00:00Historian Dr. Jerome Tilak Singh says Trinidad and Tobago has much to celebrate, particularly
00:07its achievements in sport, music and the arts. But, he believes, the country still has some
00:13maturing to do, including developing policies and systems around its own realities rather
00:20than simply borrowing foreign models.
00:22When we do that, we create problems. We don't design a model for a small economy or for
00:29a developing economy. We believe that because it works good in Germany, it works good in
00:33Singapore, it works good in Taiwan, we're going to use it in Trinidad and Tobago. What
00:39is good for China might not be good for Trinidad and Tobago. So I think we also have to look
00:43at the way in which we are like mimic men. We want to try to imitate something that doesn't
00:49fit. It's not one size fits to all. It never is.
00:52He says meaningful progress depends on good leadership and a willingness to confront the
00:58social divisions that continue to shape the country, including ethnic and religious tensions.
01:04You cannot also have a leader inspiring just part of the population or just those who voted
01:11for the leader. So I think this is where I envision, I see problems where the leader speaks and only
01:19his or her followers would be listening to that leader and agreeing with the leader. So I see
01:25that as not just confined to Trinidad and Tobago, but across the board.
01:29And as crime, corruption and concerns about public sector management persists, Dr. Tilok Singh
01:34says the country must also confront a growing tendency among young people to look overseas for
01:41opportunity rather than seeing themselves as part of Trinidad and Tobago's development.
01:47A lot of people, the younger generation, you know, under 30 years, 35 years,
01:51they just want to migrate. You know, this contributes to the brain drain. You know,
01:56they just want a visa. They just want a job abroad. And they believe, you know, going to United States
02:01or going abroad is the promised land. So I think we have to, you know, try to encourage the younger
02:06generation, those graduating with degrees from Cape to stay at home, build the Caribbean, build Trinidad and Tobago.
02:15At 64, Tilok Singh says independence must be more than a celebration of where we've been.
02:22He says the greater challenge is deciding where we go from here. Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
02:30Go ahead and see you later.
02:31You
02:32You
