Educated Elite letting Us Down ..............

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The Caribbean Is One Nation.





Educated elite letting us down on big issues

Story Created: Jan 12, 2015 at 7:51 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jan 12, 2015 at 7:51 PM ECT 


 As a citizen of this country and an ardent Internet reader of regional and world news, I shake my head in wonder at what passes for collective responsibility in T&T. With spiralling decline in oil prices and the lukewarm response by our PM, reflected in her address we are clearly puerile as a country.
I want to agree with MP Colm Imbert when he spoke about the comatose state of our intellectuals, lecturers and professors at the University of West Indies at St Augustine, in particular  those professional teachers who hold degrees and doctorates in political science, engineering and economics, but who demonstrate no national fervour or passion on  issues that are plaguing us today.
There is no coming together of learned minds to disseminate information to the masses, no public meetings at the “University of Woodford Square” to participate in and have discussions and debates on the myriad concerns that we face on a daily basis—the high “serious” crimes, escalating food prices, the economy, and the deficient and archaic health system.
The media, both print and electronic, have their role; free speech, which embraces the Fifth Estate, also has its role—mainstream media who report and bring news, as well as the editorials and even their columnists who are either pro- or anti-government with their opinions on politics and social subjects. But that is not sufficient to massage the minds of the people.
If we are churning out educated persons from UWI why isn’t there an outpouring and a coming together as seen in other countries? In 2011 there was Occupy Wall Street in New York City’s financial district, which received global attention and produced the Occupy Movement against social and economic inequality worldwide. 
But UWI’s Student Guild hasn’t taken a page out of their book to act and used the student body’s intellectual assets to positively embrace participatory involvement. They have failed to ignite and educate the populace. 
Not one protest nor even a statement on the merits or demerits of environmental concerns, no resolve and opinions on school violence and teenage pregnancy or on the many issues facing young adults.
 We don’t act with passion as a society for things that matter and if we do there is no lengthy support, no sustained enthusiasm or steadfastness to hold firm to ideals or principles. 
Is having a degree a symbol of only being educated or should the knowledge gained be used in a practical way and shared passionately to educate the masses on the anxiety and angst that have repeatedly overshadowed our society for the last two decades? 
If there is a time in our history for unity it’s definitely now; unity is plausible and attainable once the intelligentsia from our esteemed university and society join in a collective voice of optimism.
Salaah Inniss
Arima

(From the Trinidad Express)


Mahogany Coconut Note:

We have long held the view that the intellectual elite in the Caribbean has been missing in action. Please note a quote from our article  8/9/13:

"Our research confirms that many of our most brilliant minds opt to remain in anonymity inside the region or self imposed exile in what is called the Diaspora. The half century of considerable brain drain has effectively robbed the region of much needed intellectual capacity. We are engaging ourselves in pseudo intellectualism hoping that the magic of words and the regurgitating of eighteenth century economics theory will save us. We are turning a blind eye as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Apologists are identifying our progress in terms of gains made via independence and generic development in health, education and housing. They are refusing to admit that most of those gains were before the information highway and the current international monetary crisis engineered by greed and graft in Washington, London and other so-called developed countries."

 http://mahoganycoconut.blogspot.com/2013/08/are-we-there-yet.html

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