News Releases

Launch of “Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana: Race and Politics in Two Plural Societies”

For Release Upon Receipt - November 22, 2013

St. Augustine


 

ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – Professor Ann Marie Bissessar and Professor Emeritus John La Guerre officially launched their new book “Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana: Race and Politics in Two Plural Societies” on November 19. The launch was held at the Main Salon of the Office of the Campus Principal, The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus.  

In his opening remarks, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Clement Sankat thanked both Professors for their tremendous service to The UWI and their willingness to comment, analyze and communicate the findings of their research into the public domain. He added, “As you would all know, our country recorded four elections in the space of just one year...In addition, general elections are constitutionally due in 2015. While these elections may reflect strong democratic principles in our country, one may ask – how has race and ethnicity influenced the outcomes of these, and other elections in the past?  How does race impact upon politics and consequently the governance structure of our country? These are very pertinent questions that we must ask ourselves as we move forward as a nation, and I am truly pleased that this type of analysis is being done by our very own UWI professors.”  

The book attempts to probe more carefully the processes by which social and ethnic problems, in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, are conveyed to the political arena and the mechanisms by which they determine critical outcomes. In a review of the book, Robin Cohen, Emeritus Professor of Development Studies at the University of Oxford, said “Ann Marie Bissessar and John Gaffar La Guerre have provided a precisely observed account of race and politics in Trinidad/Tobago and Guyana. While covering the demographic and historical background to race relations in these two plural societies, they lay most emphasis on how governments and leaderships amplified or dampened race conflict. All those interested in the comparative study of ethnic relations will learn much from their well-informed and scholarly treatment of this complex issue.”

The launch was chaired by Integrity Commission Chairman, Ken Gordon and Justice Rajmanlal Joseph delivered the feature address.

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About The Authors

Ann Marie Bissessar is a Professor attached to the Department of Behavioural Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus Trinidad. She has written/co-edited/edited 16 books and approximately 70 articles in peer reviewed journals. Her interests include issues of governance, anti-corruption, human trafficking and political issues.

Professor Emeritus John Gaffar La Guerre assumed duties at the then Department of Government in 1971 (UWI) and retired in 2001. La Guerre served in a number of capacities at the University; Head of the department, Dean, Vice Dean and in 1998 was appointed as Public Orator for the University. He is well noted for his work on Constitutional Reform, serving as a member for nearly all Government’s Committees and Commissions. He also served with Selwyn Ryan as co-Director of the Centre of Ethnic Studies in 2002. In 2012 he was awarded one of the country’s highest awards, the Chaconia Gold for his contribution to Higher Education.

About UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.) 

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