Friday, August 26, 2011

I'm sorry Mr. Jackson... you are so wrong...

Response to Commentary by Ian Jackson


I read with great eagerness the article penned by Ian Jackson in the Sun Newspaper of August 22nd, 2011 titled “Our youth simply do not care” only to be disappointed in the facts as stated and in the rash conclusions drawn from a poorly researched commentary. It felt more like Mr. Jackson was venting his disappointment than being objectionable in his criticism (I was expecting them to be more of a constructive nature). Maybe, I too, had too high of an expectation and for that I apologize to the writer.


Mr. Jackson goes on to use the example of the attendance and polling results at the National Youth Council of Dominica’s (NYCD) General Assembly as a primary example that the results “confirm the youth’s denial of themselves and their inability to organize and certainly a lack of motivation and direction as a unit.”


I would like to honestly ask Mr. Jackson: how does one (1) National Youth Council’s General Assembly election confirms that youths do not care? I see this as more of a social issue than a mere youth issue. If we look at the other elections, i.e. village council or by-elections, what is the voting trend? Is there a massive turnout of voters? The greater issue at hand is the fact that the youth get pigeonholed to a social (general) issue to give it significance, using young people as scapegoats, something that this writer has also done in his “Internet Children” calypso.


What troubles me about the writer’s assumption is that the he uses one instance to generalize about the entire youthful population. Every objectionable writer knows that generalizations are made based on trends as observed through data analysis usually other a significant period of time and not on one instance, especially when it pertains to human behavior and attitudes. This gut feeling analysis holds no water, like straw baskets.


To sit idly by and generalize on the state of youth affairs and their behaviors from second hand accounts (Mr. Jackson wasn’t present or hasn’t been present at a General Assembly of the National Youth Council in over five (5) years) is misleading and a rash judgment.


It feels like the judge has tried the defendant even before viewing the evidence at hand, a clear case or irrational analysis of the matter at hand.


I feel this article is disrespectful to those who worked tirelessly at the National Youth Council, often with little or no support from the “adult” population. This article also belittles the achievement of Miss Fenella Wenham (not Miss Jonella Williams) in becoming the first female President of the National Youth Council.


The article goes on to say that “one can’t say that we hear the voices of the youth on issues of national relevance such as Voters versus National ID cards or debates and discussions on integrity in public office… have they organized marches to sensitize their peers on AIDS or are they waiting for adults to do it for them?


These statements clearly come from someone who isn’t in touch with the realities especially as it relates to youth involvement in national and social issues. The National HIV/AIDS Response Unit will attest that the NYCD and other youth organization, groups and clubs have been key partners, stakeholders and participants in a number of their activities and have themselves of the past five (5) years organized numerous debates, discussions, marches, paraphernalia distribution and the likes with regards to HIV/AIDS awareness.


I can also point to more than one occasion where the NYCD openly and freely discussed the issues of National verses Voter ID, unemployment, crime and violence and various other societal ills on state and private media. Young people do discuss these issues and many others too but Mr. Jackson must also be aware that there are more avenues for discussion now than before and simply because the radio/television sources are not the chosen sources for youth doesn’t mean the absence of meaningful discussion.


I honestly think that the article should have given as much focus and credence to the other “school of thought” and should have even explored the influence of the behavior and attitudes of the “adult” generation on the “sewo” generation. Again it shows that adults are quick to judge youth without realizing that they are as much to blame for their attitudes and behaviors.


The outcomes and conclusions from a more concrete analysis would have been more fruitful and would have garnered more respect from me.


Clearly the author of “Internet Children” didn’t want to wait for it, or work hard to build his conclusion, he wanted his judgments now and he didn’t want to work for it!


There is more to be concerned about in this article but I think these points are enough, at least for now.


Delroy N. Williams


Concerned youth




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

An Amen?

My newest/latest poem:


An Amen?



So can I get an Amen?


Now that straight men


Walk crooked like gay men.


When laymen get to lead


And the skilled take a back seat,


Just what do you expect?


When those who should show respect


Those who fought for these ideals


Suddenly in 2011 become speechless!


When we are only loud


In the comfort of our homes,


But become ants


When in the land of ‘giants.’


We shrink in morality


To offer others comfort for their atrocities.


We have clothed immorality


In so many garments,


We can’t even decipher


If it’s natural or synthetic,


Oh how we’ve become so pathetic!


How the biggest and the brightest


Can be lead to their doom


By the ruthless


And just sit by in silence


When we flock to the radios


As agents of deception and miscommunication


Instead of enlightenment and education.


We spew words of hate and animosity


Fostering this state of injustice and injury.


When the courts rule with selective authority


A poor man doesn’t stand a chance,


If the legal system functions by happenstance.


I’m afraid some will take justice into their own hands


What then will happen to this land?


So now can I get the AMEN?



Monday, August 15, 2011

Keegan Maharaj erupts with Issues and Ideas

This is just a video clipping that I took of Keegan Maharaj during the Issues and Ideas (InI) session/workshop at the Nature Island Literary Festival...

No need for too much talk or anything, just listen to the young man and you are bound to feel the vibe that was emanating throughout the three days at the "little" festival of WORD, SOUND and POWER...





For photos of the events at the Nature Island Literary Festival or to contact Keegan Maharaj

Poetry meet Roseau Market, Roseau Market meet Poetry

The Roseau Market is always a bustling environment of onlookers, buyers and sellers looking for the freshest of quality fruits and vegetables on a Saturday morning in the small city of Roseau.

However on that particular Saturday, there was something "new" at the market place, as the smooth sounds of pan music and poetry elevated above all the hustling and bustling. The Poetry and Book Exchange had been organized as an outreach activity of the Nature Island Literary Festival to expand the audience of the festival in the hopes of drawing larger crowds to the University Centre in Dominica.

The reason I am babbling about the activity on my blog is because I actually performed/read poems from my upcoming book at the market. I did three poems from my first and soon to be released poetry book One Room Shack: The Dominican Gift, These Words and one of my favourites Can I, a piece centered on attracting the opposite sex...

It had been almost a year since my last poetry reading and although I was a bit nervous I did my best and followed that up with a reading at the Literary Festival of The Kalinago Girl... Expect more readings from me soon as I am getting the hang of it... who knows maybe one day you may just catch a video clip of one of my readings on my site...

Be one the look out! Remember you were cautioned, lol... oh and I did walk away with a number of books, had to take part in the book exchange too, but off course!


Images (c) NI Lit Fest















my first haiku

It's always good to try something new... sometimes just for the experience, to find out if you would be good at it or for constructive feedback.

I like to dabble into new things especially when it concerns writing. I did that a few years ago with performance-type poetry and although I haven't mastered the craft I and others (my fans, colleagues, friends, readers) have noticed a vast improvement in my work.

Every year, the Nature Island Literary Festival holds a number of competitions during the weekend activity and every year I let it slip by without participating. I wanted this year to be different so I attempted a haiku, which is a type of Japanese poetry. I had been exposed to it during my time in Japan a few years ago. I can't recall the actual year though.... which may be a sign that i'm getting old but let's get back to the point at hand now.

This is my attempt at a haiku:

Perched in the tree top
sweet songs of nature's hymn book
Song birds, sweetly sing!

Comments and criticisms are welcomed but be nice, remember this is my first attempt and I do not want it to be my last... lol.