The Ambassador, who is based in Washington DC, was accompanied by Botswana’s First Secretary (Economic Affairs) Maseo SD Nkgomotsang and Honorary Consul to Botswana for Trinidad and Tobago Robin Debideen. He met with the zoo’s curator Nirmal Biptah and the President of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Gupte Lutchmedial to continue discussions that were opened last year by Debideen.

The dialogue included his country’s ability to assist with the procurement of animals for the African Exhibit. There was also a strong interest in providing African artifacts, paintings, music and a live video stream of Botswana’s wildlife in order to develop the theme of the exhibit.

The African Exhibit was opened to the public almost exactly one year ago. This exhibit is home to a chimpanzee, mandrills and the zoo’s iconic reticulated giraffes Melman and Mandela. The Ambassador took the opportunity to feed the giraffes and the newly acquired llamas during his tour of the zoo.

The minister has discounted these claims, stating that funds will be provided. But a petition circulating on the Web claims that 14 private schools may soon close, including the Immortelle Children’s Centre, the Strategic Specialist Centre, Tacarigua, and the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities in San Fernando.

The situation that exists in Trinidad and Tobago is very simple.

Most of the specialist teaching for children with disabilities is there because private schools do the work of the State.

Up until quite recently children born with intellectual disabilities were often abandoned or put into institutions. The Lady Hochoy Homes actually came into existence in this State because of the exceedingly poor state of affairs for those with intellectual disabilities, in particular children with visible disabilities such as Down syndrome.

Lady Hochoy, along with others, organised funds to take children with disabilities off the streets and away from dire poverty. Gradually, the recognition that each child deserves to live with her own family and has the capacity to develop her individual potential if given the correct psychological, occupational and therapeutic support grew to replace the idea that a child with a disability is both a shame and a burden.

However, this residual sense of shame still exists in pockets among even the most educated individuals in our country. And that will continue until such time as it becomes evident that a person born with a disability is part of our society and has a right to live in that society.

That will only happen when children are educated within the mainstream and more particularly are given the facilities to develop as full human beings: to speak, to act and to interact.

When the State provides the means to ensuring that children with disabilities receive speech therapy and occupational therapy as well as physiotherapy and are taught to read and to write and are given the opportunity to develop intellectual as well as vocational skills, then people with disabilities will become visible as full human beings.

But the Ministry of Education has not as yet seen the light. It is mired in a system that sees education as the right of those who can pass traditional examinations using traditional methods. And the disability organisations allow this to happen.

There is no well-organised and assertive movement to keep these issues fully in the public domain.

There is no strong lobby to ensure that Government takes notice.

The law is there to protect all citizens and there is a Constitution that gives equal rights to all, but no one has as yet challenged the State in this right to education for children with disabilities. The problem is that our society still believes that the full responsibility for the care and development of a child born with a disability rests with the parent.

What would happen if the State were to turn around and say that it is the full responsibility of the parent to ensure the development and education of their so-called “normal” children? How many parents could afford to send their child to the best secondary school or to provide them with the necessary skilled teaching they feel to be their due? Yet, parents of children with autism and Down syndrome and cerebral palsy among other conditions are told that they must educate their children. Most of the students with special needs currently being educated in TT attend private schools.

Many of these schools are affiliated to voluntary organisations or were begun by parents. Without the subventions from Government they cannot exist. Up until 2015, a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education provided funds for these special schools. But the current memorandum has now expired and there has been no renewal and no funds.

I am appalled at the cynicism of those who should be making provision for children, in their total disregard for the fact that just two years ago the Government, under a different administration to be sure, ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The fact is that nothing has really changed since then.

Parents, relatives, workers and the public at large have a responsibility to ensure that the State lives up to this responsibility. This means using every means available, which includes the media and the law to ensure that these inherent rights are protected.

Until those who represent people with disabilities get serious and place significant pressure on Government to protect the “the dignity of the human person and the equal and inalienable rights with which all members of the human family are endowed,” nothing will change and we will continue to pay lip service to that thing called social justice.

In other parts of the world both parents and disability groups would be beating down the doors of the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Prime Minister. But as usual the offices with responsibility have been let off the hook.

True almost 3,000 people have signed a petition calling on the minister to intervene. But signing petitions will make little difference if individuals are not prepared to take action and use their power as voters and as people with access to the law.

Jean Antoine Dunne is a social c o m – m e n – t a t o r , c r i t i c and artist.

She m a y be cont a c t e d at jantoine5@ outlook.

com

For the following two weeks, these bands will embark on a programme of rehearsals, geared to fine-tuning their Panorama arrangements.

No doubt they will pay more attention to achieving better clarity, especially in the execution of those 16- note allegro passages. Also, the instrument lends itself to a wide gamut of dynamic effects which Panorama arrangers creatively exploit. These will be looked at again. They range from: very soft (pp) to moderately loud (mf) to very loud (ff); together with the directions to change the dynamics such as growing louder (crescendo), softer (decrescendo), and sudden stress (sforzando).

Additionally, even at this stage, arrangers will try to improve reharmonisation and melodic and motivic development with the knowledge that even a half point can make a difference between a first and second placing. Other strategies and musical devices are considered and reviewed including: balance, interpretation, tonal quality, and more effective use of the rhythm section. But all the time at the back of arrangers’ minds is the unavoidable compulsion that the arrangement must inevitably express the “Carnival spirit”.

There have been many discussions among pannists as to the meaning of the Carnival spirit. I too have engaged others to get their interpretation of this aesthetic quality and the consensus is that “the Panorama arrangement must unfold in a manner that is emblematic of the way Trinbagonians behave during Carnival celebrations.” Panorama pieces are saturated with arrangers’ intentions which are designed to evoke certain emotions in the listening audience and in turn elicit particular responses. This is clearly evident when a selected musical device or phrase is executed by a Panorama finalist. This could be crescendos and diminuendos (growing louder then softer), surges and releases, tensions and plateau, melodic/rhythmic stops and starts, chromatic runs; when these are executed and then terminated with a flourish and the audience spontaneously jumps to its feet with joyous shouts of approval, the pannists inwardly smile and silently agree, “We ketch them.” In 1923, the Swiss composer, Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), wrote Pacific 231 (a locomotive). In it, he too used crescendo in conjunction with accelerando (louder and faster), which vividly portrayed in the listeners’ minds a train gradually building up momentum and tearing through the night. Music has always been used as a manipulative medium.

In Languages of Art: An Approach to a Theory of Symbols, Nelson Goodman suggested, “For the listener, the music is an excuse for his own emotion. The evocation fuses with the musical experience, and association then becomes expression.” Music is such a medium that can effect the passage from evocation to expression.

The 20th century Italian philosopher, Benedetto Croce, believed that music and other works of art can express “intuitions”, that is, a preconceptual mental particular that can be communicated and understood through this particular experience (the intuition). He expounded the “resemblance theory” which states that “expression in music is founded in analogy or resemblance between a piece of music and a state of mind.” What the steelbands are doing in Panorama is nothing new and has been done for centuries.

As a non-conceptual art, music is able to present to us, in objective form, a direct picture of the mind itself.

The expression of the Carnival spirit does not arise simply through evocation, or resemblance with a state of mind; thoughts of Carnival penetrate the Panorama musical structure, and is worked out through it.

We might attribute to the music a certain atmosphere without implying that it is really articulating anything, even when we find ourselves at a loss to identify the content; we have the sense that an emotion, a character, a conception is being articulated through the musical argument. And if we find no words to describe it, this does not destroy our sense that there is a meaning to this music, which relates it to things other than itself. So we accept that we can encounter music whose meaning remains allusive and elusive. The content of the music is real but ineffable.

Suzanne Langer, who has written on music aesthetics, asserted, “The emotions have two parts – the direction outwards towards the object, which could be captured only if the object could also be portrayed, and the inner movement of feeling, which has a form and structure that can be comprehended without reference to its intentionality.” I think it is this form or structure that is mirrored, symbolised, or “presented” as the Carnival spirit in Panorama music, which gives the dynamic movement of our feelings.

The 18th century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, resolved the paradox of musical meaning with his concept of “transcendental idealism” which states: music means or refers to something other than itself, but there is no access to this “other” thing through concepts, and therefore no answer to the question what the music means. This is a sublime metaphysical explanation of the fact “expression” applied to music, which tends towards both a transitive and an intransitive grammar.

To perceive the “Carnival spirit” in the music you need not only sensory capacities, but also intellect, imagination, perhaps even self-consciousness.

This is what I mean when describing the aesthetics of the “Carnival spirit” in Panorama music.

Will say more at a later date.

* Lambert Philip is a Panorama adjudicator

I am amazed that “children” singing nursery rhymes backed up by Best Village theatrics are making it to the Fiesta every year, and tried and tested performers of the art form are discarded like disposable diapers.

It is as if the judges are telling the veteran bards, “Haul your tail, you’re old, give the youths a chance.” This is unfair.

Calypso is not a raffle.

My view is that if a calypsonian is singing in a wheelchair, or with a walking stick, and is turning out good topical and lyrical calypsoes in this sea of calypso mediocrity, he is deserving of his or her place, and should be given his just due.

The treatment of Shadow, Bro Valentino, Explainer, Poser, Mudada and Singing Francine (and many other bards) over the years, has been disgusting and downright disrespectful.

Chalkdust, too, has been a victim of the disrespect I refer to. You cannot tell me these singers are always composing gobar.

I have often heard veteran bards lament “they (judges) don’t want us in the show.” The Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organisation has a responsibility to correct this wrong. It has been going on for far too long. Bring judges who know their stuff. Shake it up.

Please note that these veteran calypsonians write their own stuff.

Children singing nursery rhymes buy their stuff from the calypso mill. Few write.

Because of the hurtful medicine of disrespect many veteran bards have given up.

I find it hard to believe that a calypsonian like Trinidad Rio has never made it to the Calypso Fiesta despite his many years of well-crafted humorous hit songs. I wonder how he feels seeing children singing nursery rhymes making it every year, and he is left out in the cold.

Calypso judges must strive to always select the best singers, and not be guided by the belief that some singers are too old and should be consigned to the calypso rocking chair. Don’t judge on Best Village antics and politics. Judge true, true calypso: lyrical content, craft, topicality and delivery.

While on the topic of calypso, isn’t it about time we honour the contribution of Singing Francine? Calypso Rose has been given her just due. A national award (ORTT ) will cap a stellar career. As well as Shadow whose music is now being stolen wholesale by soca singers every year. I hope they give him some money.

Congratulations to 80-year-old Nello for making it to the Soca Monarch semi-finals.

Go for it old man. Sorry, young man.

Keith Anderson via e-mail

Since social media has been around before the dawn of the 21st century, certainly, by now, all basking in or seeking the limelight ought to be aware, or to have come to terms with its vast reach and capacity. And understood that, consequently, nothing said or done openly, or even privately — matters not by whom — can escape scrutiny any longer, as happened in the days and nights of yore, even if the attention span is limited.

Rather than bashing the social media then, learn not to be rash with, or around, it. For professional life microscoped by the amateur is not going to slide away ever. It’s too set to be offset by any earthly power throwing a spanner in its works.

Richard Wm Thomas Arouca

So said Imtiaz Mohammed who heads the Islamic Missionaries Guild (IMG) in commenting on Friday’s meeting between mainstream muslim organisations, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and officials of the United States Embassy. Saying that such organisations could not quite ascertain who and for what people travel abroad, especially to the list of so-called Donald Trump banned countries, Mohammed described as dangerous the ‘task’ given to the organisations. If it is true that muslim organisations were asked to help find who the terrorists are, he added, then it is a dangerous thing to do. “Are they asking muslim organisations to conduct espionage or spy operations for which they, but the security forces only, have the resources to do?,” Mohammed asked.

The IMG’s president said that he must warn the heads of those muslim organisations not to take on such a task, least they fall into error of misjudging their own muslim brothers and sisters. Muslim organisations do not have the resources to engage in the kind of activity that the United States embassy, and the minister, seem to want them to do – that is to tell them (US embassy/minister) who are people travelling to countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran and Afganistan.

The muslim organisations represented at the round-table discussion were the Anjuman Sunnat-ul-Jamaat Association, National Muslim Women Organisations of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad Muslim League, National Islamic Counselling Services, Islamic Resource Society. Mohammed’s IMG was not invited, but he said that such round-table discussions had been taking place with the United States embassy in Port-of-Spain for some time.

His stand on the issue, he said, is that the US embassy and by extension the National Security minister, is using leaders of muslim groups to gather intelligence about activities of what they might deem to be suspicious.

“That to me is dangerous. It is a matter for the security agencies to gather intelligence because they have the resources to do so whereby their information can be scientifically tested and confirmed.

The Imams and muslim leaders cannot do such,” Mohammed said.

The IMG is concerned that the various muslim leaders did not seize the opportunity to complain to US Embassy officials about the unfair treatment meted out to their fellow muslims in Trinidad, whose visas have been revoked. He referred to a couple who travelled to Miami recently and who had a baby with them, but upon arrival, were detained and their visas revoked. They were sent back to Trinidad the following day.

Mohammed said, “Did these leaders raise with the embassy the many muslims who have been called in by the embassy and had their visas cancelled? Among them are many business people and it is being done without giving reasons. Imagine you are having round table discussions and you are not bringing up these things.” Mohammed pointed out as well the issue of the land-grabbing in Palestine for the past 60 years, he said, and not a muslim leader could have raised that as an issue as well.

On Saturday while addressing a march against crime in Terchier Village, Point Fortin, minister Dillon told Newsday that it was his view that a very small group of muslims who have not conformed to the faith of Islam and have erred. Dillon said, “There is a small minority of muslims who have gone against their faith of Islam and that is what the leaders have said. We cannot put everyone in the same bucket. So, we reach out to those who believe they are true to their faith. The muslim groups wanted to see me.

I did not plan the meeting; I met with those who wanted to see me, so the muslim body came together.”

Twenty-two artistes will grace the stage at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of- Spain on Fantastic Friday, February 24, including reigning Soca Monarch, Aaron “Voice” St Louis who will attempt to defend his throne from veterans and new comers alike.

The finalists are Asten Isaac, Blaxx, Devon Matthews, Farmer Nappy, GBM Nutron, Iwer George, Kernal Roberts, Linkyfirst, Lyrikal, Marvay, Nailah, Orlando Octave, Patrice Roberts, Peter Ram, Ravi B, Ricardo Drue, Sekon Sta, Shal Marshall, Teddyson John, Terri Lyons and Tizzy.

Expressing his delight at being chosen, first time finalist GBM Nutron told Newsday on Saturday, “You have no idea how humbled and excited I am to be a part of the Soca Monarch experience.

I am especially humbled to have been chosen singing a song as different and authentic as “Calypso” because the song itself means a lot me. I am excited to perform for the Soca Monarch crowd because that’s the crowd that will come out on Fantastic Friday to listen to the music and to really take in the show.” Orlando Octave too is seeing the finals for the first time, although he performed in the semis twice before.

He said it was a joy to be selected to be part of one of the biggest Carnival stages in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Right now I’m in the preparation stages of my performance and I am going to bring my A-game and try to please the fans,” he said.

Chutney Soca star Ravi B is also on the list, performing in the Soca Monarch finals for the second time, the first being in 2013 when he placed forth with the song Prescription.

He said he felt overwhelmed and excited to be part of the competition, but especially proud to be the only Chutney Soca representative in the finals.

“The competition is stiff every year but I really want to bring it because I really believe I could come in the first three this year,” he said.

Soca music blasted from speaker boxes among food vendors busy conducting sales in the gayelle, the St Mary’s basketball court, from about 9 pm.

About 50 men holding their bois (sticks) paraded in the gayelle to signal the start of fighting in the individual and team categories.

The African drumming brought life to the competition as the Biche gayelle fighters came up against the St Mary’s team in the first fight. With their dance-like moves, the men dodged blows and struck their bois at their opponents, the sound of the sticks cracking on impact, moving the crowd to loud cheers and applause. Teams went through three rounds as judges sat on a makeshift gallery and took notes.

The Rio Claro gayelle fought the Longdenville stick-fighters then eventually came up against the champion, Sixth Company Valiant Brothers team.

People waited late into the night to see the champion stick-fighter O’Niel Odle, 26, of the Sixth Company team.

Odle, a three-time winner (2014, 2015, 2016), received thunderous applause when he entered the ring.

Odle told Newsday stick-fighting was the least funded event in Carnival.

Although last year’s prize was $30,000, Odle believes it should be increased to $100,000.

He said stick-fighters love the sport and competed to please the audience. Odle believes stick-fighters should be featured prominently, noting that while Government says the country is in recession, Carnival itself generates revenue and therefore the stick-fight artform should receive reasonable funding.

The NCC competition came to an end at 11 pm with few fighters sustaining minor bruises. No results were read as fighters were told to prepare for the semi-final round.

The highlight of the night was the openhouse competition where fighters fought individual matches and received money from the crowd. People placed money on a table for the men to combat each other, and stayed on for the fights until around 3 am.

The report said the AGD is a watchdog that supports good governance, flags any issues of concern, sets standards and minimises the chances for graft.

While AGD – under the Exchequer and Audit Act – audits Ministries and Departments, the PAC urged that the Minister of Finance – under the Companies Act section 159 – also appoint the AGD as auditor of State Enterprises.

This would give the Government greater oversight of funds it allocates to State Enterprises, said the report’s executive summary.

The PAC report urged a trio of measures for deter corruption, including reform of procurement and campaign financing. “The proclamation of the procurement legislation, the establishment of a watchdog institution to monitor campaign financing, together with the strengthening of the autonomy and independent of the AGD will go a long way in the establishing the basis for greater transparency, accountability and value for money and responsibility.” Further, the PAC urged that the whole architecture of the Public Service must be “rethought and redesigned”, so as to “support creativity, competitiveness, innovation and sustainable development, in an ever-changing, dynamic and unpredictable 21st century world”.

The PAC urged more independence for the AGD.

“The Auditor General’s Office needs to be more autonomous in its function. It must be re-established as financially independent and must be able to independently recruit technically- competent personnel.

The legislation required for these needs to be brought to Parliament.” New legislation must provide for independent external auditors to audit the AGD to eliminate any perception of a conflict of interest between the AGD and the Treasury’s Comptroller of Accounts, as each institution audits the other.

The report wanted more teeth for the AGD. Lamenting the failings of the Ministries and Departments – tardiness of reporting, none-compliance, failure to follow rules, lack of security of documents, errors and unprofessional standards – the PAC urged new legislation to give the AGD more bite.

“The AGD be empowered to enforce compliance by Government institutions under its jurisdiction rather than simply report recruiting issues year after year.” Via the Public Service Commission (PSC), additional staff for the AGD should be provided before March 30, urged the PAC.

Under “Issues and Recommendations” the Report made further calls. It suggested a penalty to boost the compliance of bodies.

“For example, once a submission is more than two months late the accounting officer could be fined $1,000 for each month thereafter.” Calling for the appointment of a Procurement Regulator under ongoing procurement legislation, the PAC hit, “The breach of regulations in the procurement of goods and services was identified as a pervasive issue in the Ministries and 58 Statutory Bodies under the purview of the AGD”.

Better training of staff in procurement was also urged. The report lamented that the AGD is hampered by a limited access to information, and urged an amendment to secrecy provisions in the Income Tax Act section 4. “The issue of citizen privacy versus public interest needs to be carefully balanced here.” The PAC called for more staff to enable the AGD to execute special audits entailing more scrutiny of spending in areas unexamined in a general audit. Recommending 20 staff members for the AGD’s Special Audit Unit, the PAC vowed to write to the PSC to reinforce its call. The report said frequent changes in Accounting Officers caused hindrance which should be remedied by a handover period to train successors in the post, with help from the PSC and Chief Personnel Officer. Better pay should attract more skilled auditors, the report said.

The report said the general public must be helped to expose public corruption. “The Attorney General should ensure that the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2015 becomes law by year end,” said the report. “Secondly, the AGD should advertise opportunities for the public to submit issues to the AGD which in turn will help them (AGD) identify problems that may need further investigation.” Such persons must be assured of their privacy.

Regarding storage of documents in the Public Service, the PAC said the regulations are crafted on a paper-based system which has now become a challenge given physical constraints.

“The Auditor General should liaise with the Minister of Finance on the matter of amendment of clauses 135 to 137 of the Financial Regulations Act to include the ability to store data electronically.”

Dominic McDougall and Chad Appoo each scored a double with Shallun Bobb and Shane Hospedales grabbing a goal each to give TT their second straight win in the tournament after opening with a 5-2 defeat of Guyana on Friday. TT are currently preparing for the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship and World Cup qualifiers in Bahamas later this month.

They kick off against Antigua/Barbuda on February 19 at the Malcolm Beach Soccer Facility.

The TT Beach Soccer team dedicated their win to the late Abiela Adams who was found murdered in Tobago on Saturday morning.

Adams was a national Under-15 women’s team player and had also participated in a national Beach Soccer coaching clinic with members of the TT Beach Soccer team recently.

At Saturday’s game game the squad members wore tapes on their arms with her name written on it.

Coach Benny Astorga indicated in his post-game comments that he was satisfied with the results but wants to see the team off to a better start in the matches and paying more attention to ball possession.

“It’s another win under our belt which is always good for the team morale. As coach, I thought we could have done a lot better, We were off again to another slow start.

‘These are things we have to work on which is why we are see in this camp and competing in this tournament so that we can make sure that we have a seamless game plan and deliver it when it comes to the qualifiers.”