The Planning and Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs conducted a Community Safety Awareness and Sensitisation Workshop on April 3, 2010 at the St. Joseph Community Centre entitled “Let’s Talk Community Safety.”

The workshop began with a general overview of the Community Safety and Enhancement Programme by the Unit’s Assistant Coordinator, Trevor Emmanuel, who described the structure and the kind of impact it could have on various communities. He also told participants that the programme combines old and new approaches to fight crime and that the community could once again be a contributor to a safe and harmonious society.

Another Assistant Coordinator, Everton Sandy spoke on the issue of crime, defining crime prevention as the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the intention of some action to remove or reduce it. He noted that crime prevention must be based on a thorough and accurate analysis of crime and related data, which must then drive the development of a comprehensive plan, not isolated prevention activities.

Mr. Emmanuel returned to give information on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, a strategy based on the proper design and effective use of the environment in order to decrease the incidence and fear of crime. He pointed to the key concepts that drive this intervention:

• National Surveillance – Ensuring people and their activities can be readily observed. Designing the environment to give offenders the impression that they will be seen.

• Access Control – Controlling access to an area and who goes into and out of a neighbourhood, building and park, limiting access for offenders.

• Territoriality – Refers to people’s sense of ownership in an area.

The Music Festival Highlights segment of NAPA Fest concluded, with special matinee performances by winners among the various schools that competed at this year’s festival. The shows took place on April 28 the 29 from 10 to 11 am at the National Academy for the Performing Arts. The concert this morning featured the Presentation College Choir (San Fernando), Naparima College, St. Joseph Convent, San Fernando and Trinity All Generations Steel (TAGS) and School of the Arts. Here are brief profiles of the Presentation College Choir and the Trinity All Generations Steel (TAGS) and School of the Arts.

Trinity All Generations Steel (TAGS) and School of the Arts is a community outreach music education programme established in 1994. The school currently teaches students from as young as five years old to adults how to play the steelpan, but there are also classes in keyboard, African drums and dance. The programme allows individuals who may not be able to afford music lessons an opportunity to develop skills and explore talents. This can then be used for recreation, self development, academic interests and legitimate professional pursuits.

After 16 years, almost 200 students are currently enrolled in TAGS, which has a 90 percent success record for passes in theory and pan practical exams. An increasing number of students are also entering tertiary education. This year, TAGS won the Chamber Ensemble and Junior Pan Ensemble classes at the Music Festival under the direction of Mr. Akua Leith. TAGS was also awarded a bronze medal in its first ever entry in the Junior Panorama competition in 2009.

There’s a new cricket champion in the St. Ann’s/Cascade community. Garage Boyz emerged the winner of the knockout tournament during the finals held last Saturday at President’s Grounds. Facing Cascade De Lamas in the final, Garage Boyz, led by captain Faizool Ali bowled out Cascade for 91 runs then easily passed that total by one, failing to reach the target of a century innings. A cricket league, which preceded the knockout tournament, was won by Symond Valley.

The windball cricket activity is in its second year and is coordinated by Fiona Branker, a Sport Development Officer with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. Ms. Branker called the event a resounding success and recorded a 20% increase in community participation. Overall, 10 teams entered the competition and about 250 persons attended the finals. This activity is one of many across the country which seek to fulfil the National Sport Policy prescription to engage communities and promote total participation and healthy lifestyles through sport. One of the requirements for of all teams in the St. Ann’s/Cascade League was to include at least one woman on the team, in recognition of the disadvantages women face in participating in sport.

The following are the prize winners for the 2010 St. Ann’s/Cascade Community Cricket League:

· Best Batsman – Collin Roberts, Symond Valley (225 runs)

· Best Bowler – Leon Cox, Garage Boyz (9 wickets)

· Most Outstanding Female Player – Vashti Joseph, Patos Vale (7 wickets)

· MVP – Collin Roberts, Symond Valley

· Most Disciplined Team – Symond Valley

· Best Team Spirit – Rawle Jeffrey, Mon Repos

· Special Award for Community Development in Youth and Sport – Glen ‘Clarkie’ Clarke

The MSYA also expresses its thanks to event partners Bermudez, Oscar Francois, M&A Nadur and Johnny Q for their assistance in making the activity a success.

Furthering its thrust to provide assistance to sport serving bodies across Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs yesterday distributed funding in the sum of $97,283.83 to 15 sport-serving bodies in support of activities and programs at community level. The Honourable Gary Hunt, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs said the MSYA’s grant funding policy is a great step towards ensuring greater accountability and transparency in the application for and distribution of funds to organizations and individuals.

Application is simple and forms may be downloaded from the MSYA’s website (www.msya.gov.tt) and submitted to the Sport Division for consideration. A list of the successful organizations and their activities is below. Activities are mostly for the purchase of trophies and medals but airfare to compete abroad is included, as is the purchase of sporting equipment.

Also receiving assistance on the day were the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) and 2 elite athletes. TTOC President Larry Romany said the assistance ($4,000,000.00) will go towards the preparation of Trinidad and Tobago contingents to several major international events in 2010, namely the Youth Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and CAC Games. Mr. Romany was confident that Trinidad and Tobago athletes would excel at these prestigious events, singling out cycling as a potential medal-winner.

Shooter Cpl. Roger Daniel and cyclist Njisane Phillips also received funding under the Elite Athlete Assistance Programme (EAAP), another innovative MSYA policy that helps to Trinidad and Tobago’s elite athletes to fully prepare for major international competition. While Njisane was not present at the ceremony as he is training in California, two-time Olympian Roger Daniel said he was thankful for the assistance and pledged to do represent his country well. Each athlete received $170,000.00.

Minister Hunt disclosed that the MSYA has contracted the services to two experts in the global sporting arena to prepare local athletes for the 2010 Olympic Games. Trinidad and Tobago-born Dr. Margaret Ottley will work with athletes on their mental preparation, while strength and conditioning guru Vern Gambetta will ensure that our athletes can perform at the highest level and recover well from the rigors of top-flight competition.

This year, the Organization of American States (OAS), the world's oldest regional organization, is marking the centennial of its emblematic building - the House of the Americas - the headquarters of the OAS in Washington, DC.

On April 26, 1910, leaders of the nations of the Americas came together to dedicate this building, made possible by the support of the Member States of what was then known as the Pan-American Union, the United States Congress and a gift from the philantropist, Andrew Carnegie. On that day, as a symbol of good faith and solidarity, President William Howard Taft of the United States of America planted a "Peace Tree" in the centre of the House of the Americas. On Thursday, April 29, OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza will plant another "Peace Tree", representing the efforts of the Organization and its Member States to build the strongest foundations to confront the challenges of the future and there will be a Centennial Reception at the House of the Americas.

The House of the Americas stands as the embodiment of the quest for peace and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere and the mission of the OAS is to secure a better existence for the citizens of our region by promoting democracy, human rights, security and development for all the peoples of the Americas.

The Gender Affairs Division of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs will host a total of five Preparatory Community Workshops, ahead of the 9th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting in Barbados from June 7 to 9, 2010. These workshops are being held in collaboration with The Network of NGO’s for the Advancement of Women.

Through these workshops, individual Civil Society groups will provide feedback about the ongoing challenges related to gender affairs in various communities across Trinidad and Tobago. The information gathered will then be used to adopt a common stance for Trinidad and Tobago, which will be compiled in a report to be submitted to the WAMM. The 5th WAMM was actually hosted here in Trinidad. The four main areas of focus for the preparatory workshops are:

• Finance
• Climate Change
• Culture and the Development Crisis
• Women Leading Transformation

The National Museum and Art Gallery will host a Gallery Talk on the exhibition Perspectives: Memory and Desire today, Tuesday April 27, 2010 and the public is invited. This event will offer patrons the opportunity to interact with the artists: Kenwyn Crichlow, Carlisle Harris and Glenn Roopchand as they discuss their lives, their art and their future.

The session will be moderated by artist and art critic Christoper Cozier who will raise critical questions relating to art in Trinidad and Tobago. It is expected that this event will generate rich dialogue and debate that will examine the work of these artists in a way that has never been done before.

For further information contact the National Museum and Art Gallery, 117 Frederick Street, Port of Spain.

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CREDITS:

- Story by Natalie Walters

- Photo courtesy the National Museum

Young cyclist Njisane Phillips and former Olympian Roger Daniel will both receive funding from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs as part of the Elite Athlete Assistance Programme (EAAP). The ceremony, involving the Honourable Gary Hunt, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, will take place tomorrow Tuesday, April 27, 2010 from 2:00 pm at the 5th floor conference room.

The Trinidad Rifle Association and Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation recommended both athletes for funding under the EAAP, which is designed to assist elite athletes with the necessary financing to support training and competition, especially in the lead-up to major international meets such as the CAC, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Roger has represented Trinidad and Tobago in shooting for a number of years, including at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, while Njisane is a recent CAC Junior Games medallist. Roger is expected to attend the ceremony while Njisane, who is currently in training in California, will be represented by his father Phillip Whiteman.