Austin Warner, at yesterday’s prize-distribution ceremony of  the Anti-Racism Schools’ Poster Competition at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna."The poster competition was held for the second  year by the FIFA Development Office at the Centre of Excellence. Warner who returned to Trinidad from the Dominican Republic on Tuesday strictly for the event, outlined the effects of racism in all facets of society — workplace, politics, schools and even in the world of crime. But Warner who is also CONCACAF boss and special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) said,  the posters, which were created by children in primary and secondary schools, could serve as an inspiration to all and “could be a catalyst to kick racism out of our lives.”

Warner who left yesterday for Helsinki, Finland, chided  Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Education Minister Hazel Manning who were absent along with  president of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Trevor Oliver, who was attending the  Caribbean Union of Teachers’ Convention in St Vincent. He said he flew in from Santo Domingo especially for the event, but Oliver stayed put in St Vincent. Warner said no excuse came from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education for not attending. The competition, which was organised in observance of FIFA’s annual Anti-Racism Day, saw the youngsters producing a poster using any form of paint or collage to articulate the anti-racism theme, and to capture the struggle against discrimination in all its forms. Josette James of St Francois Girls’ College had the winning poster in the secondary schools category, while Crissann Chin of Sacred Heart Girls’ RC School got the nod among primary school students.

According to James, “my poster depicts the theme of football being used as a tool for establishing unity.” “The football at the centre of the collage symbolises the many colours of the peoples of the world,” she added. “The hands lifting the ball skyward together express the potential of football to be an instrument of social cohesion, while the collection of flags speaks to the concept of international unity.” Commenting on the event, FIFA Development Officer Keith Look Loy noted “current global politics and their social expression in racial and ethnic tension demand the creation of a site where global youth opinion can engage with issues of race, colour, prejudice and discrimination.” Among those attending were TTFF vice-president Raymond Tim Kee, secretary  Richard Groden, and CONCACAF Director of Development Richard Brathwaite. The competition was sponsored by the FIFA Development Office, Republic Bank Limited, Kinkos, D’Coal Pot, Three Start Sports Wear, Office R Us and CLICO Investment Bank.