Morning Edition: 14th June 2024

Name: Morning Edition: 14th June 2024
Uploaded: 2024-06-14T13:46:50+00:00
Duration: 1 h 55 min 29 s
Channel: CCNTV6
Description: Watch Morning Edition: 14th June 2024 - CCNTV6 on Dailymotion

00:00:00Good morning, Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the world. I'm Marlon Hopkins and

00:00:16as always, welcome to the Morning Edition. It's Friday, June 14th and thank you very

00:00:20much for joining us this morning. Let's get some music. Let's get some more. That's for

00:00:23the fathers who are celebrating Father's Day on Sunday. It's a very special good morning

00:00:35to all of the fathers, a very special good morning to all of you. I'm saying this now

00:00:40because sometimes the program gets a little crazy and then I forget. So a very special

00:00:44good morning to all of the fathers. Thank you for all of the contributions you continue

00:00:49to make to your families and society on the whole. All right. So have a good day on Sunday.

00:00:54Don't eat and drink too much. Everything in moderation because we want you right back

00:00:59here on Monday morning. All right. So how was your night? I hope that your night was

00:01:03good and that you're safe and sound with us here this morning. It's time to take a look

00:01:07at the Daily Express on the front page today. Park and Ride system stalls. Hundreds forced

00:01:13to walk back to vehicles after T20 World Cup match. Caught out. And that's the headline

00:01:19this morning. So let me, I'm not very good in maths, eh? But if we're talking about over

00:01:2414,000 tickets being sold, do you have the capacity for that? Because if it is 14,000

00:01:31tickets, it means that you, when you have people going onto the bus, you need 14,000

00:01:37seats, right? So do you have the capacity for that? I'm just saying that is the math,

00:01:41right? To me, no big science in that. No rocket science in that. All right. So let's,

00:01:48it's more than 14,000. No, it can't be that. I'm not going to tell you what studio says,

00:01:55right? But yeah, I think that you, well, you have no choice. You're going to have to get

00:02:00more buses or if it is, you're going to have to approach these maxi taxi association to

00:02:05provide maxi taxis. Yeah. You're going to have to do that. All right. So let's hope

00:02:10that things work out. Do people have to be patient? Yeah. When you see the match ends

00:02:15and 14,000 people want to walk out of that stadium. Patience what? All right. All right.

00:02:21So some of the other headlines this morning, oil deposits detected at site of Gulfstream

00:02:26vessel. We told you about that yesterday. Prime minister, I will make sure hotel is

00:02:31built at Rocky point and a picture of the prime minister this morning, Rowley PM, customized

00:02:37prime minister, Dr. Keith Rowley left receives a specially branded ICC men's T20 world cup

00:02:422024 West Indies team polo shirt from Dr. Kishore Shallow, president of the cricket

00:02:50West Indies or president of cricket West Indies. You're right. During the match against New

00:02:54Zealand at the Brian Lauer cricket academy in Taruba on Wednesday night. All right. We're

00:02:59moving on to, yeah, more cricket. Best knock. Rutherford keeps head to be hero against New

00:03:06Zealand, but West Indies continue their winning streak and kept alive the dream of a 30 20

00:03:13World Cup title after Chafain Rutherford's best knock helped set up a 13 run victory

00:03:19over New Zealand and the ICC T20 cricket World Cup Group C encounter at the Brian Lauer cricket

00:03:25academy in Taruba on Wednesday night. All right. Congratulations to the team again.

00:03:31As I said, I just hope this is the beginning of greater things to come. All right. So all right.

00:03:37So we're moving on. It's time to remind you about Trinbaker a nice feature. Come on, come on, come on.

00:03:42Let's give them the numbers. Yeah. These are the numbers here. All right. Remember to participate.

00:03:48You can WhatsApp your videos or images to 7373778. This is a nice scene. Yeah. I feel like

00:03:56I can be transported there. Yeah. And take a seat and just enjoy the scenery. And, you know,

00:04:02we are on the cusp of another weekend. Yeah. Take some time. Spend your time with the family.

00:04:07Go out there. This is not too bad these days. And the weather is holding up. Yeah. So spend some time

00:04:12with the family this weekend. All right. So you have your coffee, your tea, get something to eat

00:04:17and come back. I'm waiting on all of you.

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00:05:59Hey, CPL fans, have you ever dreamt about being a part of the CPL Broadcast presenting team?

00:06:05Well, now's your chance. All you have to do is simply share a video of your best presenting

00:06:12performance using the hashtag CPL Talent Search and you could be in front of the camera at this

00:06:17year's tournament. Maybe you could interview a friend or give us an insightful preview about

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00:06:31The winner will get a live sport presenting masterclass from some of our CPL directors

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00:06:48What's up, you guys? I'm Rem. And I'm Heather.

00:06:52What's up, you guys? I'm Rem. And I'm Kim. Welcome to Conversations with Rem and Kim.

00:06:57On our show, we dive deep into the stories that matter. From inspiring individuals making a

00:07:02difference to experts sharing their insights on the latest trends and topics. We're here

00:07:07to spark conversations that challenge, inspire and entertain. Whether it's about art, culture,

00:07:14technology or everyday life, we've got you covered. So join us every Saturday for conversations and

00:07:20unforgettable moments. See you there.

00:07:28Man to man, violence is about self-control, compassion, respect and man's development

00:07:38is in three stages. From animality to humanity and from humanity to divinity.

00:07:46Full and developed manhood is having that inner capacity. The refrain from violence against women.

00:07:56Violence against women then is a sign of a lesser manhood.

00:08:16So welcome back, everyone. It's Friday. A very special good morning to all of you again. And

00:08:39thank you very much for joining us. So a number of things would have happened over the past

00:08:4324 hours. And we are going to touch on on some of them. But let's get into the first item on the

00:08:51agenda today. All right. So Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has rubbished opposition claims that

00:08:56his government plans to increase value added tax. Now, the prime minister was speaking at yesterday's

00:09:01post-Cabinet news conference. His denial comes in the midst of concerns about the country's economy.

00:09:07On the line this morning is former Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Teixeira. Mrs. Teixeira,

00:09:11good morning. And good morning to your listeners. Yes. Always good to speak with you, Mrs. Teixeira.

00:09:20Well, this is something that has been in the media over the past few days,

00:09:24speaking about a possible increase in VAT and so on. The prime minister

00:09:29has said, no, this is not the case. Are you convinced, Mrs. Teixeira?

00:09:33Well, what I will say is that coming up in the first occasion and in any event,

00:09:40really speaks to a level of a lack of a better word, a lack of a sense of desperation in the

00:09:48government, because they simply have not gotten their revenue and they have had to increase their

00:09:55expenditure, taking money out of the consolidated fund to the tune of 2.3 billion, which

00:10:02seems nearly almost the same as what the Auditor General said that they could not account for. But

00:10:07that may have been a pure coincidence. But clearly we are in trouble. With regard to VAT,

00:10:13having been in government myself, yes, maybe that was a proposal that could have been circulated.

00:10:21It has happened a lot of times. I have not seen the note, but I do know that proposals are made

00:10:30and they are put before the cabinet and they probably will do what you will call looking at

00:10:38the pros and cons of increasing the VAT, knowing the social and economic fallout from such a thing,

00:10:45because we're looking at an increase definitely in the cost of living for the man in the street.

00:10:51I don't know what items they had in mind. So to answer your question,

00:10:55I tend to agree with the Prime Minister. They are not increasing VAT, but I do think they

00:11:02were considering it and they were looking at whether they could do it and what would be the

00:11:08social and political fallout from doing that on the heels of a terrible outlook for our budget,

00:11:18our revenue position, and of course the property tax. So I don't think we,

00:11:23I would tend to go with what the Prime Minister said, but I would say that they were considering

00:11:28it. Yeah. Mrs. Chara, you're speaking about, you told us earlier that we are in trouble and I know

00:11:35that you're speaking about economically. What are our options? Because the problem is, or the

00:11:42situation is, we continue to rely on the funds generated by the oil and gas industry. We know

00:11:49what the situation is as it relates to oil and gas. So where do we get these funds from?

00:11:57What are our options? Yes. And you see that therein lies my difficulty with regard to the

00:12:04management of the country's economy for the last, maybe going into 10 years, and in particular for

00:12:10the last budget. Because we know that oil and gas are volatile items and we know that to a large

00:12:19extent we are an energy-based economy. But my difficulty was, and I said it even before the

00:12:25media review was announced, I said I wanted to see what the revenue peak was. Because I thought it

00:12:32was highly irresponsible, even bordering on recklessness, when the Minister of Finance in

00:12:39his budget in October the 2nd last year usually gives a basis upon which he determines what he

00:12:48would price the revenue at for oil and gas. And the gas price he put at $5 with no explanation

00:12:56whatsoever except to say it's $1 less. But why that disturbed me is that the entire 2023,

00:13:04gas was trading below $2.50 and in some cases it was $1.67. In the last week and a half we are

00:13:11seeing coming nearer to the $5. But we are nearly at the end of the fiscal year because the fiscal

00:13:17year began October the 2nd of 2023. So we have about three and a half months left. How could he

00:13:23have put it at $5 with no explanation whatsoever? And in the face of a natural gas price from

00:13:32January, if you look back, anybody can go, I did it, I don't work in the ministry, I just go online

00:13:38and you go online and you see that the gas, natural gas was trading at in some cases $1.65, $1.67,

00:13:46$2.50. How could he have put it at $5 at the end of 2023 when he saw, and this continued into 2024,

00:13:55it is only within the last one and a half, two weeks that we've seen coming closer to what he

00:14:00said. Which is why, which is why he had to say that the deficit for revenue is $1.8 billion.

00:14:08I don't know what it really is going to be but that's what he had announced because he knew he

00:14:13could not account for it and this, which is why he had to do something which is very unusual

00:14:19when your revenue is in the condition that our revenue is to increase your expenditure. You pull

00:14:26back on your expenditure. That is one of the reasons you have a mid-year review. In fact,

00:14:31when you do the budget, from my experience and my understanding is, that you would take a

00:14:37conservative position. Why? Because when you come to the mid-year review, you want some wiggle room.

00:14:43There are ministries that are asking for more that you can't give them and hopefully if things turn

00:14:48around to be better than you anticipated or hoped it would be, then you'd be able to appropriate more

00:14:53funds out of the consolidated fund. But what did he do? He's telling you that he has $1.8 billion

00:14:59less in revenue and he, and you know that is irresponsible. Don't tell me about volatility of

00:15:05oil and gas. We know it's volatile but you, you have a whole ministry, two at least, two floors

00:15:11of technicians, the energy working with them, at least they have one or two floors of technicians

00:15:16and you are seeing the price going under $250 and you put it at $5 at the end of October.

00:15:23That's the height of irresponsibility and then you take out almost equivalent of what the

00:15:27author general said that you could not account for and added it. So now our fiscal deficit,

00:15:34the difference between our revenue and our expenditure, which was anticipated according

00:15:39to him at the budget was $5 billion, is now $9 billion but I'm putting it at his feet.

00:15:45I'm putting it at his feet. I'm not going to just say volatility of price. You can,

00:15:50he almost got the crude oil, the 83, 88, it didn't reach that, it's nearing that,

00:15:57at towards the end of the fiscal year, stayed around $70 something, right? And he gave one

00:16:03long explanation why he put it at 83 to 88 or whatever he put it at but it was over $80.

00:16:09But nothing for natural gas and we are a natural gas economy, LNG, the petrochemical industries,

00:16:15and they're all in decline, severe decline. I mean, how could that, that's the height of

00:16:21irresponsibility and I need to say that because the impression was that we know well oil and

00:16:28gas is volatile. No, no, no, no, no, not in this case. So how do we generate these funds that we

00:16:34need? Of course, a lot of talk about the manufacturing sector, the non-energy sector.

00:16:39Are you pleased with the pace at which you're seeing development in the non-energy sector?

00:16:46Well, I think that it would be fair to say that in terms of real GDP, meaning that

00:16:52if you take out the cost of increasing cost of items and so on, that there has been growth in

00:16:58the, what you will call, when we say manufacturing sector, we take out the petroleum and so on,

00:17:05which was added in, but they have taken it out when they look at what the growth is.

00:17:10And the growth is about 2.3 percent, but that is the growth. That's not the revenue.

00:17:18Hold on a bit, please. Studio, we're having problems with that bar. Could we please take

00:17:23it down? All right. Go ahead, Mrs. Nunez-Teixeira. Go ahead. We are having some problems, but you go

00:17:30ahead. Because you have the manufacturing sector, which is built out of the construction industry,

00:17:43transportation, entertainment, restaurants, alcohol, non-alcohol, all those things come up

00:17:51into it. That's the GDP. But that's not the revenue. That's not the taxes from it. And

00:17:57its contribution has been about, has been there, has been a contribution there. But how significant

00:18:05it is in terms of revenue, which is taxes, I'm not quite sure. But I will give, and one thing

00:18:12we have to bear in mind, and I think we do want to mention that in the manufacturing sector,

00:18:19you go in the supermarket, I go in the supermarket, a lot of the things that we see

00:18:25on the shelves are tinned food. A lot of tinned, old, red beans, black beans. I don't know if

00:18:32there's any field in Trinidad making black beans, green black beans or green red beans.

00:18:38They're not putting any of it here. They're not doing anything. What they're doing is they're

00:18:43packaging it, and they have to import the material. And that is throwing down our foreign exchange.

00:18:49And I don't know if you know about our foreign exchange position is whatever. I don't know what

00:18:52the Prime Minister, whoever it is, is saying it. But the facts are the facts. The central bank

00:18:58gives us a monthly account. And the monthly account he gave us in December, it was 6.3.

00:19:06Then January went down to 5.8. Then in, I think in February it went to 5.6. And in March it was 5.5.

00:19:18In April it was 5.3. So where is our foreign exchange going? Nobody wants our money. You have

00:19:25to have U.S. currency. So that means that our foreign exchange went from about 10 billion

00:19:34in September of 2015 to now half of that. And by the way, what they're not saying is,

00:19:44I mean, some economists have said it. The fact of the matter is, it's supposed to float a lot

00:19:50of bonds. Why are you floating all those bonds, international bonds, to raise money, to raise the

00:19:56money that you do not have? And what that means is that those bonds have to be paid in U.S.

00:20:02currency. Where are you going to get it from? That foreign exchange refused. So many economists

00:20:08have said, if you really took out the money going on the bonds, the debt that we have acquired

00:20:15from the bonds, which are payable in U.S. currency, we probably have about 400 million

00:20:20in our foreign exchange. But of course, bonds have lives of 10, 15 years. But the point is,

00:20:26it's not a good position that we find ourselves in. And I think my problem,

00:20:33my problem is this. You saw the writing on the wall. I don't work in energy. I don't work in

00:20:43miniature finance. But I know I had at least two floors of technicians advising me. And similarly,

00:20:49it would be for energy. And for the Minister of Energy himself, I find him very responsible. I

00:20:56mean, I know you want to give a positive image, because all the foreign direct investors and

00:21:01investors and Standard & Poor's and Moody's and all of them and Kyrie Chris, they're all looking

00:21:07on. And of course, investors are looking to see if we're a good black belt. But stop, you know,

00:21:13misleading people. You're getting a license from Venezuela means nothing. Venezuela would give a

00:21:21license to anybody who's prepared to pay them in U.S. currency. That's the position they are in.

00:21:31Because of all the sanctions, the one that you need is one from the United States for the OPAC,

00:21:38Office of Fixed Assets Control, and the Dragonfield. Nothing has happened. You know what I said?

00:21:47Nothing has happened. Every year you're hearing something about the license doesn't mean anything.

00:21:54But are you optimistic about the deal? Are you optimistic about the deal? Because I think

00:21:59from the beginning, it was said that nothing is going to happen almost immediately. This is going

00:22:04to take years to come to fruition. So are you optimistic about it? Okay. All right. But I'm

00:22:11going to put it down to common sense. And I am going to hope that things do turn around because

00:22:16we will all suffer. You, me, especially middle class and the lower income. So it is not in

00:22:22our interest or my interest to see it go otherwise. But let us look at the simple logic of it.

00:22:30The license is what Venezuela has given to Shell and what it has given to Trinidad and Tobago through

00:22:37their oil company. That E&I, Repsol, a lot of other companies have been invited to get the license.

00:22:44And then, by the way, in the Venezuelan Gazette, they made a point of saying,

00:22:50they didn't tell us, our ministry didn't tell us, but according to the February 3rd Reuters

00:22:57article, Venezuelan Gazette said in no circumstances Venezuela's income from

00:23:04Dragonfield project be less than 45% of the gross income of the licenses. So you already know that

00:23:12they're taking 45%. That's one. The key, and everybody knows the key, is America. The key is

00:23:19OFAC. That is why Shell will not sign the final investment decision because they want the assurance

00:23:29from the America that if they start building that pipeline, putting funds into building a pipeline

00:23:37for the Shell shareholders, they want to make sure that midway that they are not stopped or

00:23:44that the pipeline cannot be finished, because it is not going to take two years to do it.

00:23:48Look at where we are already. It's nearly expired. The Dragonfield OFAC deal is near to retire in

00:23:592025, May 2025, I believe. And what has happened? Zero. Why? It's not because of Venezuela. It's

00:24:08because of the United States, and they have not changed their position. They gave us another one

00:24:13for mannequin, and that, again, is a cross-border gas field with trillions of dollars. And similarly,

00:24:23they gave us two, how much license? Two years. You know when it's coming to an end? In May 2026.

00:24:31I mean, that is the problem. So unless that situation changes, all this talk about how

00:24:38long it's going to take, how long it's going to take, will depend, I will say this, which is what

00:24:44they should have done a long time ago. I do not disagree that they should have pursued Dragonfield.

00:24:49I do not disagree that they should have pursued Lauren. I do not disagree with that at all,

00:24:55because we need the natural gas. It's very clear. We have 1.4 billion less than we need.

00:25:02What I'm against is this. Humanity is in our waters. We do not need America's permission.

00:25:10Indeed, natural gas in the Northeast is in our waters. So you believe that there should be greater exploration there?

00:25:16Greater exploration and attention there?

00:25:18And they don't even have to do exploration, because they know the natural gas is there.

00:25:22There's 2.7 trillion cubic feet in the humanity gas field, which is in our waters. Lauren has the

00:25:29bulk of it. That is what they should have been doing while they pursued Dragonfield, which,

00:25:34I mean, America is holding the cards, and they have excised maximum pressure on Venezuela.

00:25:42They are not fighting Trinidad. They are fighting Venezuela.

00:25:46And they don't want Venezuela to get currency.

00:25:50I want your perspective.

00:25:51I mean, I put it at the feet of the government. So to come back to your back question,

00:25:57I think I may have been misunderstood. I do not agree with the preceding bar. I do not believe,

00:26:03I believe that they were looking at the possibility of the court and the social and economic fallout

00:26:09from that. But I do agree with the government going after this collection of taxes, local taxes,

00:26:15because it will certainly help a lot in paying a lot of their bills, local contractors,

00:26:24salaries that are being paid in local currency.

00:26:28I want your perspective on this IMF report, which has given Trinidad and Tobago a favorable

00:26:35outlook for growth. Mrs. Shishera laughs. Go ahead, Mrs. Shishera.

00:26:42Of course, I don't want to be wicked, but to me, I want to be unkind. But a lot of what,

00:26:47if you read, and I don't blame the minister for pulling out Cherry Pickens, and he's saying this

00:26:53the first time in 10 years that you've seen positive growth. Why he didn't give World Bank

00:26:58our numbers? Why he didn't give them our numbers? Because World Bank published 14 Caribbean

00:27:06countries, what their growth expectation is. And in 2023, they expect to be over 5.4%. 2024,

00:27:157 point something percent. And in 2025 to 5 point something percent. They did acknowledge that Ghana

00:27:23would play a part in those numbers. But even taking that into account, the average would be

00:27:28about 3.4%. He doesn't want to, when they asked why is Trinidad not among the countries, he said

00:27:37because he didn't give them the data. He didn't give them the data, because you're going to look

00:27:42bad. You're going to look bad because none of those countries have gas and oil. What they rely

00:27:48is on tourism. And we have been asking 10 years, my goodness, develop the tourism industry,

00:27:57the TTIFC, to the Fintech. What is that? What is that? I don't even know what the IFC doing.

00:28:06You know it's doing next to nothing. The agri-industry have done nothing to develop.

00:28:11Mrs. Sherry, I have about two minutes again. We're really on the cusp of another budget to

00:28:17be presented by the finance minister. You had the media review last Friday. What can we look

00:28:24forward over the next few weeks, a few months, what can we look forward to in the next budget?

00:28:30Well, of course, another set of fairy tales, I think. We're going to hear some more fairy tales,

00:28:35because even the chambers, all the chambers have in the past criticized the minister for not being

00:28:44accurate about the production, because it's not only price. I focus on price,

00:28:48but we don't have the production. So I don't know what he's going to say. I can't understand what

00:28:53he'll be able to say to put a positive spin on his story. I just can't see how he's going to

00:29:00put a positive. But I know they do. They find a way to do it. They're going to talk about hold

00:29:05on tight, hold your belt tight. You're going to get natural gas just now, give us a few years. But

00:29:10you know, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. And they've been there 10 years,

00:29:15and they have not been able to bring forward the dragging field since 2021, since they signed that

00:29:21license. So I do not know. I know the revenue is going to be bad. We already know what the

00:29:30expenditure is. So we know it is at least $9 billion fiscal deficit, because he has not reached

00:29:36$5, which was what he budgeted at. And also to the crude oil, since we do not refine and we import,

00:29:43we're using up our foreign exchange, since we don't have a refinery. And they have also said

00:29:49that crude oil production has dropped by 8%. So I don't expect good news. I expect telling us how

00:29:56wonderful things are going to be in the next few years if we hold on tight. But we've been holding

00:30:01on tight since 2018. And as far as I can see, things haven't gotten better. And by the way,

00:30:08those other Caribbean countries have had to rely on tourism. So take a note out of them. Maybe we

00:30:15should look at tourism more seriously. We have a lot of the elements that Mauritius has, can't go

00:30:22into it now. And we have, of course, the agri-industry, we could do a lot with that, and really go back to

00:30:29the TTIFC. But stop spinning fairy tales and telling us how wonderful things are going to be.

00:30:34Yeah. Home and Finance Minister, Karen Nunez-Teixeira.

00:30:36In 2027.

00:30:37It's always a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you very much for your perspective this morning.

00:30:40Bye for now, ma'am.

00:30:42Thank you. Thank you for having me.

00:30:44All right. So we are going to a very quick break. We're coming back, everybody.

00:30:5911. Tim Godfrey.

00:31:1419th of June, Labor Day. Tim Godfrey.

00:31:21At Shorepond in sweet, sweet Tobago. Tim Godfrey.

00:31:28Get your general admission tickets. $250. Children $100. At the door $300. In his presence,

00:31:4711. Awesome ministry for the entire family.

00:31:52What shall I render to Jehovah? In his presence, 11.

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00:32:18Get ready for the ultimate showdown. The Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation

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00:33:16as we affect humanity with the life-transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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00:33:41Welcome back, everyone. Every year, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor

00:33:55Day. The event serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and to thank voluntary blood

00:34:00donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. In commemoration of World Blood Donor Day,

00:34:05the Ministry of Health would like to highlight the importance of donating blood. Joining us now

00:34:09is Minister of Health, Terence de Alising. Minister, good morning.

00:34:13Good morning, Marlon, and good morning to all your viewers and listeners.

00:34:16Yeah, Minister, it's always good to speak with you. Minister, let's speak about the importance

00:34:20of giving blood. Yeah, so blood is literally life-saving for those who need blood.

00:34:29So we could probably break down those who need blood into two categories. One, people who are

00:34:35suffering from certain illnesses like thalassemia, sickle cell disease, certain cancers.

00:34:44At North Central RHA, we have about 50 to 60 children that need blood on a regular basis.

00:34:52And then you have those who need blood unexpectedly. For instance, those who have

00:34:57to undergo surgery, pregnancy, accident victims, gunshot wound victims, stabbing victims,

00:35:05who are experiencing blood loss. So blood is really crucial in the public healthcare system

00:35:12and private healthcare system to making sure that people could survive severe trauma and could

00:35:19manage their medical conditions like blood disorders, thalassemia, sickle cell disease,

00:35:26certain cancers. So it's literally life and death. Yeah, let's talk about our blood stocks,

00:35:33if I can put it that way, Minister, because every now and then we hear about a shortage of blood and

00:35:38we have even heard about the impact. And I think that you have spoken about that in the past,

00:35:44Minister, about how the crime situation has impacted on the resources at the blood bank and

00:35:52so on. What is the situation today as we speak? Yeah, so we need to have many more people give

00:36:01blood voluntarily and not wait until themselves or their family members are in crisis. And then

00:36:08you have to reach out for donors and find donors. We are trying to avoid putting a crisis situation

00:36:15needing blood on top of a medical crisis, gunshot victim, accident victim, thalassemia, sickle cell

00:36:23disease, cancers, and so on. So it takes away two things, the strain and stress of finding blood.

00:36:32Two, blood from voluntary donors tend to be safer in that levels of infection of conditions like HIV,

00:36:41syphilis, and so on, tend to be lower. So your blood stock tends to be safer.

00:36:48Since we launched this project to kind of move away from the chit system

00:36:53to our voluntary system, we have had some moderate successes. I am never happy with

00:37:00success rates, as you know. So we have had some moderate successes, being perfectly honest.

00:37:06At the start of this program, we were collecting 0.5 percent of the blood voluntarily in the system.

00:37:14We are now up to 10.5 percent. So there has been a massive increase in the number of people given

00:37:20blood, but it is still not enough to have a predictable, safe, regular supply of blood

00:37:30without having families having to go to a crisis situation every time that they need blood.

00:37:36Yeah. You know, Minister, but we have always had a fear of giving blood, and I think that has been

00:37:43one of the major barriers in place to people giving blood. How do you get people excited

00:37:55about giving blood? I mean, I have given blood in the past, at least on two occasions, right?

00:38:00But, you know, it is a mental thing, too. Yeah, yeah. So what we have done, and you would

00:38:09actually see letters being printed in the newspaper about how we have made the process so easy and

00:38:16nice, staff is nice, staff have been retrained, and we have given an environment where a lot of fears

00:38:24can be addressed. We counsel you if you are apprehensive. So you get a lot of counseling

00:38:30before if you are apprehensive. We have totally redone our blood donation centers to make them more

00:38:38appealing, more comfortable. Our staff is super, super well trained and nice, and we will answer

00:38:45all your questions. And giving blood also has health benefits to the donor in that you rejuvenate

00:38:52your system, you re-kickstart your system to be producing more and more blood. But we do recognize,

00:39:02as in all countries around the world, some people are going to be apprehensive, but believe me,

00:39:08the process is simple. It is not painful as people think, and I'm sure you can attest to that.

00:39:16After the initial incision of the needle, there is no pain. So you know, people need to work with us.

00:39:24We are there for you. We will hold your hands literally through the process, and let's start

00:39:29to give more blood so that families in need don't get into a crisis situation. Yeah, and just touching

00:39:36on that, Minister, I want to tell you this morning that the last time that I gave blood at the

00:39:42in the vicinity of Memorial Park, the nurses there were very, very kind, and I do agree with

00:39:49some of the things that you're telling me there this morning, that they would hold your hand

00:39:53through the entire process. But Minister, what is a voluntary blood donor? Okay, so there are two

00:40:01types of blood donors. One, so let's say you and I are in an accident now, we need surgery now,

00:40:07we have to find blood donors. If we don't find those donors, I don't get blood. That is a

00:40:13chit system. So you donate blood, I give you a chit, and you determine who gets that blood.

00:40:20That is not a good system. A voluntary blood donor, like me, is somebody who gives blood,

00:40:27what we call altruistically, that is expecting no reward in return. Whether that reward is

00:40:34determining who gets the blood, that's a reward. People like us, I have given over 50 pints of

00:40:42blood donated through the years, I have no idea who is receiving the blood, nor do I care. That

00:40:49is altruism. That is a non-renumerated voluntary donor, and that is the stock of blood that we want

00:40:58in the country. People who are given blood altruistically, having no concern as to who

00:41:04receives the blood, makes no direction that I am giving blood for Marlon, because Marlon is laid

00:41:11up in the hospital bed now. No, that is a chit system. That is not a good system, it's not a

00:41:17predictable system, it's not a safe system, because very often when people need blood,

00:41:23they go and pay people who might be a drug addict, who may be HIV positive, and that

00:41:30contaminates the blood supply. All right, so Minister, let me put this on the table this

00:41:37morning. So if I am a voluntary blood donor, what is in place for me if it is that I'm giving blood

00:41:51all of the time, one of my relatives, they run into difficulty. Am I going to be given some sort

00:41:59of, I don't want to say special treatment, but special treatment because I have given so much

00:42:03blood in the past? Is my relative going to be given any sort of special treatment because of

00:42:10what I have donated? And that's what you want to move away from. You want to move away from this

00:42:17expectation that I get something for giving blood. So the short answer is we do not encourage that.

00:42:24We encourage as many people to give blood voluntarily, so we don't run into that situation.

00:42:30So the pregnant woman who has to undergo a cesarean, her family doesn't have to scrunt

00:42:37to find blood. So the accident victim doesn't have to scrunt to find blood. That is what you

00:42:43want to move away from, so that when anybody in society needs blood, there is a safe, predictable

00:42:52supply and takes away that stress. What are some of the requirements for donating blood, Minister?

00:43:00Sorry? What are some of the requirements for donating blood?

00:43:05You broke up there again in the first part. Yeah. Just to repeat again. What are some of the

00:43:09requirements for donating blood? I didn't hear you, but yeah. I don't know what the question is,

00:43:20but donating blood is the ultimate show of camaraderie for your fellow citizens,

00:43:28and we urge people in Trinidad and Tobago to give blood. One of the challenges we are coming across

00:43:36since we launched this project is how many people we can't take blood from. For instance, a lot of

00:43:43people are traveling to South America. Whenever you travel to a malaria-endemic country, we have

00:43:49to wait for three months, but then people travel almost monthly to South America, so you are

00:43:55excluded. We are coming across a very strange phenomenon now that we are tracking. We have to

00:44:02turn away many women whose hemoglobin counts are too low, so I have asked for the data

00:44:10so we could start to alert women that maybe your diet needs to be adjusted, your hemoglobin counts

00:44:16are too low, and one of the reasons for men being turned away is due to hypertension, and we link

00:44:23them to care. So donating blood and this program has the side effect of alerting you to your

00:44:32medical conditions, but I'm really concerned about the women in society who we have to turn away

00:44:38because of their hemoglobin counts. Yeah. Hopefully, Minister, you're hearing me now, Minister?

00:44:45You're hearing me now? Again, Marlon, I did not hear the question. You broke up. All right. Well, I haven't

00:44:50asked a question when the Minister is not hearing me. You're hearing me now? Yes, yes. All right. Yes.

00:44:55So the question is, does donated blood expire? Is there an expiration date for this blood?

00:45:00So we can't keep donated blood for more than about 30 days, so that is why we

00:45:06need a constant supply of blood to replenish that that we don't use. So it is really important

00:45:14that more and more of the population become a voluntary blood donor because blood has a

00:45:21shelf life like everything else, and for every pint of blood donated, you are really

00:45:27saving three lives because we break it up into blood products and so on. So one pint of blood,

00:45:33one pint. If you donate one pint, and I am going to the promenade this morning to donate, I could

00:45:39save three lives. I could save a child. I could save an accident victim. I could save a woman who has to

00:45:46undergo a cesarean section. You know, it is such a humanistic approach to life today where

00:45:58we have become so individualistic. Let's kind of roll back the clock that time where we really did

00:46:04something for our fellow man without any sense of getting something in return. All the holy books

00:46:12talk about this. The Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran. Everyone talks about doing something for your

00:46:19fellow man. Yeah. Minister, you spoke about the event on the promenade today. What time does

00:46:27it begin, and is it possible that people can come down to donate blood? Yes, so it starts at 10

00:46:33o'clock. We'll have the mobile units there. I will be there. I'll be giving my pint of blood today.

00:46:39We are joining forces with the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association today. Hopefully one of

00:46:45their reps will be there. I want to publicly recognize the Trinidad and Tobago Medical

00:46:50Association. They have joined with us, and they're going to have a year of activities

00:46:55to sensitize people. So I'm very, very happy for that support from Dr. Simone McPhee, the president

00:47:03of the Medical Association, joining with us. Yes, some members of the public could come and give

00:47:09blood, and we encourage it. We encourage it. So Marlon, if you are not on duty, you on TV6 come

00:47:16down there and let me hold your hand and give some blood voluntarily. All right, Minister. All right.

00:47:25So after today, how can people donate blood? What's the process? So we have made the process

00:47:32very easy. You can simply go on to the Ministry of Health's website, and you are linked to our

00:47:37questionnaire. That questionnaire kind of self-screens you. So have you traveled to South

00:47:43America in the past three months, so on. And we have made it very easy. There is no upper limit.

00:47:51Before, we used to say people over 60, 65, we have taken out that. Anybody over 17, 17 to 18 with

00:47:59parental consent. Anybody else can give blood. You can make an online appointment. It is so easy

00:48:08now. We have made the process so easy over the past couple of years. No big long waiting. You

00:48:15have your appointment. You go in there, and you give your blood freely, and let's each pint of

00:48:21blood saves three lives. Yeah. Minister, I want you, because you touched on it a little earlier,

00:48:28but the blood bank is not going to take blood from an individual who is not healthy.

00:48:35So I want you to speak to that, about the health of the individual who is donating.

00:48:41Yeah. So given blood is a health screening tool in its own right. So you come away knowing what

00:48:48your height, what your blood pressure is. You come across knowing what your hemoglobin count is.

00:48:55So you come out of the process being more aware of your own circumstance.

00:49:02You also get advice if your hemoglobin count is too low on nutritional changes to make,

00:49:08eat more bhaji, for instance. We link you to care if your blood pressure is too high.

00:49:18So the benefits are multifaceted, and you come out of the process really feeling good about

00:49:26yourself. It's a return to a time when we really took care of our own, took care of our neighbors,

00:49:33and we really don't consider who we are giving this blood to. It goes to anybody in need.

00:49:41That is what true altruism is. Doing something, expecting nothing in return.

00:49:48Yeah. Speak a little bit to, because there's a myth out there that, and people, you know,

00:49:55people say a lot of things, Minister, when it comes to this and other things, and a lot of

00:50:00misinformation, but speak about your body. When you donate blood, how long or how fit is your

00:50:14body to put back that time that you would have taken out? Yeah. Yeah. So normally it takes about

00:50:2424 to 48 hours. And we advise you after you give blood, don't do any physical,

00:50:31strenuous physical activity. Don't go hiking, lifting weights, running 10 miles, and so on.

00:50:37Take it easy. Drink a lot of fluids. Right after you give blood, we'll replace some of that fluids

00:50:43with juice or whatever. And just take it easy for about 24 hours. And then you're good to go again

00:50:52to ease back into your normal daily routine. But when you give blood, it kickstarts your own

00:50:58blood producing cells in your body. It reinvigorates them. So there are health

00:51:03benefits to giving blood. Yeah. Minister, anything else you'd like to tell us before

00:51:07you leave us this morning? Sorry. Yeah. So let's be our brother's keeper in this exercise. I want

00:51:15to urge all families not to wait until you have a crisis and you want blood, and then you have to go

00:51:20to the radio, and you have to go to PND and beg for blood. We are making, as I said, moderate

00:51:27progress. We have moved from 0.5% to 10.5% of blood collected voluntarily, but we need to do more.

00:51:36And I'm appealing to the population this morning, and for the next year, in conjunction with Dr.

00:51:42Simon McPhee of the Medical Association, let's make this not a blood donation day drive, but a

00:51:48blood donation year drive. Yeah. Minister, always. Thank you very much for speaking with us this

00:51:53morning, and have a good weekend, and happy Father's Day. Thank you, and happy Father's. I

00:51:59don't know if you have children, but if you do, happy Father's Day to all. Bye for now,

00:52:03Minister. All right, so it's time to take a quick break. We're coming back, everybody.

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00:53:52What's up, you guys? I'm Ren. And I'm Kim. Welcome to Conversations with Ren and Kim.

00:54:04On our show, we dive deep into the stories that matter. From inspiring individuals making a

00:54:10difference, to experts sharing their insights on the latest trends and topics. We're here to spark

00:54:15conversations that challenge, inspire, and entertain. Whether it's about art, culture,

00:54:21technology, or everyday life, we've got you covered. So join us every Saturday for conversations

00:54:27and unforgettable moments. See you there. Let's take a selfie.

00:54:49Hey, I thought you said you went to the beach with your parents.

00:54:52Who's you?

00:54:53It's me, Larry, from online.

00:55:19Good morning. I am Ansel Gibbs with a news update. There's room for improvement, according to Prime

00:55:36Minister Rowley, commenting on the park and ride system used at Wednesday's T20 World Cup match

00:55:43at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

00:56:13Workers at Yarra Trinidad Limited are calling on the company to address key safety concerns.

00:56:43Yarra says their policies and procedures adhere to strict safety protocols and ethical standards.

00:57:06And in the weather forecast, mainly sunny, hazy, and at times breezy conditions can be expected,

00:57:13despite partly cloudy interruptions and the medium chance of a few brief passing showers.

00:57:18Seas remain smooth to moderate in open waters,

00:57:21with swells ranging from one to one and a half meters and increasing in height.

00:57:36The TV6 Daily Health Tip is brought to you by Omega XL.

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01:02:31Plenty people wonder how different they would be if they had a more supportive family.

01:02:37Not dragging them down or always saying something negative.

01:02:40Don't be that parent now.

01:02:45Providing support for your child can help them feel confident and capable.

01:02:51This includes offering help when needed, praising the efforts, and cheering them on.

01:02:57Never stop being their biggest cheerleaders in good times and in bad times.

01:03:02At the end of the day, do your best and let your children know you have their back.

01:03:07Share if you found this useful.

01:03:09And like and follow our profile for more parenting tips.

01:03:13Letter of the day.

01:03:14S. Supportive.

01:03:44Yeah.

01:03:45Congratulations to the DJ.

01:03:46Who's our DJ this morning?

01:03:49Rana.

01:03:50All right.

01:03:51Good music.

01:03:52All right.

01:03:52So it's that time of the year again for the Trade and Investment

01:03:56Convention of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association.

01:04:00So we do have on set this morning TIC lead coordinator at the TTMA, Shana.

01:04:07Yeah.

01:04:07We do have Shana here with us this morning.

01:04:09You're moving so quickly.

01:04:11Shana Marie Israel.

01:04:13Shana, thank you very much for coming this morning.

01:04:15Thank you for having me.

01:04:16All right.

01:04:17So as I said, it's that time of the year again for this convention.

01:04:21It's 25 years, right?

01:04:22Yes.

01:04:24So the Trade and Investment Convention, for those who may or may not know,

01:04:28is the largest international business networking trade show in the Anglo-Dutch Caribbean.

01:04:35So we are a big deal.

01:04:37We are known near and far.

01:04:40And it's something that a lot of the business community,

01:04:43and as well as the general public, look forward to attending every year.

01:04:47Because it's the place where businesses converge to showcase their products, services,

01:04:54launches of any kind.

01:04:56It's an exciting forum for all of what is business to take place.

01:05:02So yes, we're doing that this year again.

01:05:04Is there a particular theme this year?

01:05:06Well, it's the 25th anniversary.

01:05:08So the theme for this year is Global Horizons, 25 years and beyond.

01:05:15Because we're going to continue doing this.

01:05:17Yeah.

01:05:17When is the convention being held?

01:05:19It will be held from the 11th to the 13th of July this year, 2024.

01:05:25Yeah, at the Centre of Excellence.

01:05:26Centre of Excellence, Macquarie.

01:05:28Right.

01:05:29So is it that when it comes to the exhibitors,

01:05:33the TTMA has already decided who are going to be the exhibitors?

01:05:37Well, this would have been promoted for quite some time,

01:05:41even as early as last year, when the last event would have ended.

01:05:45So we are sold out, 100% sold out regarding exhibition spaces.

01:05:51We have over 300 exhibition spaces.

01:05:56So it's a lot to see, right?

01:05:59So we're going to have, like I said, over 300 exhibition booths

01:06:03representing companies from obviously Trinidad and Tobago,

01:06:08the region, internationally, as far as China as well.

01:06:13And yes, you can come and see about over,

01:06:16I think 35 business sectors going to be represented

01:06:20and numerous other subsectors that fall under that.

01:06:23Judging from what you're telling us,

01:06:25it seems that the convention is going to be bigger this year.

01:06:28Yes, it is.

01:06:29The amount of exhibitors I'm hearing about.

01:06:31This year is actually the biggest in terms of exhibition booths

01:06:34that we have had thus far.

01:06:36Yeah, you're celebrating 25 years in a big way.

01:06:40Who's the convention for?

01:06:43Well, I can start off by saying it's for everybody.

01:06:46However, it's, I guess, catered in two parts.

01:06:52So the first part we cater for the buyers community,

01:06:56that would be the business community,

01:06:59persons that represent their own businesses, entrepreneurs,

01:07:02persons who represent companies that they work for.

01:07:06And we encourage those persons to register, pre-register as buyers,

01:07:10and they will attend on what we call our buyer days,

01:07:12which are the first two days of the event.

01:07:14And then we cater for the general public, right?

01:07:17We open up the event to the general public on a Saturday

01:07:21and therefore they can come and see what the business community has to offer.

01:07:26There will be sampling on all days.

01:07:28There will be, our exhibitors can sell as needs be.

01:07:32So it, as I said, it caters for everybody.

01:07:34Families can come out on the Saturday.

01:07:36So it really is an all-income passing event for everyone.

01:07:40Yeah.

01:07:41When it comes to the buyers, do I have to be, let's say,

01:07:45if I'm someone who is now getting into business.

01:07:50Yes.

01:07:50Can I register and can I come?

01:07:53Oh, I would definitely recommend it.

01:07:55TIC is the type of forum that opens your mind and your horizons to see what is out there,

01:08:01especially as an up-and-coming business owner.

01:08:04You can see what is in your field of industry.

01:08:08You can see your competitors.

01:08:10You can get ideas.

01:08:11You're learning from industry leaders.

01:08:13So it really is that type of forum for up-and-coming business owners to learn from.

01:08:19Yeah.

01:08:20But it also provides, Shauna, business opportunities, right?

01:08:24Yes, of course.

01:08:25Yeah.

01:08:26TIC, again, is one of the largest forums to conduct business activity.

01:08:32So as a buyer, well, a buyer could fall under different teams,

01:08:38whether it's a distributor, investor, you name it.

01:08:43You're coming there and you're looking for business.

01:08:45And that's what TIC is for.

01:08:48We have a business-to-business meeting framework

01:08:51where we allow buyers and exhibitors.

01:08:53Well, we help them set up meetings.

01:08:56And therefore, we go that extra mile of making sure that

01:08:59persons make those business connections that they're looking for.

01:09:02They can pitch their company.

01:09:03So that is basically what TIC encourages amongst other things,

01:09:08what it's there for amongst other things.

01:09:09Yeah.

01:09:10And you know, Shauna, sometimes when we think about the TTMA

01:09:14and we think about chambers of commerce and so on,

01:09:18sometimes the small businessman feels, well, I have no place there.

01:09:23That is for the big companies.

01:09:26But that is not so, right?

01:09:27That is definitely not the case at TIC, at the Trade and Investment Convention.

01:09:31We have, over the years, carved a space for the SMEs and cottage-type industries.

01:09:39So last year, as well as this year, in a larger way,

01:09:44we actually have created a section specifically for them.

01:09:48So of course, you know, they feel as though they are welcome

01:09:52and they are part of being amongst the larger companies

01:09:55that are going to be there.

01:09:56We promote them.

01:09:57So it's really a space for them as well to get their footing

01:10:01and to be on a level playing field with larger companies.

01:10:05Yeah.

01:10:05Do members of the public, do we have to register?

01:10:09So members of the public are invited as well, just like buyers.

01:10:14We would refer to them as consumers.

01:10:16And they can pre-register on our website for free, right?

01:10:21So you're looking for, if you're registering as a buyer,

01:10:24you're looking for the buyer's registration.

01:10:26If you're looking to register as a consumer,

01:10:29you're looking for the consumer registration.

01:10:31Our website is TTMA.com slash TIC.

01:10:34Of course, pre-register because all persons who miss the registration mark,

01:10:40they can pay a minimal entry fee of 50 at the door,

01:10:44but registration is open up until.

01:10:47Yeah.

01:10:47A little birdie tells me that you all have a park and ride system too.

01:10:50Oh, yes, yes.

01:10:52We expect the numbers to be substantial.

01:10:55So we have to put that in place.

01:10:57We'll be announcing on our social media platforms,

01:11:01as well as on all other advertising avenues

01:11:05where each park and ride area will be safe locations with security.

01:11:10You park your car and then you will be shuttled

01:11:14to the convention site.

01:11:15All right.

01:11:16Shanna, any additional information you'd like to share with us

01:11:18before you leave us this morning?

01:11:19Again, just a reminder,

01:11:21while we are booked up with regarding exhibitor spaces,

01:11:26the buyers and consumers registration is on.

01:11:30It's open.

01:11:31Again, go to our website, TTMA.com slash TIC.

01:11:35And of course, it's going to be, as mentioned before,

01:11:38the biggest TIC yet.

01:11:39So it's going to be exciting with lots of sampling,

01:11:42giveaways, exciting activities.

01:11:44And not to forget to mention,

01:11:46we also have our business education series as part of TIC,

01:11:50where persons can attend free webinars and seminars.

01:11:54Yeah.

01:11:55Shanna, it was a pleasure speaking with you this morning.

01:11:57Thank you very much for all of the information.

01:11:59And we wish you all the best for your event.

01:12:00Thank you.

01:12:01All right.

01:12:01So we're going to a very short break, everybody.

01:12:03We're coming back.

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01:14:10I'm telling you, our DJ is on point this morning.

01:14:19The Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting its annual Yoruba

01:14:24Village Drum Festival at Yoruba Village Square on Piccadilly Street.

01:14:28Joining us via Zoom to tell us more about the event is Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada,

01:14:33Executive Chairman of the Emancipation Support Committee, Trinidad and Tobago.

01:14:37Good morning, and thank you very much for joining us.

01:14:41Good morning, Marlon, and good morning to all your TV6 viewers.

01:14:45Of course, it's good to speak with you.

01:14:47Let's talk about the drum festival.

01:14:50Yes, indeed.

01:14:51So the Yoruba Village Drum Festival, I mean, it is one of the highlights of the festival

01:14:58leading up to the Lijiatsu Umawari Village.

01:15:01And this festival is held at the Yoruba Village Square.

01:15:05A lot of people don't have a clue where that square is,

01:15:08even though we've been doing this for quite a number of years.

01:15:11There's a little triangular square just opposite the new Bessel Street Police Station,

01:15:16and it is at that square that we had erected the monument, yes, a few years ago.

01:15:23So this space, yes, remember that year we made quite a lot of people were quite interested

01:15:28because the monument is so beautiful.

01:15:31So every year we do this drum festival in this particular community,

01:15:38and we try to reconnect with our ancestors and reignite the spirits of our people

01:15:45by pulling them together for that reconnection with themselves through the drum.

01:15:51And it provides an opportunity for us also to bring that positive energy into the community

01:16:00and we also, we normally start this event by doing a little small procession with the drummers,

01:16:06take a little walk through the community.

01:16:08Then we go back to the square, we call libation for our ancestors,

01:16:15and of course, seeking guidance and protection for the community, for those within,

01:16:20because we know there we have quite a bit of challenges within that community

01:16:24that we now call East Yoruba River, what was formerly Yoruba Village, you know?

01:16:30So we bring drummers from all over the country to play their drum.

01:16:34We have dancers, we have the shantwe, we have the tambu-bambu.

01:16:38So it is actually a beautiful afternoon and really one full of beautiful positive energy.

01:16:45Yeah, and the proceedings begin at two o'clock.

01:16:49Yes, they do. Yes, yes.

01:16:51We also, at this event, we also do the Keeper of the Tradition Award,

01:16:57where we award persons who would have been keeping

01:17:01the tradition of African culture in their communities.

01:17:05And we also give an award to a young person in the community

01:17:09who has excelled in some area of activity, whether it be sports,

01:17:12whether it be academics, culture, etc.

01:17:16So it is really a beautiful day.

01:17:17We normally get the members of parliament, they come out to that event.

01:17:21We're expecting our minister to be there.

01:17:23We're expecting members of the diplomatic corps to be there.

01:17:27So it's really a beautiful event that is supported by the community,

01:17:35all of the relevant institutions.

01:17:38We want to thank the Portisbane City Corporation,

01:17:40with whom we have partnered over the years.

01:17:45And also, this year is special for the corporation

01:17:49because it is the 110th anniversary of the city.

01:17:52And the corporation normally celebrates June as City Month.

01:17:58So the festival is placed right in the center of all of that.

01:18:02And therefore, it adds that added element to the commemoration in the city.

01:18:07Yeah. And I see that there is no cost to attend the event.

01:18:12Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

01:18:14This is free to the public to really just come and share in the energy

01:18:20and benefit from the positives that come out of it.

01:18:23Yes. Yeah.

01:18:24I want you to speak a little bit about how important it is for us to embrace,

01:18:33hold on, however you want to put it,

01:18:36as it relates to our African traditions, the importance of it.

01:18:42Yes, because remember, your culture and your traditions define who you are.

01:18:47And if you are not able to center yourself in an understanding of self,

01:18:52you eventually become someone who is just influenced by a whole lot of other

01:19:01aspects of your community and the spaces in which you find yourself.

01:19:05If we are not grounded in self, we are not able to stand against those

01:19:11perhaps negative energies sometimes, or not able to properly embrace the positive.

01:19:16So it is really, really, really important.

01:19:18You know, the ESCs, which was a reconnection, empowerment, and transformation,

01:19:25because we believe at the center of empowering self is reconnecting with self.

01:19:30And we as a race on the planet has been one that has been totally disconnected from itself

01:19:39and its moorings through that process of enslavement.

01:19:43So this journey of emancipation is also a journey of reconnection with self,

01:19:49our values, our cultures, our worldview,

01:19:52so that we can be empowered to face the challenges of this time in which we find ourselves.

01:19:59And we think that that empowerment of self will eventually bring the transformation

01:20:03that we seek to as part of the reparatory process,

01:20:07because we do believe that that reparatory process,

01:20:09that process of reparations has to start with self-repair.

01:20:13Yeah, and you feel that the young people are coming along,

01:20:16and how do we get the young people to come along?

01:20:21Yes, well, I think that, you know, I have more confidence in the young people than most people do.

01:20:28I think that they have a better understanding.

01:20:31I don't think they have caught so much in the web or the matrix

01:20:36that some of us have found ourselves in.

01:20:38I do think that they do need a lot of guidance.

01:20:42They have that revolutionary spirit.

01:20:43They have that fighting spirit.

01:20:45But we have to direct that energy, again, because of lack of reconnection,

01:20:52which they don't get as part of their bringing necessarily,

01:20:56or because, you know, it is lost,

01:20:59and we don't use the education system to fuel it, you see?

01:21:03So if we have all of that energy,

01:21:05we realize there's something still in our space of which we need to fight,

01:21:09but we don't understand the struggle,

01:21:13or we don't understand the fight,

01:21:14you're going to find trouble in the community among young people.

01:21:17But then we do have those who are understanding,

01:21:20who are stronger,

01:21:21who are in a space where they have the opportunity,

01:21:25you know, to be exposed to the influences

01:21:27that can make them have a more positive response.

01:21:30But I do think that they are understanding the importance

01:21:34of knowing themselves and embracing it.

01:21:37And I think that we, you know, there's hope.

01:21:41You know, there's a lot to be concerned about,

01:21:43but I also think that there is hope.

01:21:45Let's talk a little bit about the structure

01:21:47that is in place to pass on these traditions.

01:21:53Yes.

01:21:53Oh, you are asking me what are the structures in place?

01:21:56But yeah, are there enough structures in place to pass on these traditions?

01:22:00Yes. No, no.

01:22:01No, no.

01:22:02Because our education system

01:22:06has to take a part of that responsibility.

01:22:09Yes.

01:22:09Our children spend most of their times in school,

01:22:12you know, most of their days in school.

01:22:14And therefore, within the education system,

01:22:18we are not seeing this as an opportunity

01:22:21to also do what is best in the well-being of our children,

01:22:27then we will continue to have some challenges.

01:22:30We try our best through our own interventions,

01:22:33we know with our youth development activities,

01:22:37with our national African history quiz

01:22:40we do have each year for the secondary schools,

01:22:43our national spoken word,

01:22:44where we try to get that information

01:22:47and put what they need to know

01:22:50in order to understand the importance of reconnection.

01:22:54So we try to do it through our youth development programs,

01:22:57German workshops,

01:22:59we teach them a lot of the culture of their ancestors,

01:23:05and therefore, we are able to try to make our own intervention.

01:23:10But we are a small non-government organization,

01:23:13and therefore, we need to strengthen the influence.

01:23:16You know, my view is we have to go into each of our communities.

01:23:20Our communities comprise not just African people,

01:23:23we have communities of multi-ethnic societies.

01:23:27But if each group fully understands

01:23:31and is connected with itself,

01:23:33then we learn to appreciate each other

01:23:36because we get to understand from each group

01:23:38what's the importance of culture,

01:23:40the importance of spirituality,

01:23:42and then we have mutual respect for each other.

01:23:45And therefore, in those communities,

01:23:46once we build those harmonious relationships

01:23:49in each community, you know,

01:23:52and this is why we need to expend more resources

01:23:55on our culture, on sports,

01:23:57on those things that change human behavior.

01:24:01And if we do that in each community,

01:24:03we will have a blessed nation.

01:24:04Yeah.

01:24:05Mrs. Wadada, you're preaching this morning,

01:24:08but we do appreciate the message.

01:24:10So the event is on June 15th again.

01:24:13Proceedings begin at two o'clock.

01:24:16Yes.

01:24:16And it's free.

01:24:17At two o'clock.

01:24:17And remember, Sunday is Father's Day.

01:24:19Yeah.

01:24:20So we bring out the fathers, let them enjoy it.

01:24:22And because we also do this in tribute

01:24:25to the fathers of that community.

01:24:26All right, Mrs. Wadada.

01:24:28It was a pleasure speaking with you this morning.

01:24:30Thank you very much.

01:24:31Bye for now.

01:24:32Thank you so much, man.

01:24:33It's always a pleasure doing an interview with you.

01:24:36All right.

01:24:36Bye-bye.

01:24:37All right.

01:24:37So it's time for a quick break.

01:24:38We're coming back, everybody.

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01:27:20All right, so welcome back, everyone.

01:27:36So Christopher Hughes is here with us this morning.

01:27:39The name rings a bell.

01:27:40Well, then how about this?

01:27:42Chris must list the Canadian YouTuber

01:27:45charged with sedition who has been granted bail.

01:27:48Good morning, Christopher.

01:27:49Thank you very much for coming this morning.

01:27:50Yes, good morning, sir.

01:27:51Yeah, well, Christopher,

01:27:52you're a very popular man these days.

01:27:54You know, even the prime minister

01:27:55would have been speaking about you yesterday, right?

01:27:57Yes, I've heard.

01:28:00So I believe that you would have heard

01:28:02what the prime minister would have said

01:28:03about you and your situation yesterday.

01:28:07Yes.

01:28:07Of course, you continue to claim

01:28:11your innocence in connection with this matter.

01:28:16Christopher, as we look at this entire issue here,

01:28:21did you expect this at all?

01:28:23No, no, not at all.

01:28:25Not in my wildest dreams.

01:28:27Yeah, you have any regrets

01:28:29about coming to Trinidad and Tobago?

01:28:31You know, all of this has panned out.

01:28:33I don't live a life with regrets.

01:28:37Even the way I teach my children was and is

01:28:40to deal with the problems that arise.

01:28:42So I never once during this whole process

01:28:45or even the jail did I think I shouldn't have come

01:28:49or I should have done this differently.

01:28:52In reality, I have to deal with what's in front of me now.

01:28:55Yeah.

01:28:55Now, there are reports today

01:28:58that you were hoping to leave Trinidad and Tobago today

01:29:01because I know that you had a hearing yesterday.

01:29:04Is it possible that you are preparing

01:29:07to leave Trinidad and Tobago today?

01:29:09No, not at all.

01:29:11I really wish, I wish every article

01:29:13in mainstream media was correct

01:29:15and I'd be on my way home.

01:29:17But no, that's not the case at all.

01:29:19As of right this moment,

01:29:20my next hearing is August 22nd or 23rd

01:29:24and I'm here, I'm stuck here until then.

01:29:27Yeah.

01:29:28So over the next few weeks,

01:29:29how does life look for you in the next few weeks?

01:29:32Yeah, what I really hope to do is sort of

01:29:35live like I would live at home.

01:29:36I need to, you know, come with every day something to do.

01:29:41You know, over the last two weeks

01:29:42has been very sporadic interviews and such.

01:29:47I got to get back to filming every day,

01:29:50doing what I do, eat healthier and sleep better,

01:29:54the simple things in life

01:29:55because I can't fight this, I'm here.

01:29:58I got to do the best I can with the time that I'm here.

01:30:02Yeah.

01:30:03What sort of impact has it had on you

01:30:05mentally and physically?

01:30:07Yeah, no doubt.

01:30:08It's been very impactful.

01:30:09I'm by no means an expert in incarceration.

01:30:14Six and a half days in a cell

01:30:15without simple necessities,

01:30:18a mattress or toilet paper.

01:30:21You know, I could pretend to be the strong man

01:30:23that's not affected by anything,

01:30:25but in reality, you know,

01:30:26I've been out for over a week

01:30:27and I still haven't had a good night's sleep.

01:30:29I'm still waking up all night.

01:30:31So I really don't know the full effects

01:30:33until it's going to take me some time.

01:30:35Yeah.

01:30:36But I put on a front that everything is okay.

01:30:38Yeah.

01:30:39I'm strong.

01:30:39I feel like, you know, I'm going to get through this.

01:30:42But I'd be a liar if I told you it was easy

01:30:44because it's not.

01:30:45You know, Father's Day is around the corner.

01:30:47I have my three kids.

01:30:49We talk multiple times per day.

01:30:51Now that I'm out of jail, you know,

01:30:53with FaceTime, it makes it a little easier.

01:30:56But my youngest daughter is still like,

01:30:57when are you coming home, dad?

01:30:59And the not knowing when I'm coming home,

01:31:01I guess is the hardest part

01:31:02because I really thought I was going to be

01:31:04on a flight today as well.

01:31:06How has this impacted them?

01:31:08Yeah, I don't know.

01:31:09I guess we'll have to talk about it when I get home.

01:31:13I have three children, nine, 15 and 18.

01:31:16So the 15 and the 18 follow social media

01:31:18and they know what's sort of going on.

01:31:21Whereas my daughter has been hidden from it.

01:31:23So I guess we'll have to see the full impacts

01:31:27eventually as I get home.

01:31:28Yeah.

01:31:29Let's go to the beginning, Christopher.

01:31:32What was the main objective?

01:31:35Because there are people who are supporting you.

01:31:39Yes.

01:31:40I know this because I've been following your videos too.

01:31:43And I've been seeing where there is a groundswell

01:31:46of support for you and the work that you're doing.

01:31:51But there are others who are also saying that,

01:31:56and they don't agree with the work that you would have done

01:31:58because they have said that your intention

01:32:02was to glamorize and sensationalize

01:32:06the issue of crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:32:09Yeah.

01:32:09For those people, I can't change their opinion.

01:32:12I doubt that they've watched one of my videos in its entirety.

01:32:16Maybe they've skimmed a little bit.

01:32:19Like never once in my videos have I glamorized.

01:32:22It's quite the opposite.

01:32:23If you listen to the words that come out of my mouth,

01:32:24it's often, how do we create peace in this community?

01:32:27What's wrong?

01:32:28What do we do better?

01:32:30And I'll use Belize as an example.

01:32:31I've been to Belize twice over the last 365 days,

01:32:36created very similar videos, returned without a problem.

01:32:39The difference with Belize versus Trinidad is

01:32:42the criminology university there reached out to me

01:32:45and said, we want to sit down.

01:32:46The information you have is like gold,

01:32:48and we can create some sort of intervention

01:32:50based on the knowledge that we now have.

01:32:53Because police know they can say whatever they want.

01:32:55Police, politicians can tell you on camera whatever they want.

01:32:58Nobody has ever gone in like I've gone.

01:33:01So if you look at my information,

01:33:03my video as informative and educational,

01:33:07you can use that to better the communities.

01:33:09But instead, in Trinidad, they've gone about it a different way.

01:33:13I'm celebrated in Belize.

01:33:15I'm a criminal in Trinidad for shooting the same content, right?

01:33:19So it's something I have to deal with.

01:33:21I understand.

01:33:23But as other people in the press have said,

01:33:26I'm the messenger.

01:33:27I didn't come with any ill intent.

01:33:29And I didn't only film what people would say are gang-related videos.

01:33:34More than half of my videos were cultural videos.

01:33:37But everybody ignores that,

01:33:39and they only look at the shiny items, objects.

01:33:43But I'm not angry at people for having an opinion.

01:33:47But understand when I came to this country,

01:33:49my intention was to film as much as I could

01:33:52within a short duration of time.

01:33:53And it was not the intention to portray Trinidad and Tobago

01:33:57in a poor light.

01:33:58Never, never, never.

01:34:00The reality is that crime here is a real problem.

01:34:02Anybody that told you otherwise,

01:34:04either they have their head in the sand,

01:34:06or they're just like ignoring the truth.

01:34:10Pick up a newspaper and see it.

01:34:12Look at the daily news and hear it.

01:34:15There's a problem here, crime.

01:34:16I didn't create the crime.

01:34:18I'm not promoting the crime.

01:34:19I'm trying to diagnose what's the problem here.

01:34:22So somebody smarter than me can say,

01:34:23hey, these people are talking for the first time.

01:34:26I'm giving a voice to people that are never heard.

01:34:29And the reason people love me in the street

01:34:31is for that reason.

01:34:32You know, they tell me the only time police come

01:34:34to the community is to arrest and kill.

01:34:37They never come to talk.

01:34:39What are your problems, sir?

01:34:40Why are you in a gang?

01:34:41You know, these types of conversations

01:34:44to these communities are very important.

01:34:46And that's why they give me the respect.

01:34:48I don't judge them.

01:34:49I don't go into these communities and say,

01:34:51you're all criminals.

01:34:52You all have no hope and no future.

01:34:54I ask them, even the little children in my videos,

01:34:58what are you going to be when you're older?

01:35:00You know, what can we do to help?

01:35:02So I mean, everyone's going to take it differently.

01:35:05I know my intentions were pure.

01:35:07If you look at my history of 300 videos,

01:35:09I don't only interview people.

01:35:11I built playgrounds for children.

01:35:13I've done so much community work as well.

01:35:15And I was at the forefront of the peace walk

01:35:17through the capital of this city,

01:35:19crying with the mothers that have lost children.

01:35:22So if you think that's somebody that's here

01:35:23to glamorize crime, it's quite the opposite.

01:35:26I'm here to learn as much as I can.

01:35:28And I'm documenting it again for people

01:35:30that know more about the topic.

01:35:33There needs to be some sort of intervention.

01:35:35Without change, it's only going to get worse

01:35:37here in Trinidad related to crime.

01:35:40Yeah.

01:35:42I do agree with you in one of these aspects

01:35:47that you spoke about,

01:35:48because it did give another dimension

01:35:51to the crime situation in Trinidad

01:35:54because we always felt that it was there.

01:35:56But I think what you have done

01:35:58is to really bring it to the fore

01:36:01so that we're seeing it in all of its forms.

01:36:06You have also been criticized for, again,

01:36:11exposing to the world gang culture

01:36:16in Trinidad and Tobago,

01:36:18and also showing to the world

01:36:20these high powered weapons

01:36:21that these young men are carrying into the streets.

01:36:26And also, they are also defending

01:36:30what they are doing in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:36:33How do you respond to those types of criticisms?

01:36:36Anybody that lives in any of the communities

01:36:37I went into sees those same items

01:36:39every day of the week.

01:36:41Police surveillance cameras

01:36:42are in those neighborhoods.

01:36:44They're seeing this every day of the week.

01:36:46When you see the murders in the newspaper,

01:36:48you're seeing it's shooting.

01:36:49So you can presume that firearms are being used.

01:36:52I think a percentage of the population

01:36:54just does not want to see those firearms.

01:36:56It does not want to hear

01:36:58what these people have to say.

01:37:00Where I'm the opposite.

01:37:01You know, if I was alive during World War II,

01:37:04I would be interviewing both sides, all sides,

01:37:07because I want to hear why this war is happening.

01:37:10I've gone to war.

01:37:11Ukraine war, I've gone to war.

01:37:13The conflicts in Palestine, I've been there.

01:37:16So I'm not new to this.

01:37:18I go into places that are uncomfortable

01:37:20and I hear what people have to say.

01:37:23Yeah, but you know, interestingly,

01:37:25you mentioned earlier that your aim was also

01:37:28to make your pieces educational and informative.

01:37:31Well, I can tell you, I don't know

01:37:32if you have been reading the newspaper

01:37:35and looking at the television

01:37:37and listening to the radio,

01:37:39but what has happened since your videos came out

01:37:43is that we have seen a number of arrests

01:37:47by the Trinidad and Tobago police force.

01:37:50What's your perspective on this?

01:37:52Yeah, I'm not sure if they're doing it.

01:37:55So it's a weird scenario.

01:37:57I'll use an example.

01:37:58If I'm in Toronto and a bank robbery

01:38:01or heist is happening in front of me

01:38:03and I pick up my camera and I film it.

01:38:06And then I later submit that as evidence

01:38:09in the police case.

01:38:10Never once would it be front page news

01:38:12that Chris Hughes was the man

01:38:14that filmed this incident

01:38:16and we're using his evidence

01:38:18in order to prosecute criminals, right?

01:38:21That would be impossible.

01:38:22And that would put my life at risk.

01:38:24I'm under the belief that certain people of power

01:38:27are testing how long I can live

01:38:30without a shadow of a doubt.

01:38:31These are real threats.

01:38:34Not only that, when I got out on bail,

01:38:36the location I was staying was publicized,

01:38:39the continual putting pictures of me

01:38:41with gang members.

01:38:43Even when the topic is bail,

01:38:45it's the same photo,

01:38:46shiny objects that resemble firearms.

01:38:50They're making me out to be the bad guy.

01:38:53You know, I feel very confident

01:38:55when I walk through the streets.

01:38:56I know I've done nothing wrong

01:38:58and I'll continue to walk with confidence.

01:39:01But I know these people

01:39:01putting these articles together,

01:39:04especially the one that was published

01:39:05that said Chris takes police on tour

01:39:07through Laventille,

01:39:08which was completely bogus.

01:39:10Never happened.

01:39:11They resubmitted their apology

01:39:13on the back page of two sentences

01:39:16after publishing a full page,

01:39:18front page article.

01:39:20There's no question in my mind,

01:39:22100% beyond a shadow of a doubt

01:39:24that they're testing my life

01:39:26by putting these type of articles.

01:39:27Even yesterday, the mention of 24 people

01:39:29were arrested from my videos

01:39:31later became seven people were questioned,

01:39:34not arrested.

01:39:37What I would say is,

01:39:39the people that I film,

01:39:39a percentage of them are criminals.

01:39:41They're accustomed to be questioned.

01:39:43They've been questioned before me.

01:39:45They're questioned after me.

01:39:47Anybody that shows up in my video

01:39:49that wants to talk about criminality,

01:39:52I'm not encouraging them,

01:39:53nor am I requesting them to talk.

01:39:55So my camera is on the whole time.

01:39:57So the evidence is there.

01:39:59All I'm doing is asking them questions.

01:40:01So you made a significant point

01:40:04a short while ago.

01:40:06You believe that there's a deliberate attempt

01:40:08in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:40:09No doubt, 100%.

01:40:11By certain people to put your life at risk.

01:40:14100%, yes.

01:40:15And that's right from the moment

01:40:17I was put into detainment

01:40:20and that front page article.

01:40:22They gave the source

01:40:23as two senior officers confirmed.

01:40:26Now, where are these two senior officers?

01:40:28Like this is the perfect example

01:40:30of what sedition is.

01:40:31But for the newspaper,

01:40:32for the writer of the newspaper,

01:40:34the publisher of the newspaper,

01:40:36it was a simple apology.

01:40:37Oh, I made a mistake.

01:40:38The information was false.

01:40:40No sedition.

01:40:41You know, the two senior officers

01:40:43that gave this what they called

01:40:46credible information,

01:40:48where are they?

01:40:49Why aren't they front page newspaper

01:40:51for sedition?

01:40:52Instead, you have a tourist,

01:40:53a guest in your country

01:40:54that actually came here

01:40:55with the intent to document

01:40:58the country as it is.

01:40:59You'll never hear in one of my videos

01:41:01me say, go get guns

01:41:03or show me your weapons

01:41:04or let's brag about crime.

01:41:06It's quite the opposite.

01:41:07But here we have some sedition

01:41:10here we have sedition.

01:41:13I'm the one being charged.

01:41:14I'm the one with my life

01:41:16and career on the line.

01:41:18Have you or your attorneys,

01:41:22your representatives,

01:41:23have you all made a request

01:41:26to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

01:41:27for protection for you?

01:41:29No, we haven't.

01:41:30Why?

01:41:33I'm not sure who my enemy is.

01:41:34I'm not sure who is out to get me.

01:41:37So I guess I'll keep it

01:41:38as simple as that.

01:41:40I don't know who to trust

01:41:41in these instances.

01:41:42Yeah.

01:41:43Have persons within the communities

01:41:47that you would have visited

01:41:49in the past,

01:41:51have they been in contact

01:41:52with you at all?

01:41:53No, I've gotten a few messages

01:41:55like on Instagram,

01:41:56mostly like blank pages

01:41:57where they'll be like,

01:41:58hey, three guys were brought in today.

01:42:02But not like more detailed than that.

01:42:04So I really don't know.

01:42:04Yeah.

01:42:05But I mean, the people

01:42:07that you would have interviewed

01:42:10and who would have given you

01:42:12accounts as to what is happening

01:42:13in communities and so on.

01:42:15Anyone has reached out to you to say,

01:42:18well, Chris,

01:42:19we see what is happening with you,

01:42:21giving support or saying other things.

01:42:24So it just happened, right?

01:42:26So this questioning period,

01:42:29I believe could be 48 to 72 hours,

01:42:31which I think is today.

01:42:32Yeah.

01:42:33Like with the example they used of me,

01:42:35there was no guns found,

01:42:36no drugs found,

01:42:37no criminal activity.

01:42:38They were only brought in

01:42:39for questioning based on the fact

01:42:40they were in my videos, right?

01:42:42So they'll be let out today.

01:42:44There's no doubt.

01:42:45It's the glamorization of something

01:42:48that they're pinpointing.

01:42:50It's a spotlight to say,

01:42:51Chris Muslitz did something wrong

01:42:54and therefore 24 people are arrested.

01:42:56Then seven people are arrested.

01:42:58These people will not be charged

01:43:00or convicted from what it looks like.

01:43:02Nothing was found.

01:43:03But again, it's making me

01:43:05to be the criminal.

01:43:07Yeah. You think you're misunderstood?

01:43:09I don't think so.

01:43:10Misinterpreted?

01:43:11Everything I film is uploaded

01:43:13for the world to see.

01:43:14Yeah.

01:43:15If I had some ill intent,

01:43:16first of all,

01:43:17I would not have uploaded my videos

01:43:18when I'm here.

01:43:19I would have got home safely

01:43:20and uploaded the videos.

01:43:22So I had no negative intent

01:43:25and the content is still there

01:43:26for the world to watch,

01:43:27look at and judge.

01:43:29There may be some people out there

01:43:31who are looking at us right now

01:43:33and saying,

01:43:35well, we want an apology from Chris.

01:43:37Has Chris done anything wrong

01:43:38you think to give an apology

01:43:41to Trinidad and Tobago?

01:43:42No, I think it's the opposite.

01:43:44And I don't request an apology

01:43:46from the people of Trinidad

01:43:47because they've been so supportive.

01:43:48I mean, 100% supportive.

01:43:50Online is different

01:43:51when there's people around the world

01:43:52and they have a keyboard

01:43:53that they can type anonymously.

01:43:55It's a little different,

01:43:56but no, I don't feel

01:43:59I have anything to apologize.

01:44:00Yeah.

01:44:01What's the next few weeks

01:44:03going to be like for you, Chris?

01:44:05Yeah. Hopefully,

01:44:06because my items all

01:44:07have been taken away, confiscated.

01:44:09So my laptop, my camera, my phone.

01:44:11So I'm just trying to rebuild

01:44:13the tools that I need

01:44:14in order to get out

01:44:15and start filming every day again.

01:44:17Yeah.

01:44:18On the same issues, visiting?

01:44:20No, I'm not that stubborn.

01:44:23If I told you, yeah,

01:44:24I'm going to go right back to the same.

01:44:25No, but I mean,

01:44:27the culture is so strong here

01:44:28and the people and the stories.

01:44:30So I'm going to continue on filming

01:44:31the stuff I like to film the most.

01:44:33Yeah.

01:44:34You know, fishing and dancing

01:44:35and cultural stuff.

01:44:37Has your,

01:44:38and we just have about one minute again,

01:44:40I'm stealing this one minute

01:44:41from my producer there,

01:44:43but has your image

01:44:45of Trinidad and Tobago changed

01:44:47because of what you have gone through?

01:44:50No doubt it's changed,

01:44:51but my love for the country,

01:44:52I think, has become stronger.

01:44:54The support, when I was in a cell,

01:44:58and I'm looking at bright lights all day

01:44:59for six and a half days,

01:45:01never in a million years

01:45:02would I think when I got out of that cell,

01:45:03the support would be so strong.

01:45:05So for the people of Trinidad and Tobago,

01:45:08the love I have,

01:45:10I don't even know how I could ever repay it.

01:45:12And I have no,

01:45:13when this is all over,

01:45:15I would hope to return

01:45:16with my wife and kids one day

01:45:17so they can enjoy

01:45:19how incredible this country is.

01:45:21And I'm confident

01:45:21that I will be found innocent.

01:45:23Yeah.

01:45:24Christopher,

01:45:25it was a pleasure speaking with you.

01:45:26It's good to see you in the flesh.

01:45:28And we hope for your continued safety

01:45:31in Trinidad and Tobago

01:45:32and hope that everything works out for you.

01:45:34Thank you so much.

01:45:35We are going to a very quick break.

01:45:36We are coming back, everybody.

01:46:05Hello, variety.

01:46:07Hey, Toby.

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01:46:33So people,

01:46:33in the end,

01:46:34the guests didn't come.

01:46:35But we should not be surprised.

01:46:37He just couldn't speak the truth.

01:46:39So he didn't tell her.

01:46:44Listen,

01:46:45and listen very clearly.

01:46:47Trinidad and Tobago will always be first.

01:46:49There's the door.

01:46:51You can close it on your way out.

01:46:56Are those crocodile tails?

01:46:58Crocodile tails?

01:46:59Really?

01:46:59This is ice sports.

01:47:01That won't work here.

01:47:05Hey, CPL fans.

01:47:17Have you ever dreamt about being a part of the CPL Broadcast presenting team?

01:47:22Well, now's your chance.

01:47:25All you have to do is simply share a video of your best presenting performance

01:47:30using the hashtag CPL Talent Search

01:47:32and you could be in front of the camera at this year's tournament.

01:47:37Maybe you could interview a friend

01:47:39or give us an insightful preview about an upcoming game

01:47:43or just simply show us your passion and discuss a memorable CPL moment.

01:47:48The winner will get a live sport presenting masterclass from some of our CPL directors

01:47:53and of course,

01:47:54you get to work with me and the rest of the team.

01:47:57But don't forget the hashtag CPL Talent Search.

01:48:00Get sharing.

01:48:01I can't wait to see what you guys have got in store.

01:48:14All right.

01:48:15So welcome back, everyone.

01:48:16So we're speaking about a fundraiser now being hosted by the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

01:48:21We do have on the line this morning,

01:48:23the very Reverend Shelleyann Tania,

01:48:27Dean and Rector at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

01:48:29Reverend, thank you very much for joining us this morning.

01:48:34Good morning.

01:48:35Thank you for having me.

01:48:36And good morning, Trinidad and Tobago.

01:48:38It is good to be here.

01:48:39Yeah, good to have you, Reverend.

01:48:41Reverend, let's talk about the fundraiser.

01:48:45Sure, absolutely.

01:48:46So St. Matthias and Friends and Trinity Cathedral is part of those friends

01:48:53is having Jazz It Up for Fathers.

01:48:55Saturday, the 15th from 3 to 9 p.m. at Green Meadows in Santa Cruz.

01:49:01And we're really encouraging persons to come out to this fundraiser.

01:49:06It's a jazz event and lots lovely things lined up.

01:49:11Stacey Sobers, Theron Shaw, Sharon Wynne, Dane Goldstein, Xavier Strings, Pedro Lizama,

01:49:18Marva Newton and her band, Kairi Kaiso, Kairi Kaiso,

01:49:22Alicia Barry and One Vision, One Voice, Jamal Payer Roberts.

01:49:26So it's a packed lineup for any jazz lovers and friends of jazz lovers.

01:49:32And here's the thing.

01:49:33You come, you listen to some good music, have a good time and support a worthy cause

01:49:39because part of the proceeds go to the restoration of Holy Trinity Cathedral,

01:49:44that 200-year-old heritage building opposite Woodford Square.

01:49:48You know that big church?

01:49:50Yes.

01:49:50That is going to be restored as part of the proceeds,

01:49:54as well as the resurgence of the Santa Cruz Mission.

01:49:57So the Anglican Church has parishes all over and congregations all over Trinidad and Tobago.

01:50:04And there was a small mission in Santa Cruz and they have no building.

01:50:07And so we want to rebuild that mission so that we can minister to the community in that area.

01:50:15And so we really, really are encouraging people to come out.

01:50:19Bring your husbands, bring your fathers and let's have a good time.

01:50:23Let's celebrate our men.

01:50:25And more importantly, really contribute to something meaningful and powerful.

01:50:29There will be a soft bar, soft drinks on sale, chasers, ice, cups.

01:50:36So those kinds of things.

01:50:37Walk with your cooler and some light snacks, appetizers will be on sale.

01:50:41And there are giveaways.

01:50:43So all the early birds, you know, all the people who come in early,

01:50:46there are giveaways for those folks as you come in.

01:50:50And so we really want to encourage you.

01:50:51Tickets are available.

01:50:52They're $400, steal of a deal.

01:50:55And if you're up and around in Port of Spain, the cathedral office is a ticket booth.

01:51:00So you could just drop into the office.

01:51:02We have tickets available because we're going to try to have a few tickets on sale on the night

01:51:06because we don't want to handle too much cash, as you would understand.

01:51:10So we really, we really just want to encourage people to come out,

01:51:15enjoy the evening and support our worthy cause.

01:51:18Let's talk a little bit about the time of business because

01:51:22where people can purchase tickets at the church.

01:51:26Absolutely.

01:51:27So we're open from 8am and there will be some, the office closes to the public at 4pm.

01:51:33But today there will actually be somebody here until about 6pm.

01:51:38So that people can come through and get their tickets.

01:51:41Yeah.

01:51:42Reverend, I have about...

01:51:43And there'll be actually tie-dye and batty clothing on sale as well.

01:51:47So there'll be quite a few things that people can engage on the afternoon.

01:51:51We start at 3, we go till 9.

01:51:53Yeah.

01:51:53Reverend, and you did touch on it a little earlier.

01:51:56I just have about two minutes again, Reverend.

01:51:58I want to speak a little bit about the importance of these funds

01:52:03as it relates to doing refurbishment works at the churches.

01:52:09Absolutely.

01:52:10So in the first instance, Holy Trinity Cathedral,

01:52:13which is one of our national heritage sites, it's 200 years old,

01:52:17is in dire need of restoration.

01:52:20It really, really is in need of restoration.

01:52:22And so, and that's $70 million.

01:52:25So any proceeds that go towards that is really just helping to fill the cup.

01:52:31So we really do want people to respond to that heritage site

01:52:37that is ours as a nation and central to the life of the Anglican church,

01:52:41the source of our identity and the authority of the bishop.

01:52:45And then the community at Santa Cruz,

01:52:48they have not had a church building for a very, very long time.

01:52:52And so we think it's time to ensure that they have a building

01:52:57where they can worship and so that that mission can restart

01:53:00and we can respond to the needs of the people in Santa Cruz.

01:53:03Yeah, but where have they been worshipping in the interim?

01:53:07So they've been worshipping at people's homes

01:53:09and then some have gone to the other congregations,

01:53:12St. Matthias in Laventille, St. Columba in Barataria or Epiphany in Mova.

01:53:18So the community can have split up or be worshipping in homes.

01:53:23Yeah.

01:53:24And how much funds are needed for that facility in Santa Cruz?

01:53:28Correct.

01:53:29Yeah, so part of the proceeds will go towards the mission

01:53:33and part of the proceeds will go towards the restoration of the cathedral.

01:53:36Yeah, because I know that you mentioned

01:53:39as it relates to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port of Spain,

01:53:42it would take millions of dollars.

01:53:45So how much is needed for the facility in Santa Cruz?

01:53:50Is it multi-millions too?

01:53:52No, no, no, no.

01:53:53So that's not multi-million dollars.

01:53:56That's probably just about one

01:53:57because it's a small mission, a small community.

01:54:01And so it's really to build a facility that can hold worship

01:54:05and be a space where ministry can happen in the Santa Cruz community.

01:54:09So that's about one million.

01:54:12It's a cathedral that's taking the millions.

01:54:14Yeah, small money man, small money man, Reverend.

01:54:16Reverend, we have 30 seconds again.

01:54:18Is there anything else you'd like to tell us before you leave us this morning?

01:54:21Absolutely.

01:54:22Just a great opportunity to bring out your fathers,

01:54:27bring out your menfolk,

01:54:28come and enjoy the afternoon

01:54:31and really know that you will be contributing to something deeply meaningful

01:54:37as we seek to respond to the needs of God's people

01:54:40across Trinidad and Tobago out of these churches.

01:54:44Yes, Reverend.

01:54:45It was a pleasure speaking with you.

01:54:47Thank you very much for speaking with us this morning.

01:54:48Thank you as well.

01:54:50Thank you for the time.

01:54:51Blessings to everyone.

01:54:52All right.

01:54:53Bye for now, Reverend.

01:54:54All right.

01:54:54So that's going to do it for our program for today.

01:54:56Happy Father's Day in advance to all fathers out there.

01:55:00Have a good weekend, everybody.

01:55:02See you right back here on Monday.

01:55:03Bye for now.

01:55:26Bye.

Morning Edition: 14th June 2024

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