Commentary
Newsday
But listen carefully
To you, your MP have a duty
Whether or not you voted for them
They supposed to attend to the constituents’ problem
For you they supposed to make time
They shouldn’t be so hard to find
Allyuh keep calling in, call in and talk allyuh mind.
– Brian London, Call Dem Out
Over the past weeks, we embraced the enchantment of our music, the strength of our culture and the power of our stories. Perhaps for the first time, I saw attempts at getting to know the people who are seeking to represent us and delving into the communities that will be impacted by their leadership.
Yet, as we look to the future, we must also face the reality that our civic space is getting smaller. The cherished ritual of choice has become tarnished by apathy, disillusionment and a questioning of the systems that are supposed to make our lives easier.
Is it enough to rely on our representatives for the transformation we need, or should our population become more adept at catalysing such change? What role could there be for the creative sector in fostering deeper civic awareness?
Civic space is described as, the environment that allows individuals and groups to participate meaningfully in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of their societies. The study of civics goes beyond offering insights into politics.
It is about building the capacity of citizens to be more critically engaged in the decision-making process of their country, demand accountability from their leaders and develop a more compassionate society. However, as admirable as all of this may sound, the reality is our civic space is shrinking due to factors such as hostile gender relations, lack of inclusion and threats to freedom of the press.
In TT, we have consistently avoided empowering citizens to make decisions, think critically or demystify the political process. In fact, one may argue that the removal of civics from school curricula essentially resulted in disempowering citizens, putting us at a disadvantage when it comes to making decisions about our collective future.
In recent times, efforts to re-introduce concepts of nation-building and civic responsibility still fail to resonate with students, largely because of the way that we continue to teach Caribbean people.
We tentatively tweak rather than implement innovative and exciting ways to encourage a more civic-minded nation. We consistently resist grounding our education in culture and the arts – as we successfully managed to do during the election.
But this conversation is not only about transforming our approach to inspiring meaningful engagement with the political system. Given the history and ethnic complexity of our nation, does the Westminster system even satisfy what we need now as a country?
Can its combative and inherently divisive nature (just start with the physical design of a Parliamentary Chamber) serve the needs of a society that needs to heal and grow? For instance, where are the voices and values of our indigenous and other ancestors in the choices we make?
Another reality is that the civic space has shifted from traditional forms of media and interaction to the digital sphere. This is often good news for grassroots or non-governmental organisations that need to engage with communities, raise funds and be more visible on limited budgets.
However, the threats of misinformation, slander, dishonest practices and online bullying require a population that is better trained and aware of how to identify and treat with problematic online content.
As more people become victims of criminals in the digital space, creative solutions should be employed to inform and empower people to better navigate these challenges.
Greater political literacy is urgently needed if we are to improve how we engage in our civic space. The level of conversation in online comments persistently deteriorates, with a disturbing number of statements ranging from the very trivial to misogynistic, racist, or fundamentally offensive.
The civic space is really about elevating the contributions of the people. There must be more to civic responsibility than the perennial election of representatives. Organising and attending public meetings is not enough.
The ground will always carry it, but it is the responsibility of our leaders to create a better civic space bolstered by our stories and our art. We either make this choice for the future or continue to look on helplessly as the ground rises up in protest.
Dara E. Healy is a performing artist and founder of the Idakeda Group, a cultural organisation dedicated to empowering communities through the arts.
