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Offline Tallman

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National Service: A renewed call
« on: October 05, 2009, 05:47:44 PM »
National Service: A renewed call
By Lincoln Myers (T&T Guardian)


As this is being written, I am deeply troubled by the state of our country, especially as it pertains to the youth of our nation. There is an unprecedented upsurge in heinous crimes, much of it committed by young males. Young men are engaged not only in robberies and petty crimes but also in murder, rape and kidnapping. At this time there is still national outrage over the recent murder of four-year-old Amy Annamunthodo and the forensic determination that the toddler was raped and buggered as well. A few short weeks before, little Sean Luke, six, suffered a similar gruesome fate and more recently we have had the murder of little Tricia Henry.

These crimes shocked a nation already numbed by the escalating crime rate and the evident failure of the police service to contain the mayhem taking place. Among those committing these crimes were boys still in their teens. The crime situation has thrown a pall of insecurity across the nation. People no longer feel safe to walk our streets least of all after sundown. Insecurity pervades the home, office, workplace and places of leisure as well as worship. The criminals target the business community, professionals, women, girls, boys, and members of rival gangs. The age of their target does not matter. Any and everybody is a potential victim. As we approach our 50th anniversary as an independent country, we are subdued by fear engendered by the scourge of escalating crime.

It is manifestly clear that much of this crime is committed by young men between the age of 17 and 30. The youthfulness of the criminals has prompted a renewed call for national service. This, as a means of meeting the twin objectives of curtailing the crime wave now engulfing the country and giving much needed direction to the nation’s youth. This call, however, is not new. Nineteen years ago when, as a minister of government, I sought to establish a programme of national service for youth (17 to 25) it met with stern resistance. It was clear to me then that such a programme was imperative if we were to harness the energy of our youths and focus this energy in much more positive pathways. The early warning signals to what we are experiencing today were already vividly present.

In the years since then, deviant behaviour among our youth has become much more widespread. And while it must be said that the programme of national service spoken of then was not exclusively meant to meet the challenges of deviant behaviour among the young, so too it must be said that the voices of resistance heard then, from among a very organised and vocal adult minority, have remained steadfast and blind to the stated purpose of the programme which was purposefully designed to: assist young people in realising their potential by fostering self-development; instill self-esteem and nationalism by stimulating pride in their achievements and the achievements of their country; encourage the giving of service to community and country; and provide job-training opportunities.

Despite the passing of 19 years and the evident deterioration of positive social values, especially among our youth, opponents of national service appear not to have used this time as a period of reflection but instead continue to treat their opposition as a virtue. That there can be resistance to a programme that aims to: provide skills to our youth, especially the unemployed; instill a sense of national patriotism and inculcate a greater appreciation of moral values for the avoidance of criminality and drug abuse is difficult to understand.

There should be no doubt of the advisability of such a programme, however, given the issues affecting both youth and country today. Prior to the launch of the pilot project for the National Training and Service Programme (NTSP) on September 1, 1990, I had the privilege of travelling around the country, for almost two years, meeting and speaking with young people on the proposed programme. From these encounters, it was unmistakably clear that the young people of our country, regardless of geography, gender, race or class, were quite willing to support a programme of national service, whether compulsorily or voluntary in nature.

As the discussion progressed, the initial proposal was modified to take account of some of the concerns expressed in order that the programme would gain greater acceptability. However, it became equally clear that there was rigid opposition to the programme from certain sections of the adult population that were concerned with primarily maintaining, in my view, historical divisions along the lines of race, religion and class. At no stage was the opposition focused on the content of the programme being offered. And as a result, we lost an opportunity to develop, in the words of Charles Moskos, “a comprehensive programme of national service (that) would call upon all of our country’s races and classes to participate in a common civic enterprise.”

Fortunately, the discussion is once more on the public agenda. And it presents, once again, an opportunity to create an instrument for the expression of patriotic service by the nation’s youth which will, at the same time, build character and human capital both of which are in great demand at present. I remain convinced that our young people, of all races, classes and regions, have the enthusiasm and the will to serve the nation in a programme of national service. What’s missing are the opportunity and the instrument for them to do so. To fail, once more, to create such an opportunity for our young people would represent a continuing failure, on the part of government, to understand the important contribution that youth, in a well organised and disciplined programme, can make to the furtherance of building a strong democracy and promoting a more genuine appreciation and understanding of the plural make-up of our society.

The National Training and Service Programme
The national service programme designed for T&T in 1989 contained nine areas of training for participants following their orientation. And while I will not describe these areas in any detail, I believe it is useful, given the current state of our country, to recall this programme offered several areas of training that would have greatly benefited the society.

These areas were as follows:
(1) National Building and Construction Service, (2) Nursing and Para Medic Service, (3) National Education and Training Service, (4) National Technical and Communication Service, (5) Environmental Awareness and Conservation Service, (6) National Community Citizenry Service, (7) Entertainment and Recreational Service, ( 8 ) National Agricultural and Farming Service, and (9) After Care Service.

At the time that the programme was being conceptualised, there was already ample evidence of a serious shortfall in the cadre of trained human resource required to meet the developmental needs of the country. Further, there was a very large pool of young people who, for a variety of reasons, were not being technically or socially equipped to allow them to meaningfully contribute to meeting the many developmental challenges facing the society. This tremendous untapped asset of youth power was not being afforded the opportunity of being a meaningful part of building the nation that was theirs to inherit.

The young merely swelled the ranks of the unemployed and over time became unemployables until finally their rage being expressed in crime against a society that paid them little attention. I do believe that implementing the programme of national service, as was designed in 1989, would have bequeathed a different and more positive legacy than the one we have inherited. Let us take a brief look at few aspects of that programme so that we may better appreciate its design and get a glimpse of what was lost to the society by the failure to implement this project. The National Training and Service Programme began with an orientation which all participants were to undergo before moving on to a training area of their choice. It was designed to be a six-week live-in programme.

Orientation sought to achieve three objectives: (1) to foster among participants a greater understanding of their potential as citizens toward the development of T&T; (2) to assist the individual in developing a positive self-image; (3) to help participants appreciate the dynamics and nature of team work.

To achieve these objectives there was a daily routine that began at 5 am and ended at 11 pm. Morning devotion, which recognised each individual’s religious rights and beliefs, began at 5.30 am. This was followed by physical training, breakfast and the inspection of dormitory. It should be noted that where female participants opted for residential induction, special measures were to be put in place to avoid the mixing of the sexes. On the completion of dorm inspection, participants proceeded to Assembly before moving on to classes. Weekend activities included sports, field trips or other special activities with provision also made for family members to visit participants on Sundays.

A good step
The orientation syllabus included training in such areas as: physical fitness, first aid, health education, orienteering, personal development, disaster preparedness etc. Specific skills were to be developed in each of these areas. For example, in keeping with our geographical status as a twin-island country, swimming was a key component in the physical training regime required of all participants. Orienteering trained the young participants in the use of the compass as well as map reading and a host of other useful life-enriching skills that they would not normally have acquired in their standard educational experience. Personal development involved a wide range of topics.

These included self-respect and manners, ingredients for personal success, goal-setting, and organisation of government as well as the system of justice, understanding male/female relationship and family life. As stated earlier, the topics identified here give only a glimpse of the full richness of the national service programme design envisaged for our youth in 1989. Each area of training, eg, construction, agriculture & farming, environmental awareness & conservation, nursing & para-medical etc aimed at providing the young person with a set of core skills that would have allowed him/her to face their future with greater confidence and hope.

Underpinning the skill training components, in a fundamental way, were the values that the programme sought to foster. The programme deliberately sought to inculcate such concepts as: the dignity of honest work as the preferred means of earning a livelihood; that all work contribute to the general good of society including one’s self, family, and community; hard work as the safest and surest guarantor of personal success. Reflecting on these ideas bolsters my confidence that the NTSP was indeed a good step in the right direction for the country. Had the national service programme been implemented and sustained over the past two decades, it is highly unlikely that the country would be currently experiencing the high level of crime and widespread indiscipline from as exists at present.

Indeed, during the two-year period preceding the launch of the pilot project when I travelled throughout the country speaking to youth groups, community groups, religious groups and business organisations, I emphasised to them, as I did to my Cabinet colleagues, the importance of government committing the required funds to this programme. Since failure to do so will only result in greater expenditure having to be made in the future on the police, judiciary, jails, lawyers and hospitals.

A better nation
We failed then to make a firm commitment to national service. And the future spoken of at that time has now arrived. It is today. And all can attest that at present, public safety is at the lowest ebb. The law enforcement budget is high but people have lost confidence in the national security apparatus to provide a safe environment for routine living. As troubling as present conditions are, however, we must still look at national service in a much broader context. We live at a time when there are contradictory tendencies in the national economy.

It is a time of great affluence accompanied by widespread poverty. And among the poor, and the middle class as well, there are tremendous challenges facing both elderly and young. Fewer and fewer of today’s senior citizens enjoy the comfort and security of the extended family. The demands of modern economic life force families, that can afford it, to place their elderly relatives in nursing facilities. More often than not, these older people prefer being at home. To be at home comfortably, however, many elderly people require assistance to perform the many small tasks of daily living. It takes no great stretch of the imagination to envision a programme in which adequately trained young adults can be of great assistance to our senior citizens.

Indeed, in the context of T&T, a simple act, undertaken on behalf of the elderly, disabled or infirm, such as going to the shop, supermarket, or pharmacy can be of immense help to such persons unable to do so for him/herself. Such structured nurturing interplay between the generations can provide a meaningful opportunity for building a stronger and more caring society. One can also imagine a literacy programme in which better-educated young adults, including those attending tertiary institutions, help younger, or older people become literate. And by doing so, open up a new world with greater opportunities for personal advancement.

In such interactions, both giver and receiver benefit. The end result can only be a better society. If one were to examine all nine service areas it becomes very clear that the participants in national service programme, as proposed then, would have emerged better equipped, technically and socially, to more positively contribute to the advancement of family, community and nation. Building a better nation has been a core motivating factor in all my adult life. It is what influenced my proposing and advocating a programme of national service for T&T in the past.

It is what continues to motivate me in holding fast to the view that such a programme can be of major benefit to the nation now and in the future. If we are to build a truly democratic and stable society, then our citizens must come to a better understanding of the twin concepts of rights and duties. To be sure, the rights of citizenship conferred by republican democracy allow an individual the freedom to claim his rights and not his duties. To proclaim one without the other only leads to an undermining of the foundation that makes real freedom possible. National service is a great opportunity for teaching this important lesson to our young men and women. It is an opportunity for them to actively shape the society that they will inherit.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

truetrini

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2009, 06:00:20 PM »
Well Sat  and de Hindu coalition says that indians doh need any National service and dat dem never look for hand outs, yet dey does bawl when dey feel dey eh get enough cash from de government.

So dey not supporting an EXCELLENT idea!

Sometimes ah does wonder who really want the crime in T&T to continue...well yes!

Boss article well written and pertinent!

Offline Dutty

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2009, 07:19:48 PM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic
Little known fact: The online transportation medium called Uber was pioneered in Trinidad & Tobago in the 1960's. It was originally called pullin bull.

Offline weary1969

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2009, 07:31:00 PM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic

Miss dat when dat happen where u read it?
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline WestCoast

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2009, 08:08:03 PM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic

Miss dat when dat happen where u read it?
article here
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/3602
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Offline weary1969

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2009, 09:14:29 PM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic

Miss dat when dat happen where u read it?
article here
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/3602

Amy I taught it was another chile.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2009, 09:52:56 PM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic

Miss dat when dat happen where u read it?
article here
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/3602

Amy I taught it was another chile.

What happened with this case? Have the people responsible been found and punished?
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Offline boss

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2009, 04:17:19 AM »
This is an excellent article and an excellent initiative. These two quotes are worrying, but unfortunately, not surprising:

Quote
That there can be resistance to a programme that aims to: provide skills to our youth, especially the unemployed; instill a sense of national patriotism and inculcate a greater appreciation of moral values for the avoidance of criminality and drug abuse is difficult to understand.

Quote
However, it became equally clear that there was rigid opposition to the programme from certain sections of the adult population that were concerned with primarily maintaining, in my view, historical divisions along the lines of race, religion and class.

Offline Brownsugar

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2009, 06:38:17 AM »
Sat is another gutter rat....no, correction, racist gutter rat....
"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

Offline ribbit

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2009, 06:47:24 AM »
what de 4k "national service" have to do with crime? criminal eh patriotic nuff? dis 1989 solution go work today 2009 like nothing change?

The young merely swelled the ranks of the unemployed and over time became unemployables until finally their rage being expressed in crime against a society that paid them little attention.

a six-week programme go solve dat?

Offline weary1969

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2009, 07:46:46 AM »
I'm all for it

I for anyting that will make a diference at this point......I didnt even hear about the liittle 4 year old who was raped...real tragic

Miss dat when dat happen where u read it?


article here
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/3602

Amy I taught it was another chile.

What happened with this case? Have the people responsible been found and punished?

D step fadder who kill d chile lock up. D mudder is out cyah remember if she on bail or dey eh charge she as she was a victim as well. Da case hit home because I use 2 wuk Sando hospital as a social worker so dat coulda b my client. Probation drop d ball because once d child was taken 2 court dey were 2 supervise. I know dey overworked but d buck stop wit dem.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline Deeks

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2009, 06:56:16 PM »
I agree for the call of National Service. But, this government has serious issue. They have good plans, they start the work and half way along they does ........ it up.

truetrini

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2009, 08:14:15 PM »
I agree for the call of National Service. But, this government has serious issue. They have good plans, they start the work and half way along they does ........ it up.

People doh send dey chirren...who f'ing it up den?

Offline Bakes

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Re: National Service: A renewed call
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2009, 12:27:41 PM »
what de 4k "national service" have to do with crime? criminal eh patriotic nuff? dis 1989 solution go work today 2009 like nothing change?

The young merely swelled the ranks of the unemployed and over time became unemployables until finally their rage being expressed in crime against a society that paid them little attention.

a six-week programme go solve dat?

I think you need to read the proposal a bit more closely...

Quote
And while it must be said that the programme of national service spoken of then was not exclusively meant to meet the challenges of deviant behaviour among the young, so too it must be said that the voices of resistance heard then, from among a very organised and vocal adult minority, have remained steadfast and blind to the stated purpose of the programme which was purposefully designed to: assist young people in realising their potential by fostering self-development; instill self-esteem and nationalism by stimulating pride in their achievements and the achievements of their country; encourage the giving of service to community and country; and provide job-training opportunities.

I don't think the author is naive as to the challenges that will remain, but nothing wrong with a bit of optimism that ANY positive effort could do no worse than the current status quo.

 

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