“I was the entire choir,” Jones says during an interview last week with Sunday Newsday. Not only would he sing at St Patrick’s, but his services were often required at as many as three churches on a given Sunday. While attending Newton Boys RC and, later, Fatima College, the young tenor would regularly compete at the Music Festival, filling Queen’s Hall with his voice. But if Jones was a born singer, he was also a born fighter.

Last month, at the height of the Carnival season, the 53-year-old Trinidadian filed a lawsuit challenging two provisions of the State’s criminal law. A team of about half-a-dozen lawyers have crafted a legal action which asks the court to strike down two sections of the Sexual Offences Act – which criminalise buggery and “serious indecency” – as violations of his fundamental rights as a gay man.

“I wanted to draw a parallel between Carnival and gay rights because Carnival is about resistance,” Jones says.

Reaction was swift.

“Go to hell,” said one Facebook commentator.

And even amid the gay Carnival reverie, persons found the time to issue death threats, Jones reports. But he is undaunted. He has continued a number of public engagements, including one where he was invited to address a group of students. In one instance, he says, a child who was being constantly harassed by homophobic bullies decided to stand up for herself after hearing him speak.

“Death threats aside when you learn about situations like that child’s it changes things,” he says, tears welling up.

“It’s so overwhelming to realize how terrible discrimination is.

It’s so bad a 13-yearold girl can be on the verge of committing suicide. A simple thing like talking can change things. Today, when I walk the streets, people are saying thank you.” Jones was born in Cascade at Nicole’s Nursing Home (now defunct). His mother was a high-flying British journalist, Monica Jones, and father Mervyn Telfer, the first face seen by newly- Independent Trinidad and Tobago when Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT ) came on air in 1962. As a result, Jason grew up around figures Chalkdust, Stalin, Sparrow and more. However, after falling into singing and the stage, he left Trinidad to live in London in 1985. He sought a better quality of life as a gay man and a chance to further his career as a singer. His mother later married Rex Lassalle, a former lieutenant in the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment who, together with Raffique Shah led a mutiny by the Regiment on April 21, 1970.

“Rex was a father figure in my teenage years so it’s no surprise I should be doing this,” Jason remarks.

But his fighting spirit may have an even earlier antecedent. Jason, who was already strikingly tall during his teenage years, recalls how he was targeted by a browbeater on the very first day of school at Fatima College.

“I was targeted constantly,” he says. “It was either fight or die.

I didn’t have a choice.

I’ve always been a fighter. I don’t shy away from a fight at all. On the first day, this really short student pushed me. I fought back, especially since he was so much shorter than me. We had a huge fight. But I was taller and more experienced because I would often fight with my brother.

I gave as good as I got.

After that he stayed away, as did the entire school.” But Jason would still avoid situations in which he would be vulnerable to attack.

“I would never do things like sport or be anywhere where I would be alone,” he recalls. “I actually had a near breakdown doing the affidavit. There were a lot of memories that came back. I realize I don’t want another generation of students going through that.” In 1992 the activist came back to Trinidad for Carnival. Then decided to stay to be closer to his family. He’s been dividing his time between both London and Trinidad since (he holds duel citizenship).

Often the difference between the worlds he navigates is painful.

“Sometimes, I can’t walk down the street here without somebody shouting buller,” he says. But what today many hold as self-evident wasn’t so clear to the younger Jason.

“My parents outed me,” he says. “One day they sat me down and had a talk with me because there was so much homophobic bullying happening to me and I didn’t even know what a bullerman was. They sat me down and explained what it meant. They didn’t avoid the pink elephant in the room.” And this is what we need more of, he argues.

“Today, LGBT youth are killing themselves because of awful hatred that is sanctioned by society, by some religions, and by the signals sent in the law,” he says. “It is vile.” But though he has been bolstered by many expressions of support and encouragement, every now and again, Jason remembers what it was like to be a child singing on a stage, getting those first pangs of stage fright.

“The absolute terror is at the end of the performance,” he says of his solos. “I could always get started but at the end of it I just turned into a wreck.” But stage fright or no, his plans to sing on.

Show founder and storyteller Paul Keens-Douglas told the audience that this year’s show was dedicated to Greaves’ memory.

Greaves was a performer in Talk Tent in his popular role as the loud mouthed Roy together with his stage wife Gloria played by Dawn Henry. The two characters also featured in a number of television skits tackling parenting issues in dysfunctional family setting.

At the Talk Tent opening Keens-Douglas said that they shared many moments of joy with him and he was there with them in spirit.

“So here’s for Hal.” A number of the performers either mentioned Greaves during their sets or included him in their pieces. Pierrot grenade Felix Edinborough described him as a “very dear friend” and noted how he helped peopled in Sea Lots and would talk to gang members.

“A man of integrity.

Whatever little good we can do let us do it like Roy,” he said.

Avion Crooks in her piece as a snack vendor mentioned “Roy” as one of her customers and all of the things he enjoyed eating.

Ke e n s – D o u g l a s during his set said locally people are hearing a lot about values and are “swamped” by talk of it. He said people cannot buy values at Hi Lo (now Massy Stores) and said there is a need to go back into the culture for this. He pointed out that Greaves was one of the people who tried to make a positive change and though he is gone he is not forgotten.

He described him as a storyteller, community worker and a change maker.

He played an audio of Greaves delivering a humorous story about why women can laugh at men but not vice versa.

Keens-Douglas also performed a short piece in honour of Greaves.

Greaves, a peacemaker, father figure and activist in Laventille, died October last year from a heart attack. He was 55. Following his death he received a litany of tributes including from Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, media personalities, religious leaders and the arts community.

“No inspectors were available to verify and destroy police narcotic exhibits for the years 2015 and 2016. This has been an ongoing problem for the last few years,” the report said.

The entire country is served by a Drug Inspectorate of just four pharmacists.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Act, the inspectorate monitors the movement of narcotics and psychotropic substances used for legitimate.

The unit’s 14 duties include inspecting stocks at pharmacies and institutions such as nursing homes and private hospitals, monitoring precursor chemicals, and destroying illegal drugs seized by the police.

The report said that despite a “critical staff shortage” the inspectorate had generally met all but two of its duties, namely the inspection of pharmacies and institutions, and secondly the destruction of police narcotic exhibits.

“Despite the absence of regulations and our critical staff shortage, most of our responsibilities with respect to controlling and monitoring of precursor chemicals have been met,” “However, activities such as visiting factories and chemical distributors to inspect stocks, usage and records, monitoring the movement of precursor chemicals out of the country, and maintaining a database on precursor chemicals have not been done.” The report said the inspectorate’s ideal or established strength is 11 pharmacists of whom eight should be inspectors, but poor pay-packs make it hard to attract staff and resulted in a staff of just four pharmacists.

“In recent years, the Drug Inspectorate has lost a significant number of pharmacists through attrition, voluntary retirement and resignation. This has resulted in a severely short-staffed department with only four (4) inspectors and no junior pharmacists.” Succession planning has been poor.

“The present staffing constraints have resulted in the inability of the department to perform some of its critical functions efficiently and effectively, and has negatively impacted several of the core activities of this department.” In addition to the inspectorate’s poor monitoring of seized drugs, other areas of constraint were highlighted.

“The last decade has seen a rising trend in the incidence of unregistered and counterfeit narcotics being offered for sale at private pharmacies. This has been difficult to monitor and control due to the current staff constraints and consequent reduction in inspections.” The inspectorate could not keep up with the requirement to inspect public and private pharmacies, largely due to an increased service provided by public health pharmacies.

“General inspection audits of private and public pharmacies have declined considerably.” This constraint itself has hurt pharmacy practices.

“It has been noted by the inspectors that standards of practice, including record keeping, for pharmacies and pharmacists in the private sector are on the decline. This can in part be attributed to the infrequency of routine inspections by the Drug Inspectorate, which adversely affects the department’s ability to adequately monitor the use of narcotics in the country.” Otherwise the report said that for 2015, some 96 applications were approved to import narcotics, while 445 licences were issued to sell and distribute narcotics.

For 2016, the inspectorate granted 95 import licences, and 452 licences to sell and distribute.

But Constable Cedeno believed – like all K9 police officers believe – that he had the best canine partnership.

“I feel like I’m on top of Mt Everest when I’m with Jed,” Cedeno always said. Cedeno never stopped smiling once Jed, a ball of black and white fur, bolted from the Caroni K9 kennels in search of his yellow tennis ball. Their partnership would earn accolades never before garnered in the 65-year history of the K9 branch.

On Carnival Monday, February 27, Cedeno, who lived in Point Fortin, died in a vehicular accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway. Just two weeks ago he spoke about his four-year partnership with nine-year-old Jed, a far cry from those intimidating German Shepherds or brutish Belgian Malinois in the K9 division.

“It’s about the nose, not the dog’s size, and Jed has a good nose. I’m not intimidated by the big dogs. They’re intimidated by Jed,” he said nodding. “Jed puts most of those young guys (dogs) in the shade.” Cedeno teamed up with Jed in the K9 Explosives Detection unit in 2013 when his Golden Retriever, Sparky retired and Jed had no handler.

“Officers said Jed was a funny dog, unsociable.

He didn’t get along with people.

But he got along with me. Almost immediately we formed a close bond. From then to now, we have been inseparable,” said Cedeno.

Cedeno quickly noted Jed’s eagerness to please, his drive and total concentration when working. “He’s easy going, playful, but very committed to the task at hand.” He worried about Jed’s heart condition, an irregular heartbeat. “But it never kept Jed back,” he said. Once, they answered a call about explosives in an abandoned car, and Jed found a grenade in an abandoned area in St Augustine.

They conducted routine checks for explosives in various venues from fetes to cricket games and accompanied police on exercises with Jed wearing his harness marked “police”.

Cedeno had worked in the police explosives unit for his entire ten-year service in the K9 branch. With Jed, Cedeno never worried about his safety. “I totally trust Jed, and he totally trusts me.

He understands I’m not leaving him, and I know he’s not leaving me. I trust him more than a person. If Jed tells me there’s something suspicious, an explosive, and someone says there’s nothing there, I’m going with the dog.” The highlight of their partnership was working alongside the former US vice president’s security detail when Joe Biden visited Trinidad on May 29, 2013. They did advance security checks of venues and route sweeps, checking the route where the former VP had to pass, from the airport to Port-of-Spain. In the end, the Secret Service gave Cedeno and Jed an unprecedented honour: Secret Service medals for outstanding service. Cedeno kept those medals in his locker at the Caroni K9 Branch.

“Every time I open the locker those medals inspire me,” said Cedeno, proudly displaying his medals while Jed ran around the grounds searching for his tennis ball.

Cedeno’s death left K9 officers stunned.

“I had him down to become an instructor in the near future because I saw he had a natural ability with dogs,” said Snr Supt Patsy Joseph, head of the Mounted and Canine Branch.

Retired K9 officer Jairaj Looknanan knew Cedeno since he joined the K9 unit in 2007. “He was quiet, soft-spoken and articulate – a real worker and excellent dog handler,” he said.

“We will remember the laughter, the commitment and the affection for his job,” said Sgt Rakesh Beepot of the K9 branch.

Seeing Cedeno and Jed together could only be described as pure joy. Jed will attend Cedeno’s funeral at Revival Time Assembly, San Fernando on Tuesday.

Sunday Newsday spoke with Benoit about his film, Opia, and he explained that he has been a fan of film for as long as he could remember, although it was not originally the main focus of his career. In his mid-20s he attended the Toronto Film School and specialised in video editing. When he returned to TT he worked with a few production companies, with a focus on television, and did editing and videography for television shows and corporate videos.

He started his own company, Normal Normal Films, in 2010 and made music videos for artistes like Queen Omega (Jeneile Osborne), Devon Matthews and for his band which played with Anti-Everything. He said he pre-planed most productions and would oversee them himself, detailing the process from start to finish.

While working for clients he decided to focus on making a feature film and has been working on a documentary on skateboarding in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean. Skateboarding is another of his passions.

But it his second film that is currently commanding his attention.

Opia, which means “spirits of the dead” or “ancestors” in the Taino language is about the last days of “paradise on our (TT) tiny island” before the arrival of the Spanish. He said it is not a traditional film and was difficult to classify, though he called it a drama/history/adventure/action film.

“It has a lot to do with the misinformation most people have about indigenous people of the island.” He spent two years in extensive research and wrote a script which he dreamed up but tied in with actual historical events. He wanted to create a more relatable personal tale about what it would have been like for First Peoples.

The film, he said, is about new beginnings and new becomings and a certain disconnection from the normal traditional style of life and being involved with nature.

Benoit explained that it is about struggle and people and the artistic focus is on cosmic consciousness and a deeper connection to spirit and nature before being influenced by Western civilisation.

“And it as strange to see that the least known cultures that we have investigated or that would be the primary focus of our knowledge is the ones of inhabitants of where we live. I found that was very strange that living in Trinidad and not being able to get an actual accurate description of what kind of life and what kind of traditions the people had,” he said.

He explained that when people hear the term Amerindian they think of a collective but not an individual who had preferences, likes, cares and fears, or someone that they can relate too.

Benoit said his interest was in a story where this land was at peace and the only time he could find that was before the arrival of the Spanish. He believes the history before Christopher Columbus is biased by mainstream intellectuals and the average person only receives anecdotal accounts from colonisers.

He said our understanding of that intricate society which had deep religious cultures and was scientifically, technically and medically advanced is very basic, as the details have been lost in the course of history. He explained and for the First Peoples they did not see themselves as disconnected individuals but connected to spirit and nature and consciousness.

Conversely, he said, people tend not to want to see themselves as one consciousness and one people due to Western stylised living.

“Evidence has found that this was not always the mindset of the people in the Caribbean. And it’s hard not to see why when the surroundings and the natural flora and fauna is so beautiful and you are able to appreciate nature in such a setting here. The weather is almost perfect. So one can only imagine without any daily life and hustle and bustle of modern day living, how peaceful and lovely it would have been to reside on an island like this a hundred years ago when it was still untouched.” For his cinematography he tried to capture the nature as pristine as possible. The film features two main characters, a male and a female Amerindian, who are on separate journeys and self-motivated adventures. The male is Coqui, named after a musical frog in Puerto Rico, who has a premonition for the fate of his people and is driven to seek out someone for a higher understanding of the vision – an island shaman. He leaves his village and his people for the first time. Coqui will be played by Benoit’s brother Francois.

The female character sets out on a journey to find medicine to save one of her elders. Her name is the symbol for “dreamer” and she feels lost between the waking and sleeping world and gives equal value to both. She will be played Jasmine Jones.

As to the locations for the film, Benoit said the majority will be shot at “best kept secret spots” which are not necessarily known to people other than hikers. They chose to go as remote as possible to give the feeling of isolation while not putting the actors in any danger.

Benoit said he wanted to showcase the serenity of the island to remind people of where they live.

“You don’t have to go far to see the beauty and magic of a place we call home.” He pointed out that there has not been a lot about Caribbean history and culture in mainstream film and now was a good time for Opia. The casting is 75 percent complete and he will be doing some casting calls in the next few months.

The cast is will be playing both tribal people and the Europeans/ newcomers. As Benoit will be telling a personal story about the Amerindians, he will also be telling a more human story about Columbus, showing him after he was stripped of his titles, disenchanted but still striving.

He said there are tentatively six to eight months of filming left and they are waiting for the rainy season to do some shooting.The film is feature length and could run for two and a half hours.

Benoit plans to start screening to an audience that will most connect with it – TT and the Caribbean – and then as wide an international audience as wide as he can get. He hopes that by watching this film people will get a better idea of this country’s history, see what may have been overlooked in the past and what can be uses to move forward in the future.

The trailer for Opia can be viewed on the Normal Normal Films Facebook page.

Dozens of accolades have been heaped on Barry Jenkin’s comingof- age drama, the Oscar winner for Best Picture at last Sunday’s Academy Awards. It had been nominated for eight, winning as well Oscars for best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali and best adapted screenplay for Jenkins and Tarell Alvin Mc- Craney. Here is a movie that lives up to the hype. As a work of art it achieves what good work should: it moves its audience to empathy and love. This is one of those films in which nothing happens yet everything happens. It is structured in three acts, all following the progress of Chiron. We see him as a shell-shocked child (Alex Hibbert) navigating a world torn apart by drugs; as a frail closeted teen (Ashton Sanders) being bullied by schoolmates; and as a buff adult (Trevante Rhodes) who has re-invented himself outwardly, even if he hasn’t yet found expression for inner desires. Like Andrew Ahn’s Spa Night (2016), which deals with gay life within the Korean-American community, Moonlight gives us something doubly rare: a film about a race not represented enough, and then a minority within that race. Yes, there are black people and some of us are gay.

I’ve been waiting too long for this. At one stage, when two stunning acts of violence occur, we are given a stark choice: be left devastated at the tragic consequences for the main character, or cheer loudly at poetic justice.

The crowd at studiofilmclub cheered. Trinidadians are yearning to see themselves onscreen and to live in a world where people aren’t taken advantage of just because they are gay or different in some way.

Still, Chiron pays a price for his actions. In the process, Jenkins subtly raises difficult questions about the criminal justice system—how its narrow gaze ignores wider social conditions and history. It’s the old determinism versus free will debate.

None of this should suggest Moonlight is a philosophical treatise.

Its strength lies in its singular focus on the human stories that populate it, including that of Juan, a charismatic drug-dealer played by Ali. Juan is haunted by a guilt that seems to manifest itself in the form of little Chiron. We learn Chiron’s mother Paula (an almost unrecognisable Naomie Harris) is one of the people to whom Juan sells drugs, effectively enabling the addiction that has torn Chiron’s life apart.

But while it does a good job of depicting black male experience, Moonlight struggles to shake the Madonna- whore complex when it comes to its female figures. They are either overwhelmingly supportive of the men in their lives, or largely sources of trauma. Paula is almost the Hollywood stereotype of a black woman: a crack-head veering out of control.

What redeems the film’s treatment of her are early and late scenes that give her layered complexity. (Harris has spoken about her initial reluctance to take the part, a reluctance she overcame when Jenkins told her the character was akin to his real-life mother.) While the film seems to fly in its first two acts, things slow down in its third. Developments essential to our understanding of Chiron happen, but much of the conflict is largely off-stage, reducing the tension. We learn that he has molted and become someone at odds with the sexuality explored in his youth. An act of fate triggers a literal voyage of re-discovery. As in Jenkin’s previous film, the wonderfully peripatetic Medicine for Melancholy, we see how the biggest moments of a life are the quietest ones.

And those quiet moments are truly stunning. Jenkin and his cinematographer James Laxon exercise restraint in their use of imagery. They give us the moon only once, but make it count in a stunning dissolve over the ocean. Composer Nicholas Britell’s score veers between stirring violins to Caetano Veloso.

In a marked departure from films such as Get Real, Philadelphia, and even the recent Bahamian films Children of God and Play the Devil, Jenkins dispenses with the standard tragic ending. This is not the place for the passion- infused horror of Brokeback Mountain. It is, instead, a lagniappe to James Ivory’s delicious Maurice. There is one particularly beautiful moment when Chiron takes a glimpse at a path leading to the sea.

He could go down that path to the raging waters.

Of perhaps he can stay on dry land and, with his beloved, learn to swim.

Bravely, he stays in the light.

Skeene was speaking on Friday at the launch of the 2017 edition, at the VIP Lounge, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

“It is strategically positioned and provides a platform for development of the youth of Trinidad and Tobago,” Skeene added.

The former national team striker said, “from my perspective, it is the most critical property and brand extension in the TT Pro League’s arsenal.

It is important because it is the place where the young footballers hone their skills on the way to playing at the senior level, to becoming professionals, to representing their country.” He added, “it is strategically positioned and provides the platform because it is here they receive the exposure necessary and competition against the best talent in their respective age groups throughout the country.” Action will get going today with matches in the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 age groups, starting at 10 am.

Skeene pointed out, “it is important because it allows true development to take place as games are played once per week on Sundays so that teams, coaches and players have six days to prepare, improve and plan for the following weekend’s games without interruption.

“The time span of four months from March to the first week in July also provides the platform for learning and improvement,” he went on to state.

“Most importantly, in the Flow Youth League, all players are given the opportunity to participate, as the Under-13 and Under-15 players can leave the field and re-enter at anytime during the game, while the Under- 17s can make up to seven substitutions during the game, in addition to a goalkeeper change.” Concerning the input by the sponsors, Skeene noted, “the Flow Youth League will continue to add a new dimension to football leagues with Flow agreeing to, not only fund the competition, but also market and promote the games.

The Flow Youth League will be on your television screens weekly, developing personalities and creating stars of the future.” Round One Match Day One Fixtures — San Juan Jabloteh vs Club Sando, San Juan North Secondary School Ground; W Connection vs Central FC, Gilbert Park, California; Police vs Ma Pau Stars, St James Barracks; Point Fortin Civic vs Morvant Caledonia United, Mahaica Oval, Point Fortin; St Ann’s Rangers vs Defence Force, Trinity College Ground, Moka.

TSTT led 8-6 at the end of the first quarter in Thursday’s game at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena in Tacarigua, but were outscored 10-4 in the second period to be led by UTC 16-12 at the halftime break. TSTT fought back strongly in the third stanza, outscoring their rivals 7-5 but still trailed by just two goals 21-19.

UTC reversed the scoring in the final quarter, getting seven goals to five by TSTT for the victory.

Other scores – Alternative Division: DEFENCE FORCE vs FIRE. Fire won by default; UWI (15) – Zakiya McKenna 8, Latisha Dennis 7 vs POLICE (7) – Cheryse Aguilleria 4, Dennisha Douglas 3.

Championship Division: UTC (28) – Aviann Archie 14, Crystal Noel 8, Ayanna Peters 4, Roannta Dalrymple 2 vs TSTT (24) – Kanika Paul-Payne 13, Sophia Harrington 11.

Currently, the West Indies are facing England in a three-match One Day International (ODI) series without a number of their top players.

Experienced West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels was not considered for selection against England because he only played two matches for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the Regional Super50 tournament earlier this year. Samuels left the regional tournament early to play in the Pakistan T20 Super League.

Davis believes it is difficult for West Indies players to play in regional tournaments constantly, due to the number of leagues around the world.

Davis said, “I don’t agree that players have to play in our (West Indies) tournaments to select them. Right now their (West Indies Cricket Board) point is that the players should come and play so they develop more cricketers in our region. That was alright 20, 30 or 40 years ago but not now.

Nowadays there is professional cricket all over the world, T20s all over the world and fellas playing professionally.” Newly appointed Director of Cricket at the WICB Jimmy Adams, stated last week that the eligibility rule needs reviewing because the current system can hurt the development of West Indies cricket. Davis said, “If they are available they should play (in regional tournaments), but if they are not available because they are playing a tournament elsewhere, that should not prevent them from representing the West Indies.” Davis explained there is a huge disparity between salaries in T20 leagues around the world and tournaments in the West Indies, which leaves West Indian players in a predicament.

Davis believes it will a tough task for West Indies against England.

“I would say on form and performance, I don’t have much hope that we will play too well against England. I always hope for the best, but I don’t always expect the best.” Davis disagrees with the decision to select a part-time wicketkeeper for the England series.

“They always select somebody to keep wicket, who they expect to make a lot of runs. They don’t see the importance and value of a wicketkeeper in his own right.” Shai Hope will perform the duties behind the stumps, after the selectors omitted Shane Dowrich from the final squad.

Davis believes the best wicketkeeper should always play. “Being a strong wicketkeeper means he is worth 30 runs before he even goes to bat.

For instance he will take a wonderful catch or take a fast stumping.” West Indies lost the first ODI to England by 45 runs on Friday.

The second match will be played today and the last match will be contested on Thursday

Lewis has been invited to be a panelist on day two of the threeday forum.

A key objective of the forum is to empower women to assume more decision-making positions in international and national federations. International Women’s Day will be celebrated on Wednesday.

The members of the panel that will discuss translating policies into practice — a framework to inspire change are Marisol Casado, IOC member and president of the International Triathlon Union (ITU); Dr Tamas Ajan, president of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF); Sarah Keane, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland; and Lewis, president of the TTOC and president of CANOC (the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees).

The IOC and International Federations (IFs), have developed a close partnership to allow women to fully enjoy sport at all levels.

Thanks to this cooperation, all sports in the Olympic Games programme include women events with a projection of having full equality participation by 2020.

The IF Women in Leadership Forum is in line with the Olympic movement efforts to further increase women in leadership positions.

It aims specifically to help women in mid and senior level positions, to stand successfully for the elections within their sports in particular; and more globally within the Olympic movement.

The panel discussion provides a platform for men and women to discuss how the IOC’s decision of setting a minimum target of 30 percent of women in decision- making positions can be achieved by 2020; and how this decision can be translated at field level. The panel sessions have been designed to be fully interactive.