THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said "the good in our society" must be celebrated, as 47 awards were distributed on Sunday at the annual Tobago Awards at Shaw Park Cultural Complex.
Augustine said the presentation was about the real Tobago story being told and the heroes being honoured.
These stories, he said, are of courage and not the usual “cass cass” cowardly behaviour spewed by fake profiles. He said, “These are the stories of real, honest businessmen and women and not of smart men trying to hustle and jostle the society for 30 pieces of silver, or is it that the going rate is 100 pieces of silver? This is about ensuring that the good in our society is neither silent nor is silenced.”
He said sometimes a prophet has no honour in his own country, adding that through the Tobago Awards, it is demonstrated that while gratitude is a noun, it ought to be treated as a word of action. It should be expressed with intentionality and thoughtfulness – above all, gratitude must be felt.
“This evening is really about gratitude in motion. Putting wheels on this powerful emotion, and ensuring it pulls up to the gaps of those who matter greatly to us.”
He said for many of the awardees, the occasion will be a memorable page of their personal story, one that fills their spirits with a sense of pride and fulfilment.
He said they were being awarded because they have used their time and influence to "craft a story of promise, a story of service, a story of activism; stories which have strengthened the hope and morale within yourselves, and among other people."
He said there were heroes in the audience including those who have risked their lives to save others.
"Tobagonians who exemplified such bravery that they can easily serve as inspiration for the DC or Marvel universe. Such as that of a young man, a teenager, whose courage blazed in the face of an early morning fire, driving him to evacuate several family members from their burning home. Such selflessness and unwavering mettle, at a time when fear would have been an understandable reaction.”
He said there are also compelling stories of women who have shattered the glass ceiling, rising to prominence in various spheres previously dominated by men such as in the public service, culture and agriculture. But he said, it wasn’t solely about individuals, but also organisations that are making a marked difference, especially those involved in genuine environmental work.
“What I really want to highlight is that these positive Tobago stories although varied, all spark the same positive feelings internally. Different genres, yet the message of upliftment remains. And that is mainly because you have shaped a personal or collective story, which truly inspires listening ears."
[caption id="attachment_999659" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Curtis Douglas, president of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association -[/caption]
He said the awardees are seen not just as the main characters of incredible stories but as the key storytellers and not tellers of stories.
“So
