Call to Arms (an e-mail I received)

[Grande]

I was forwarded this e-mail, fuh now I feeling de idea. What allyuh think. Besides London, I believe a few Trinis in Toronto meeting up to brainstorm and to see how to get the Canadian media involved.


The e-mail starts here:


Guys, I've included some others on this email because for one reason or the other, the idea of a vigil, a silent protest with maximum media exposure, a clear message to the Gov't home, appealed to you. I spoke to Kito who is with the Metropolitan Police here in London, and he advises that we can proceed with a coordinated and controlled protest. I am in, but of course I will need help.
We all have our own resources, so what we need are  contacts with in the media, who are willing to help. We also need a clear mission and possible slogans for placards. I can do this and circulate for approval. We also need a specific date to action this vigil. Weekends are good for supporters, but not for the embassies. So I think it will have to be a mid week, Wednesday or Thursday, very soon. Ash Wednesday?

Please let me know any ideas you may have and if you will be able to organise a small crowd in your cities. We will want to host these vigils in front of the T&T consulates.

This is the blurb I will send out, with apended details. I am ready to do this.


    "When your back is against the wall, when you no longer have a stone to crawl under, most times you will either throw your hands up in desperate surrender, excavate the last resources of will power and get creative, or you try to run and lose the battle altogether.

"Desperation leads to innovation"

We call for an international protest against the incompetency of the governing body currently controlling Trinidad & Tobago, as they are incapable of bringing the crime wave we are currently experiencing, under control. Too much is too much.

We call for the international embarrassment of that Government, in the hope that they get "innovative", in the hope that they actually answer to the screams of the people who elected them and protect them from the brutal gun fight that is engulfing our country.

We call on all Trinbagonians to come out and support this ghandian effort of non-violent protest, where we shall all hold candles in remembrance of the slain, kidnapped, raped, buggered, the children, parents and families of all those betrayed by the governing body of Trinidad & Tobago.

This will take place in front of respective trinbagonian embassies and consulates worldwide and will be internationally reported. We want the world to know how inept our government is. We're not seeking a coup, we're not seeking violence of any nature. What we seek is accountability in a nation of whispers. If regime change through the comeuppance of a snap general election is what has to happen, then the people will decide the fate of the country. We will not settle, in the event that Mr Manning and his band of talkers are re-elected, for anything short of an immediate proposal to hasten the decrease in crime levels. Whatever it takes, the responsible body should be prepared to go all out - get creative, we live in desperate times. "

--
Sean for The Progressive - A new voice for Trinidad & Tobago

http://tntprogressive.blogspot.com
de.progressive@gmail.com

[WestCoast]

all i can say for now is i cant wait to see how this plays out.
it is a step in the right direction.

[DeSoWa]

This is all well and good.......as long as it is not Politically motivated.

Big Up!

[Organic]

This is all well and good.......as long as it is not Politically motivated.

Big Up!

i eh find it coordinated well enough ......it should be advertised better....

[Grande]

This is all well and good.......as long as it is not Politically motivated.

Big Up!

i eh find it coordinated well enough ......it should be advertised better....

Well I believe ppl meeting up soon in T.O to discuss advertising and initiatives to get the media involved...mostly younger generation Trinis banding together. I think the concept in itself is a good one.

[Mr Fix-it]

This is all well and good.......as long as it is not Politically motivated.

Big Up!

i eh find it coordinated well enough ......it should be advertised better....

Well I believe ppl meeting up soon in T.O to discuss advertising and initiatives to get the media involved...mostly younger generation Trinis banding together. I think the concept in itself is a good one.

Well lets see what can be done

[Organic]

This is all well and good.......as long as it is not Politically motivated.

Big Up!

i eh find it coordinated well enough ......it should be advertised better....

Well I believe ppl meeting up soon in T.O to discuss advertising and initiatives to get the media involved...mostly younger generation Trinis banding together. I think the concept in itself is a good one.

keep meh posted i go turn out

[socachatter]

Grande man...lemme think about this one.  i find it soundin like a good idea. 

some initial thoughts:
have a clear objective.  what do you want the outcome to be?  it cannot just be to raise awareness.  to what specific end?  what do you want to see happen as a result of the action?

give yuhself enough time to organize it well.  doh rush to do this next week.  give yuhself at least a month.  at least.  i would tell you two maybe three for maximum benefit.  identify an organizer or group of organizers in each place it could will happen. 

media wise - yuh went plenty of this.  television, newspaper and radio.  check fuh Caribbean, Latin America and regional, and where they doh have that, international correspondants in the media houses.   check fuh business publications as well that write about the energy sector. most big publication like time, newsweek etc. will have a business correspondant that covers this region.  get the associated press and reuters in on it.

make the issue relevant to the countries it takes place in.  why is what is going on here relevant to the region and by extension the rest of the world?  not that it should be on your placards but certainly in the correspondence to the media you are trying to attract.  let them know the same protest is going to be happening in x number of countries at x time. 

it might be interesting to consider that if a protest can be organized in new york that maybe it happen in front of the UN?

das my thoughts fuh now. 

keep us posted.  ah tink ah know trini just about everywhere that would participate.

[RasIred]

I honestly doh see too much sense in this undertaking.cause shit aint gonna change. Trinidad is still a two party country and unless you do something within Trindad itself to shake up the voting population ...........nothing will change. The change hadda start from within T&T to be effective.........

I understand what the trying to accomplish but disagree with the means. Thas my 2 cents

[warmonga]

trinidad gone through bredda nuthin cya help dat country.. I mean jes emagine we "crime minister "sey thing nice innah TNT and people still believing dat!!!!!!!!!!!!!  dat is how de man have we people innah TNT ....yu know how long I eh hear sumbody say "Sweet Trini"

war..

[Grande]

Grande man...lemme think about this one.  i find it soundin like a good idea. 

some initial thoughts:
have a clear objective.  what do you want the outcome to be?  it cannot just be to raise awareness.  to what specific end?  what do you want to see happen as a result of the action?

give yuhself enough time to organize it well.  doh rush to do this next week.  give yuhself at least a month.  at least.  i would tell you two maybe three for maximum benefit.  identify an organizer or group of organizers in each place it could will happen. 

media wise - yuh went plenty of this.  television, newspaper and radio.  check fuh Caribbean, Latin America and regional, and where they doh have that, international correspondants in the media houses.   check fuh business publications as well that write about the energy sector. most big publication like time, newsweek etc. will have a business correspondant that covers this region.  get the associated press and reuters in on it.

make the issue relevant to the countries it takes place in.  why is what is going on here relevant to the region and by extension the rest of the world?  not that it should be on your placards but certainly in the correspondence to the media you are trying to attract.  let them know the same protest is going to be happening in x number of countries at x time. 

it might be interesting to consider that if a protest can be organized in new york that maybe it happen in front of the UN?

das my thoughts fuh now. 

keep us posted.  ah tink ah know trini just about everywhere that would participate.

Thanks fuh sharing your insight socachatter. Well thought-out and pertinent. I just found out that the people meeting this weekend. I does talk to one of them so I will find out and keep allyuh posted and when they meeting again etc. Glad to hear you and others interested.

I honestly doh see too much sense in this undertaking.cause shit aint gonna change. Trinidad is still a two party country and unless you do something within Trindad itself to shake up the voting population ...........nothing will change. The change hadda start from within T&T to be effective.........

Nobody doubting that something in Trinidad itself have to happen, but this undertaking might help it along. Some people believe dat the older generation in Trinidad plainly accepting things now in despondence while the younger generation either riding out or gradually accepting it too...

[fishs]

It ent have no Trini embassy here an if ah stan up toolong outside de british embassy dey going to lock mih up. 

[socachatter]

no probs Grande.  happy to help in any way i can. don't get distracted by the nay-sayers.  but it's why i said it is important to have a clear objective.  there is merit in what is being said here but i think any action is good action now.  no one can say now how your action will inspire or motivate others to act here so jus do yuh thing.  just think if this action gets international media coverage and the media here reports on it, it has the potential to motivate others internally to act.  anything that helps shift the paradigm.   

[WestCoast]

Grande Man, EVERY THING that you are doing IS going to HELP.
everyone SHOULD be cheering you on in your endeavour.
 
when you tell us when and where i will spread the word to my friends in the Golden Horseshoe.
Thanks

[Grande]

Grande Man, EVERY THING that you are doing IS going to HELP.
everyone SHOULD be cheering you on in your endeavour.
 
when you tell us when and where i will spread the word to my friends in the Golden Horseshoe.
Thanks

WC, all I doing for now is relaying de message and updating people on how things unfold. While I endorse de concept, remember the idea for this endeavour is someone else's. 

Thanks for de encouragement.

When I know, I will let people know as to when and where...so thanks in advance for spreading the word. Hopefully as things become more certain there will be an abundance of ppl to count on.