Feature speaker Professor Wilfred David and Makandal Daaga, Chief Servant of NJAC
TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: August 04, 2007
"Our responsibility now is to make use of all opportunities today, to plunge ourselves into the chasm of our rich past, to present newer perspectives on this 500 year debacle. We can no longer take things for granted. Let us remove the veil which was deliberately placed upon our intellectual growth and development as a subjugated people." This quote by Chief Servant Makandal Daaga highlighted the purpose of the recent 25th Annual Emancipation Day Dinner held by the Caribbean Historical Society at the JFK Auditorium in UWI.
The feature speaker for the evening was Professor Wilfred David who has authored eight books, and hundreds of papers and academic articles dealing with developments in Africa, the Caribbean and the larger Third World. Among his eight books are "Political Economy of Economic Policy: The Quest for Human Betterment", "The IMF Policy Paradigm", "Conversation of Economic Development, Historical Voices, Interpretation and Reality" and "Conflicting Paradigms in the Economics of Developing Nations".
Wilfred Edwards, the Deputy Director of the Caribbean Historical Society, welcomed the many guests gathered, and highlighted that it is the 25th anniversary of the local Emancipation commemorations.
Present at this occasion were Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Joan Yuille Williams; Chief Servant of NJAC, Makandal Daaga; C.O.P. Political Leader, Winston Dookeran; and Nigeria High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Eward Agbe.
The Julia Edwards Dance Company kicked off the entertainment segment with a drumology that flowed smoothly into a well-executed dance item by their five member dance troupe. Following their performance, the Kishan Seenath Dance Company came to the stage, performing a traditional Indian wedding dance. These two dance performances were well appreciated by the audience.
Orisha Elder Clarence Forde was presented with a special award of a plaque and an African unity stand for his service to the African community. He was also presented with copies of the latest publications by the C.H.S. "The Story of Emancipation" by Aiyegoro Ome, "A Spirit Undaunted" and the Liberation newspaper. Baba Forde in accepting these awards, encouraged people to celebrate Emancipation in the home. With over 70 years of experience in the Orisha community, he expressed to the audience that many people feared Orisha and did not accept it as they do other denominations.
After this presentation, Calypsonian Jervae Caesar treated the audience to a rendition of Stalin's "Nothing Has Changed". He followed this with his own well crafted "Pioneers of Emancipation", a song that hailed the contributions of personalities such as Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Uriah Butler and Makandal Daaga.
Terri Lyons, the dynamic daughter of Soca legend Superblue, showed her talent with a superb rendition of Ella Andell's "Rhythm of the People" which brought the audience to its feet, dancing and clapping.
Sheldon Reid, the 1998 Young King performed "No Lie", a song which paid tribute to the wisdom of elders. He followed up with the theme song of the internationalization of Emancipation Day, "One Billion Shall Rise", to loud applause from the audience.
After this segment, the dinner prepared by Kumasi Caterers was served to enthusiastic guests who enjoyed portions of Callaloo soup, Nutty rice, corn pie, black beans, Pineapple Chicken, Coconut Fish, Akara and sweet and sour vegetables.
Nyahuma Obika, president of the Caribbean Historical Society, introduced the featured speaker, Professor Wilfred David, who he said joins an impressive list of historians, activists and other speakers who have delivered the keynote address at the Emancipation Day Dinner over the years. He described Professor David as a professor of economics in the African Studies Department at Oxford University.
Professor David told the audience that he was happy to be in the land of Stalin, Ras Shorty I, Sparrow and Daaga and launched into his address on the topic "The Struggle for Emancipation: Then and Now." He described the world as being ruled by an 'anthromorphic fallacy' which he defined as a situation where things, buildings and money are valued more than people. He explained that money has taken ascendancy over the values of life by which we live.
Professor David pointed out that though many former countries had gained political independence, they remained de facto colonies, dependent on the G8 nations and the Washington Consensus (IMF and World Bank) for ideas on how to develop. "We import everything, not only consumer goods and clothes, but also ideas about ourselves," he said.
Professor David described the world as being one of 'fragmigration', a state he defined as the coexistence of both fragmentation and integration. He criticized the notion embodied by the Washington Consensus (IMF and World Bank) that there is no alternative to development other than "...you must marketize, you must privatize, you must liberalize, you devalue your current and you must tighten your belts." David shared with the audience several times during his address, words and terms which he warned them they would not find in a dictionary, since he coined them.
Professor David closed by sharing with the audience a poem by famed Guyanese poet Martin Carter titled "You Are Involved":
"This I have learnt:
today a speck
tomorrow a hero
hero or monster
you are consumed!
Like a jig
Shakes the loom:
like web
is spun the pattern
all are involved!
all are consumed!"
CHS Emancipation Day Dinner 2007 in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=193029
Homepage | Emancipation Celebrations | Special Events | Photo Gallery
|
