The Family and Children’s Bill was passed in the House on June 10 and June 21 in the Senate.

Al-Rawi said President Anthony Carmona assented to the bill on July 5 and it is awaiting proclamation. He noted that peer resolution is a programme that will be adjunct to the Children’s Court, in which children hold their peers accountable for minor offences, using court-like procedures.

Al-Rawi said the objective is to encourage, “civic-mindedness” and build teamwork, communication and analytical skills among volunteers in the programme.

He said that 20 of the 197 volunteers, embarked on a study tour of youth and teen courts in the US in August. The volunteers sat in on juvenile court cases and interacted with senior judges.

Al-Rawi said guiding principles and standards of representation for children have been developed, “to set forth a standard of practice to ensure zealous and constitutionally effective representation of children before all courts and tribunals in TT.” He explained that these principles and standards, which will soon be circulated for comment by members of the Bar, aim to promote uniformity of practice for attorneys who represent children.

Al-Rawi said two buildings have been identified to house operations of the Central Coordinating Unit of the Family and Children Division and the Children Court sub-division in North and South.

He said the facility in South is currently being outfitted and is expected to be completed by April 23. “The decision to proceed with the North building is currently before the Cabinet,” the AG said.

Mohansingh said he has been living on the land for the past 35 years and has since constructed a five-bedroom house.

“It is a year now since the heavy rollers are working on a daily basis at this site which in ten feet away from my house and it is three months now that the floor and walls in my home started cracking,” Mohansingh said.

He added that apart form the noise pollution, there is the dust pollution and also pockets of water which has provided a breeding ground for mosquitoes at the back of his house.

Mohansingh said he has since lodged complaints to Courts’ head-office as well as the Environment Management Authority (EMA) and MP for the area Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie. “The EMA said they are investigating the matter and Courts has not replied. He says Tewarie has since taken his information and has sent letters to Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis.

Mohansingh allaged that Courts is now erecting a wall that will block one of the driveways to his home.

He has sought legal advice and intends to take the matter to court.

A call to the Chaguanas branch of Courts was directed to the Portof- Spain office. Someone who identified himself as a manager but who refrained from giving his name, said there was no one in office at the tine to deal with the matter.

“What I have found with this administration is that we get no communication from central government and now it is the same for local government,” said Bartlett.

“They never requested a meeting with us and they just decided that this was best for the city.” The decision to reintroduce wrecking was announced in a statutory meeting of the San Fernando City Council one week ago. Bartlett said she has no problem with wrecking being done for the Carnival season to make room for passing bands, “But after Carnival, the mayor and his team has to look at what is being offered to the shoppers and commuters in the city. Have you offered a car park for the shoppers?” Bartlett said that unless an alternative car park is created for the inner city of San Fernando, wrecking people for parking would only deter them from shopping and will ultimately harm business.

First of all, like film, Carnival entails the work of several artists and participants working together.

Again like film, Carnival is an audio-visual production in that intense sound and spectacular images are combined in movement.

Movement is key. All come together through rhythm. There is also the fact that film and Carnival are capable of bringing the past into the present. We see this at Carnival time where traditionally various events that are from a long gone era as well as events from recent history throughout the world are re-enacted, either in Carnival bands or in ole mas.

Carnival is also an art that stimulates the body and releases both energy and euphoria. As an aesthetic it triggers multiple responses in viewer and participant through what is called “affect.” In other words, the orchestration of visual and sound stimuli at Carnival time acts on the body and the mind and generates a response.

Classical montage theorists have also seen montage in film as leading to what has been called a “leap to a new dimension.” In other words, film takes the viewer to a new level of consciousness because it can act on the body and the emotion of the spectator/auditor. This is the reason that it is such a useful tool for propaganda. It creates this leap by bringing together images that stimulate the various senses — visual, gestural and sonic. These also create “affect.” Small wonder then that the crafters of a new Caribbean aesthetic have brought together film and Carnival throughout their work.

Film for many writers such as Earl Lovelace is a form that projects directly into the mind and heart of the viewer and as such it provides a vehicle for engaging the populace in a direct and affective manner. In fact the word “affect” is for me one of the most important in film theory. It is that capacity for “affect” or for creating a direct emotional response that gives film form its potency.

Lovelace’s Is Just a Movie combines both cinematic vision and the form of film. Its structure is a little like a film narrative, in that it uses multiple stories and in its climax releases a film-like vision where the traumatic past, as for example the invasion of Grenada by American armed forces, surfaces in a moment that is similar to that of a mirage.

This vision is combined with a sequence that shows people jumping up in a Carnival band, with Peter Minshall prominent in this action. Film is here equated with Carnival in a particular way. The use of film suggests that the exuberance and dynamism of Carnival are the result of a history of conflict, pain, atrocity and trauma, and that these have moved the peoples of the Caribbean (and the novel’s protagonists) to a new way of seeing reality.

Carnival we have been told is a product of a history of colonial oppression, in that those in authority put on masks and mimicked their subjects, and it is also a festival that commemorates the resistance of the enslaved and the oppressed to their oppressors. It therefore combines satire and mockery as well as mimicry. The very dual nature of Carnival is significant in that its combined energy represents a process of mixing and merging where various opposing forces hit off each other and this conflict has led to the creation of something new.

This new aesthetic has become both a metaphor and an idea of the potential of the Caribbean. It is not only that Carnival embodies the myth of “all ah we is one,” and that for two days in the year we put on the masks of integration and togetherness, but that this ideal somehow both energises and provides release to our creative imagination.

In other words, despite the dominance of bikini mas, Carnival remains a sign of the power and the potential of the Caribbean imaginary.

The fact that in Carnival we can reinvent ourselves and do, while also remembering the past in an act of creative imagination, signifies what writers suggest is our most vital characteristic.

This is our a b i l i t y to take the past and continually t r a n s – form it.

I would go further to suggest that all commercially bottled/ packed drinks, including socalled fruit juices, be banned, even if the manufacturers make a token effort to reduce sugar content.

(Who is checking, anyway?) They are just as bad and have no nutritional value whatsoever.

(Independent tests by a company run by doctors I work with confirm this.) When I say ban all commercially bottled drinks, I include water. Yes, water. The minister took a swig from his plastic-bottled water as he made his announcement, and I shuddered to think that was the kind of water he intended to serve to our schoolchildren. Bad idea.

The health risks associated with plastic-bottled water are well documented so I’ll briefly mention a few here without the references. The plastic used for bottled water often contains BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is a chemical used to stabilise epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics or hard plastics. It is also used in softer plastics to prevent cracking. It is known to leach into the water when exposed to heat (like in a hot storeroom or in a truck sitting in the sun).

BPA mimics the hormone estrogen and has been linked to a long list of serious health problems including ovarian, prostate, and breast cancers. BPA adversely affects foetuses, infants and children’s brains, and prostate glands. Behaviour disorders are also prevalent from BPA contamination leading to hyperactivity and aggression in children. Do we really want our children, or anyone else, drinking BPA water? So what about BPA-free plastic bottles? Since the trillion-dollar bottled water industry could not deny the dangers to health posed by BPA, many are now saying their bottles are BPA-free. However, BPA-free plastics are just as bad.

The National Institutes of Health (in the US) funded research which found that “almost all” commercially available plastics that were tested leached synthetic estrogens. It also found that some BPA-free products actually released synthetic estrogens that were more potent than BPA. And, yes, these estrogens can cause obesity and diabetes, the very problems we are trying to avoid. Bottom line – avoid plastic water bottles altogether.

Even if we want to ignore or disavow the health risks, there are other compelling reasons why we should not serve plastic-bottled water in schools, or anywhere else. The first is environmental.

Plastics are made from fossil fuels and their use creates a huge burden on the environment.

The World Economic Forum reports that if we keep producing (and failing to properly dispose of) plastics at predicted rates, plastics in the ocean will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050.

Plastic has wound up in the stomachs of more than half the world’s sea turtles and nearly all of its marine birds, according to a Washington Post article. Bottled water bans have been proposed and enacted in many municipalities and campuses around the world (eg San Francisco, Toronto, Bihar, Washington University).

We should do our part to reduce the use of plastics, especially single-use plastic bottles.

All schools should be equipped with filtered water dispensers where students and staff can fill reusable water bottles and canteens.

There would be no need to serve a drink with the meal. Such dispensers should also be placed at strategic locations across the country. I’m certain that many citizens (aliens, too) would be only too happy to fill up with “free” water as opposed to spending $5 or so. (I have no idea of the price – never saw the need to buy water.) Our country is blessed with an abundance of juicy fruits (orange, portugal, watermelon etc).

The Government can give farmers a boost by having them supply schools on a daily basis. This is so much better (and healthier) than buying fruit-flavoured drinks. And I would not leave out supplying coconut water as an option.

At the Conversation with the PM in Maloney, I was particularly disheartened to see the two plastic bottles of water served to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon. A powerful message could have been sent by having a glass jug of (coconut?) water poured into drinking glasses. But it’s not too late to fix that. The PM has indicated that there are many more “conversations” to come.

It is a start but it is not enough to ban unhealthy drinks in schools if our goal is to curb obesity and diabetes in our society.

That measure targets schoolchildren only and just for about seven hours or so a school day.

We cannot decree that everyone must stop drinking unhealthy beverages. What we can do is educate them about the personal consequences of doing so. Hopefully, some will listen and stop of their own volition. (Regrettably, our estimates indicate that only about two per cent will heed the advice, so manufacturers have little to worry about.) Eating and drinking healthy must become a way of life but our leaders (both government and private) must help, leading by example. For instance, the Government can decide that no plastic- bottled water will be served in Parliament and at government functions. No longer should we see unsightly plastic water bottles at the head table or any other table. The scourge of obesity and diabetes can be curbed but it would take a meaningful, concerted, visible effort by all to make it happen.

This comes at a time of dwindling revenue from the energy sector, which accounts for the majority of our foreign exchange earnings. Our appetite for foreign goods continues unabated even though we cannot afford to sustain this at the existing rate of demand.

The Government seems unwilling or unable to do anything about curbing or supplying the demand for foreign exchange.

Some claim the Government is without a clue about what to do and is just hoping for a miracle — that the oil price goes over US$100 a barrel again.

In the meantime, manufacturers have long since lost their competitive edge because the high cost and difficulty of doing business in this country are making it difficulty for them to export their products.

A major foreign exchange earner like ArcelorMittal was allowed to close its steel-making operation and leave without the Government making an effort to assist in keeping the plant in operation. This short-sighted approach not only reduced the foreign exchange inflows but caused new demand from the many downstream steel producers, who now have to import materials.

Manufacturers are finding difficulty to get foreign exchange to buy materials and tooling for their production yet find that importers have ample stocks of imported goods to compete.

The Government would be best advised to heed Farrell’s concerns and move quickly to encourage new sources of foreign exchange earnings while attempting to curb excessive demand.

Failure to do both is not an option. Just look at Venezuela.

R Ballard Diego Martin

Our recovery therefore is directly linked to our investment in these three areas. They are: our comfort with our conceived nature of God, the status of our structure (appropriateness of our laws and regulations), and the quality of our infrastructure.

The first is simple but critical: a society that realises and acknowledges that there is a superior spiritual being tends to value human existence. Consequently, they value life and humanity.

Thus, the environment, communities, cultural practices, respect for human rights, equality and peace are critical underlying foundations for such societies.

TT has been taking a backward step with regards to its acknowledgement of God. While a secular State is good for policy and the separation of powers, the State ought to acknowledge as policy that our Constitution acknowledges the existence of a supreme power and encourage through appropriate legislation religious freedom, growth and development.

The second area is structure.

Structure is the skeleton of State.

The laws, rules and regulations must be citizen friendly, blind to class, race, religion or social status, simple, uncompromising and effective.

For example, a law or regulation can dictate that everyone entering a secured area is searched by an officer at the entrance.

Such a law allows the officer the option to have his acquaintances pass through the check point without being searched.

An effective law is one that minimises the human option to bend the rules. So, if the regulation stated that everyone entering the area must pass through a scanning machine that must show green before one is allowed entry, it eliminates the option for nepotism. That must be the case for our firearm laws, laws governing public office and laws that allow for the management of our communities. The third area is our infrastructure. It is a fact that a clean, healthy environment leads to a calm spirit, personal pride and happiness.

Roads open areas to development, reduces traffic congestion and stress, leads to increased business activity and augments agricultural development.

A modern, clean and healthy working environment directly affects the levels of production, mood and level of belligerence in those accessing the facilities.

As our roads, deteriorate, our buildings fall apart, our garbage piles up and our waterways continue to be overgrown and clogged, our levels of criminality increase.

It is time to address these three areas. There is absolutely no other viable alternative.

Steve Alvarez via email

The 9/11 attack was not made by Muslims. America did not prove this. Did President George W Bush ban any Muslims after? Did President Bill Clinton ban Muslims after the attack on the World Trade Centre? Did President Barack Obama ban any Muslims after attacks during his eight years in office? The Muslims under President Donald Trump are not extremists.

Allah has forbidden this unless Muslims are first attacked.

Did the European countries ban Muslims? If Trump had killed someone he would not have been a President but would instead be in prison or six feet under ground. The perpetrators would go in hellfire with Trump who believes America is owned by him.

Simmons must read the Quran and he will certainly appreciate the words of Allah.

AHAMAD KHAYYAM Curepe

To date, however, we have not heard anything further from the relevant authorities like the Police Service and Forensic Science Centre as to whether they were indeed homicides or deaths due to natural causes etc.

First, the dead body of Enrico Penco was found on February 1 somewhere in Macoya, Tunapuna.

Second, the decomposing body of a person was found in a house on February 7 in Cocorite.

Third, skeletal remains of someone were found on February 16 somewhere along the M2 Ring Road or in Debe. Fourth, on February 19, skeletal remains of someone were found in Tobago.

The public awaits further word on these as they impact on the number of murders for the year in our country.

Sherman Skeete via email

The unit is available to all schools across the country One school, the Aspirare Learning Community, has already experienced the joys of aquaponics. Its principal, Albertha Hercules, called it a “special project for special children” and said “our students were excited, with expressions of joy and laughter on their faces” about this new venture.

Expressing her appreciation for the support of the minister and the ministry for the project, she said it was a huge success in which the children reaped a harvest of tomatoes, lettuce, chive, celery, parsley, patchoi, and sweet peppers which they shared with parents of the students and used in the school kitchen.

Stating that the lion’s share of the benefit to her students was psychological, she encouraged other schools to “get on board, make the project your own and reap the benefit!” Rambharat said he was very proud of the project and his ability to refer people to the demonstration unit so they could see the practical side of it.

And while he said it was a challenge to get young people interested in agriculture and aquaponics in particular, he said he and the ministry remained “completely focused on what we have to do, and I am very pleased that we have partnered with a brand as strong, solid and supportive as Digicel.” He said he had come “to see first-hand what has been done, hear of the experiences of the various schools how this can work for them and what are the challenges they have faced, here to tell my own story as I know first-hand of some of the challenges working with the Rio Claro Learning and Development Centre, and here to tell Digicel that I will continue to personally support the Foundation and the work of Digicel.”