The way State grants are distributed

THE EDITOR: Sir I was pleasantly surprised when I saw on television in one of the post cabinet briefings that the Vision On A Mission Organisation was considered and will be receiving assistance from the Government. I was pleasantly surprised for three reasons. The first is that what was so significant of the work of this Organisation to merit Cabinet consideration rather than the normal procedural system to which all State grants applicants are subjected. Certainly SERVOL, St Vincent de Paul, Living Waters and many others were not afforded such a recognition.

The second issue associated with this announcement which drew my attention was the fact that there are a number of hard working good intention organisations of a grass roots nature that are deserving of Government’s financial support, but are catching their aunt, nenen and papa to access this support. I feel that vision-Mission announcement should have included those other deserving institutions which would have placed the Government above suspicion in respect to this gesture to Vision On A Mission.

The third matter which struck my attention is the consideration which lead to this announcement. In other words, is the Government continuing the down the ill-conceived path of addressing the concerns of criminals or former criminals as its focused policy, without recognition (or less consideration) for prevention and pre-emtivism.  We only have to recall the Mc Guerra fiasco, and the early meetings of the Hon Prime Minister with questionable leaders. I have laid the above platform to introduce a pattern which seems to be idiosyncratic of this administration.

That is, to reward those who either have done harm to the society, or provide extreme sympathy which have expectedly failed. Sympathy which seems to be rooted in political expediency rather than genuine, well thought out programmes of support to the most deserving at the level of civil society organisations.
As a strategy I sincerely commend the Vision On A Mission for they have accomplished their mission of gaining Government recognition in a tangible way.

The difficulty with this policy approach however, is that it invariably returns to haunt the current Manning administration. Just watch at the decision not to demolish the illegal structure at Beverly Hills or the complacent attitude on the lands at Mucurapo or the provision of CEPEP contracts to known PNM sympathisers by and large.  They will return blister as night follows day! The prophylactic or pre-emptive approaches to addressing social problems are not well accepted in the Government’s camp it seems. More-over this administration appears to be in the double jeopardy lane when, in addition to the blunders they continue to make, handsome consideration is given to “elitist” organisations whose ethos was to prevent the disastrous social and moral turmoil that have engulfed communities such as Laventille.

I wonder what is the size of grants given to the churches, SERVOL, Living Waters and the many national organisations whose claim to funding is that they are solving the social issues about which we are all concerned with today and daily? Contrastly, I wonder what sums are being given to the Council of Elders of Laventille, Spree Simon Organisation, The Beetham Organising Committee, Ark of the Covenant Children’s Home and the few other preventive social intervention organisations that have emerged from within the communities they serve?

If I can hazard a guess, I suspect none receives Government financial support, and if they do it is a highly disrespectful sum. Needless to say some of these organisations pre-date Vision On A Mission, even YTEPP and CDF. Genuine consideration is needed to devise a policy position that adequately address the burning social and economic issues of crime, youth delinquency and economic alienation in the society. The level of objectivity and logical thinking will determine the pace and extent to which this country become a place where every creed and race can truly find an equal place.

QUASI MOBUTA
Port-of-Spain