THE EDITOR: It was with sadness that I read of the passing of Hazel Brown.
Apart from the many areas which she championed, including the rights and development of women, Hazel made significant contributions in local government advancement. In the late 1980s, 1990s and continuing, she and her associates would organise meetings and seminars on local government, encouraging more women to be involved and to contest local government elections.
Hazel would often invite me to address these participants on local government issues and development. These meetings were held in many parts of the country, and I recall attending such occasions at her office in Port of Spain, and in Arima and San Fernando.
One notable aspect of Hazel's approach was that she felt that local government and community participation were the foundation of all development; that meaningful development can only start with the involvement of the people in decisions that affect their basic needs, and this was the essential qualitative difference that was needed.
In fact, I would say that Hazel's work contributed to the Municipal Corporations Act, 1990, which replaced the old County Councils Act.
It was a great honour to work with Hazel to a limited extent in one of the many issues of which she was a strong advocate.
LENNOX SANKERSINGH
via e-mail
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