SUNDAY 22 JANUARY, 2017 – UWI TODAY
9
EVENTS
It has been argued
that crime and crime-
r e l at e d i s s ue s a r e
major concerns for
Car ibbean peoples
and gove r nment s .
With old crime threats
continuing unabated
and newe r t hreat s
eme r g i n g o n t h e
Caribbean landscape, it
appears that Caribbean
l aw e n f o r c e me n t
agencies are unable to
deal with the incidence
of criminality in the
region.
Mindful of this,
a t e am i n c l ud i ng
students fromThe UWI
St. Augustine Campus took up the challenge to tackle crime
from an academic standpoint. The conference hosts were
the Policy Studies Organisation, the International Journal
on Criminology, and the American Public University, all
based in Washington DC, USA.
The UWI teamwas the largest contingent of presenters
from any one university and comprised five postgraduate
students and one undergraduate student. This presence
gave rise to eight Caribbean-themed papers at the 1
st
UNDERSTANDING CRIME BY RESEARCH
International Criminology Conference on
Crime, Criminals,
Criminality, and Criminology
at HistoricWhittemore House,
in Washington, DC.
The UWI contingent comprised of PhD candidates in
Criminology and Criminal Justice facilitated five panels on
crime in the school context; policing and the criminal justice
system. Stephen Williams, presented a paper on
Using GPS
Tracking to Reduce Homicides and Shootings in Trinidad and
Tobago: ARandomised Trial
. He submitted that the Trinidad
and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) was able to utilise aGlobal
Positioning System (GPS) tracking systemwhich assisted in
the reduction of homicides and shootings in Trinidad and
Tobago. Williams, however, lamented the lack of updated
equipment to further enhance the capacity of the TTPS
in reducing homicides and shootings using GPS tracking.
Another police-related presentation came fromZola Phillips
on the nature of witness care in the criminal justice system
in Trinidad and Tobago. She highlighted several deficiencies
within the system and cogent suggestions to remedy them.
Ayinka Nurse-Carrington, presented on
The ability of
mothers to parent while imprisoned in Trinidad and Tobago
.
Still doing her research, she lamented some practices at
the Women’s Prison in the island, but noted that several
reforms are taking place at a ‘frustratingly stultifying pace.’
Karen Lancaster-Ellis presented data on criminally-minded
individuals in Trinidad and Tobago, where perceived
pleasure outweighed the perceived pain, leading to the
commission of criminal offences.
The first ever Open Day
for the Film Programme was
recently held at the department’s Carmody Street premises.
This was part of the Programme’s Secondary School
Initiative, an outreach project aimed at educating students
about the local filmculture and industry. Students interested
in film, TV and photography learned about careers in
these industries, as well as courses offered at the UWI Film
Programme.
Among participants were students from The Arima
North Secondary, Carapichaima East Secondary, Hillview
College, North Gate College, Presentation College, and San
Juan South Secondary.
YaoRamesar, Coordinator of theUWI FilmProgramme,
introduced them to the world of filmmaking, “Success in this
is measurable. You have to be obsessed with what you do,
work hard and add value to put money in their (investors)
pockets.”
Krystian Ramlogan, a filmmaker and lecturer in film,
who studied under Haile Gerima at Howard University,
introduced students to the art and craft of film. He initiated
discussions on the importance of art, literature and film,
to the development of the Caribbean and students were
introduced to cinematic concepts via clips and stills from
select movies. He said the study and practice of film can lead
to a career in numerous fields within the creative industries
and empower the individual with truth, knowledge and the
ability to produce representations of their culture.
Amir Aether Valen, BA film student and 2016 winner
of the United Nations Trinidad and Tobago Award for Best
Emerging Documentary Filmmaker, spoke about adapting
and conceptualising written stories into film: “I try to tell a
story through the visual languages of the film.” A screening
adaptation of “The Nowarian,” filmed by Aether Valen and
written by Anna Levi, MFA (Creative Writing) student at
UWI St. Augustine, raised intriguing questions from the
visiting students. “The Nowarian” is an artistic, solemn
and nostalgic character piece about a young boy, and his
introspective journey as he tries to get a grip on his life and
embrace his existence.
Michael Mooleedhar, independent filmmaker and
graduate of the programme gave a guest lecture about his
experiences including on his latest film, “Green Days by the
River,” an adaptation of the 1967 novel byMichael Anthony.
Mooleedhar described the challenges of convincing
investors to help him realise his ideas on screen.
Production consultant at Film TT and UWI Film
Programme lecturer, Jamil Agard gave a presentation on
the production pipeline, the corporate world of filmmaking
and the benefits of producing a successful motion picture.
Ka’en Haynes, director of and actor in “Legends
Revisited” discussed the challenges of making a successful
film on an ultra low budget. He explained how his films are
tools of connectivity, linking people of different cultures
through the themes of magic and mysticism.
Dialogue, action, familiar Trinidad and Tobago
landscapes and faces elicited delighted laughter during the
screening of the award-winning film “Buck: the Man Spirit”
written and directed by Steven Taylor, another graduate of
The Film Programme.
UWI FILMHOSTS OPENDAY
Students at the UWI Film Programme Open Day pay attention to an engaging introduction to film
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE FILM PROGRAMME
The final two presentations addressed
Teacher
Perceptions of the impact of School Violence on Caribbean
Societies
and
An Exploratory Study on the Impact of
Organized Crime on Societies in Small Island Developing
States with Evidence from Five Caribbean Countries
respectively. The first study used the ‘Circle of School
Violence’ model to situate teachers’ perceptions of the
impact of school violence on Caribbean societies. The other
presentation argued that organised crime proliferates in the
Caribbean due to our porous borders, weak law enforcement
and relatively small budgets (when compared to financial
resources of some international crime groups). Further, in
combatting organised crime; national sovereignty, political
will and differing priorities sometimes hinder a cross-
Caribbean approach.
The opportunity to share academic research with the
rest of the world augured well for a deeper understanding of
crime and social issues facing the region as well as possible
academic solutions to the present crime situation in the
region. The experience was particularly rewarding for the
PhD candidates who were given advice on measures to
improve their dissertations.
This review was written by Dr Wendell C. Wallace,
a Criminologist at The UWI, St Augustine Campus
Wendell C. Wallace
