Monday, November 23 2009

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PARANG SISTERS: The Allard sisters in action during a performance by popular parang band Los Dinamicos at the Rotary Club of Port-of-Spain's annual ev...

UNDER tents in Port-of-Spain’s Queens Park Savannah, the air has come alive with 55 conversations about development, democracy, citizenship, creativity, health, sexuality, economic independence and the environment. In the East African city of Kampala two years ago, the biennial Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM) introduced the exciting new concept of a Commonwealth People’s Space.

Among the most fascinating features of the People’s Space are the pavilions where a series of conversations take place about the same critical issues to be discussed by government leaders at the Hyatt and the civil society delegates in the People’s Forum at the Cascadia Hotel.

Unlike either of those two forums, however, the conversations scheduled for the People’s Space are open to all, involving presentations and performances by well known authors, artists, activists and thinkers like Gabrielle Hosein, Kafra Kambon, Hazel Brown, Wayne Kublalsingh, Michael Als, Brother Resistance, Norris Deonarine, Sheila Solomon, Sonja Dumas, Muhammad Muwakil, Rhoda Reddock and Grace Talma.

The People’s Space conversations which started yesterday morning, continue today into the evening, and run during daytime hours only tomorrow and Wednesday, then resume Friday evening and continue over the weekend, culminating next Sunday with conversations and performances on rapso, spoken word, food security, and the economics of smelters.

Most activities take place in the “Written and Spoken Word” and “Our Commonwealth” pavilions, on the southeastern edge of the Savannah, with select activities in “Massala”, “The Panyard” and “Vintage”.

“It’s a vibrant, democratic forum, and it was the most powerful part of the 2007 meeting in Uganda,” said local activist Hazel Brown, who represented Trinidad and Tobago there.