THE EDITOR: There are stories coming out of South Africa that don't make headlines. Those are stories of black and white people together improving their wine production, co-operating in merging traditional dances with European influences, and producing wonderful works of art.
They are a long way from getting to the levels of trust that would make South Africa a prosperous model nation, but one thing is clear - the potential for peace, growth and development is increased when people unite.
There are many proposing the solution to the conflict between Israel and Gaza as the peaceful existence of two states on that parcel of land. But one can only imagine the lasting peace and prosperity that can emerge if both peoples were to agree to a single state with a democratically elected government committed to a better quality of life and security for both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Common sense, intelligence and history have shown that unity, the coming together of people, leads to lasting peace and prosperity. Evidence of this is Germany that was once divided into east and west regions.
The pursuit of sectarian dominance politically, economically, socially, or religiously has led to tremendous pain and death for the human population.
In a very small country like TT, that divisiveness has led to inefficiency in our public service, a brain drain as our more qualified citizens seek lucrative employment abroad, gang dominance in our communities, an infiltration of illegal activities among our defence forces and police, and the election of individuals with sectarian or personal interests.
In TT, there are more than enough resources to make every family in the country contented. There is a large supply of water to have it distributed to every home, there are enough resources to fix every road, repair every bridge and provide permanent employment to every citizen seeking employment.
Instead, there are the exceedingly filthy rich, with thousands of boats docked at marinas, multimillion-dollar houses in gated communities, a plethora of luxury cars, and trips down the islands and abroad by the few.
This exists while young men are seen daily walking barefoot across the Beetham Highway and rummaging through garbage to find food and items that can be salvaged for sustenance. Many have joined gangs and are daily engaged in murders that amount to hundreds killed each year.
The solution is clear. The people of TT must unite, they must look beyond their race, their social sect, their religion, their community loyalty, and their political allegiances, and make a concerted effort to rebuild the country. It is that simple and that complex.
The extent to which we can unite under one party, under one flag in one country will determine the quality of life and success of the people of this small country. Alternatively, the demise will continue.
There must be a renewed trust. There must be hope.
STEVE ALVAREZ
via e-mail
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