By COREY CONNELLY Sunday, October 11 2009

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Co-ordinator of the Network of Non-Governmental Organisations Hazel Brown makes a point to Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute...

Co-ordinator of the Network of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Hazel Brown yesterday warned civil society representatives to be wary of “incursions” that attempt to prevent the progress of such associations.

Brown made the appeal while delivering a presentation at a national consultation, hosted by the Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF), ahead of next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

The event, held at Bishop Anstey High School in Port-of-Spain, sought to apprise stakeholders of the major issues to be addressed at the historic meeting.

Speaking in her capacity as CPF local host, Brown gave an overview of the feedback the organisation had received from four consultations, held recently in San Fernando, Chaguanas, Sangre Grande and Tobago.

However, she said Trinidad and Tobago must work hard to maintain the inroads it had made in acquiring its own CPF space over the years.

“I have told the story of how we got the space because it is a hard won space,” said Brown.

“This CPF is a very important thing for the people of the Commonwealth. So we have to be careful of how we nurture it and grow it and save it from incursions that will attempt to shut us down – I wouldn’t say silence us because it would take a lot to silence us – incursions that will attempt to water-down the genuine civil society representation and that is what I am appealing to all of you here today. Let us find our voice and express the genuine civil society impression because this is our space.”

In this regard, Brown spoke out against the absence of a CPF banner at yesterday’s consultation.

Directing her statement to senior co-ordinator of the national CHOGM secretariat Sharifa Ali-Abdullah, Brown stressed: “None of your banners here says Commonwealth People’s Forum. We are still getting the impression that this is for the heads and we are just the intruders in this. Put up the people’s space banner.”

Brown’s statement elicited loud applause from the gathering.

Acknowledging that civil society was fractured and divided “along all kinds of lines,” the social activist urged members to forge one collective voice.

“Can I get that assurance from all of those that are here that as civil society in Trinidad and Tobago we are together, regardless of what party we belong to, regardless of where in Trinidad and Tobago we live?” she asked.

“This is our space, we will capture it we will use it, we will keep off the incursions for a resurgence.”

Although she was heartened that the CPF and CHOGM had the same theme, “Partnering For A More Equitable And Sustainable Future”, Brown lamented the organisation had not yet seen a copy of the CHOGM concept paper.

“But I am going to put the question on the table again. Where is the CHOGM theme concept paper?” she asked. “We haven’t seen it. We going back to old things, Sharifa. I was told it was not to be made public.”

Ali-Abdullah told her that, as of yesterday, the paper was a public document.

Implementation of recommendations of the last CHOGM in Uganda was also critical in pushing this year’s agenda, Brown insisted.

“Certainly, there is a document that says what did civil society recommend in Uganda and what the Government committed to doing in Uganda,” she said.

“You cannot come here and start a new agenda all over again. So, I would like people to look at what we agreed to in Uganda and bring that forward to Port-of-Spain.”

Brown also wondered about the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the process.

“That is the missing person... What happens today must inform the Trinidad and Tobago delegation position to CHOGM,” she insisted. “Otherwise, our delegation goes there to speak on our behalf through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without having even heard us. So, we have to figure out, before we leave here, how we are connecting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”