An ambitious project to inject hundreds of thousands of US dollars into sport in an attempt to persuade young people away from crime led me to Trinidad. I talked to those at risk and who are involved in Port of Spain’s gang warfare to see whether it was likely to be a success. I found a great deal of passion and positives to the idea on this Caribbean island. New facilities and money were benefiting young people but I also found that more deep rooted causes of crime – poverty and a need to belong for many hardened gang members, restricted its’ effectiveness.
Listen to the full documentary here
See the Trinidad photo slideshow here
After this programme was broadcast, I heard the news that Jah David, the gang member featured had been killed and Jack Warner stepped down from his post as National Security Minister, resigning amid a fraud inquiry.
Nina Robinson Documentaries 
Hi Nina,
I’m from Trinidad & Tobago and recently came across your Sports & Crime 2012 Documentary and was really glad you had done work in my country- I shared it with several friends.
I’m commenting now because a group in Trinidad has been tirelessly trying to work with the current government to avoid the use of government money for badly planned or thought out projects, more specifically, they are contesting the building of a specific segment of a highway in south Trinidad. I’ve posted the background to the information below for you to read. They have tried contacting the BBC ‘World Have Your Say’ as well as the Caribbean/Latin America’s link but currently have not yet heard back.
“Since 2005, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago embarked on a road expansion project
which includes the construction of a highway segment from Debe to Mon Desir.
The highway segment proposes to demolish three hundred homes, homesteads, businesses,
places of worship, threatens to cause permanent flooding, destroy thousands of acres of
agricultural lands, disconnect thirteen established, empowered, close knit communities, to cost
billions of dollars and damage the ecologically sensitive Oropouche lagoon system.
Since 2005, the HRM and predecessor groups have expressed strong disapproval of the Debe to
Mon Desir segment and lobbied for the reroute of this segment and development of an improved
system of road connectivity using connector roads and upgrade of the existing excellent road
network.
Over the last three years especially, the HRM has been attempting to persuade the Government
to reroute the Debe to Mon Desir highway and more recently (since February 2013) to abide by
the recommendations of the James Armstrong Report, produced by nineteen independent experts
(see Appendix 3).
The HRM has had scores of meetings with the authorities and scores of letters sent to the
authorities e.g. The Prime Minister, constituency Member of Parliament, Government Ministers,
the EMA, NIDCO.
The HRM has filed a legal action in the courts since August 3rd 2012. The matter is still being
heard in the courts.
The HRM has also engaged in numerous peaceful, public actions to increase awareness of the
movement’s concern and aid their diplomatic efforts.
Despite these efforts, the HRM has met with disrespect, arrogance, insincerity, bullying,
intimidation in their meetings with public officials and state agencies.
Over the past four years, public office holders have launched a systematic pattern of abuse
against members of the Highway Reroute Movement and other citizens of Debe to Mon Desir.
The following describes this pattern of abuse and atrocities committed against the members of
the HRM. ” Taken from the document ‘Pattern of Abuse Against the Highway Reroute Movement committed by the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, 2010-2014
I thought you might have some guidance as to how we can bring about international awareness on this issue as you have worked in our country before and were posted in Kingston, Jamaica. Whether you would be willing to cover this story yourself or be able to put us in contact with someone who can. There is a whole team of people ready and waiting with the necessary information to inform you. Dr. Kublalsingh is currently on his 85th day without food or water, in protest of the government’s approach to handling the construction of this highway and it is devastating that he could potentially not recover from this.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Elizabeth
thanks elizabeth – one of my colleagues says he is going to trinidad very soon = let me find out his investigation and get back to you