This is the Final Push for the Petition: We wish to thank all the Participants on this WST Forum and all the people from all parts of the world who have signed the Petition. Your comments were also meaningful and important. You have proven that not only you do care about ‘Pan’ and the issue at hand, but that you were willing to do more than just talk about it. You have stood up on the side of history against a simply bad policy of the Arts & Culture Minister and by extension the government of T&T. In so doing you have set a precedence for future forms of Protest on an international platform.
The Petition is moving through the general membership of Steelbands in Trinidad & Tobago with enthusiasm as this issue is very dear to the same people that it directly affects. I am quite sure that you feel the disappointments of our own brothers and sisters membership (6000 plus) on this WST forum who for whatever reasons did not sign up on this side of the history. Regardless of the outcome of the Petition they will have to deal with their participation or lack thereof. In this Final Push we are calling on you who have already signed up to engage your family and friends to participate, as this Petition is not only for direct Pan Players or people who are directly involved. The issue is against injustice, an unjust policy towards a people, by a government in power. The presentation of the Petition to the Government has to be obviously done by the Steelband organization Pan Trinbago but please feel free to offer any suggestions as regards the type of presentation necessary, so that we can inform them of the world’s community desires.
The concept of the Petition to appeal to the government of T&T to reverse their policy goes beyond talk, it is indeed an action and initiated by the World’s Steelpan Community, It therefore goes beyond T&T and Pan Trinbago. Why this is an important development is because its intent is to make the government become aware that the world is watching and are concerned about what they do and say. But it will also serve the same purpose as regards Pan Trinbago or any other issue. It is also why it is important that the World ‘s Steelpan Community come together and unite for the common good of the future of the Pan. Many great ideas and suggestions have presented themselves in these discussions. As a national in the Diaspora ( presently in T&T). I am appealing to you to push this last week for more signatures for this Petition, by now engaging your friends and families to sign up to make the Unity statement more viable. Let us cross one bridge at a time…this bridge is the issue with the ‘Band of Gypsies’ and the removal of the $200 .TT from the people who needs it the most and have rightly earned it for their work of Pan practice leading up to the Preliminary competition. More signatures are welcome for the Petition
ENGAGE,…… ENGAGE …A CALL TO ARMS ……..SIGN THE PETITION
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationals-and-steelpanlovers
Salah
Replies
It is a great wonder that there is so much talk on this Forum ....and a call for action is raised ...and silence emerges....at least talk and say why you are not signing the Petition......Do you care about your fellow PanPlayers in T&T?......Are you afraid to put your name behind this action.......This is a legit , democratice right of every one...but you already know that ...so what's your story.......387 concerned people have signed this Petition and we will proceed with what we have got..
do your part
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationals-and-steelpanlovers
Salah
Hi Foy,
Thanks for keeping the issue alive on line. ....we are now up to 395 and counting...as far as the hard copy here in T&T...It is difficult at this stage to know how many signatures because we have not yet collected the signatures from the bands. It really should have been an easy task for Pan Trinbago by distributing the hard copies to all the regional administrations who in turn would re distribute to all the bands in their region. This is something that should be an easy task and I am hoping that it is so...but I have to admit that sometimes 'Trinis' themselves are their worst enemies. I personally visited several bands and handed out the Petition with enough to cover their estimated amount of players in each category. another friend took it upon himself to cover all the bands of the South and Central regions. I visited Pan Trinbago yesterday to enquire about what strategy would be the best for the presentation of the Petition to the Government. I was told by the VP that they were having a meeting with the Gypsy later in the day and then they would know whether the Gypsy is continuing on his course or heakening to the world's responses to his policy. Pan Trinbago has a meeting of the bands representatives today Thursady Feb. 3rd, So we will have the information later on today.....If the government puts back the $200TT then it closes the issue and hence no need for the Petition...If not we simply continue. I will keep you posted as more information is availale.....In the meantime WST members show some courage and sign the Petition.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationals-and-steelpanlovers
Salah
I can't understand why not everyone on this board is signing the petition.
We are here because we love pan, so please get up and show that you care!
370 signatures and counting...SIGN UP
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationals-and-steelpanlovers
Salah
Now up to 368 signatures and counting.....don't miss out on this piece of History ...Sign the Petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationals-and-steelpanlovers
Salah
We are now up to 352 signatures on line and counting .....We are calling on all 6000plus WST members to support the local panplayer in T&T by signing the Petition. The local Steelpan community are doing their part. I urge you to do yours ..your signature means a lot as you represent the World's Steelpan Community.
Salah
I think that they should give the pan playing more then that!!!!!1
E . Simpson.