THE ”CARNIVAL” OF NATIONAL IDENTITY – MADE IN TRINIDAD WITH DR KIRK MEIGHOO
The “unknown” Caribbean – Trinidad and Tobago
Ever heard of the term “Third World Nationalist”? Well neither did I until I met the infamous Dr Kirk Meighoo! Kirk and I have been friends for many years, often being verbal sparring partners when navigating the world of identity, economics and policies. In this episode, we take a voyage through the neglected side of Trinidad. The southernmost island country in the Caribbean that is best known for its fossil-fuel wealth and its carnival culture. Kirk expertly guides me through the deeper issues at play and why all community voices matter when trying to create national prosperity. We also look at his own remarkable life and why he took the decision to leave Canada to move back to his ancestral home.
About Kirk Meighoo
Dr. Kirk Meighoo is a political economist, broadcaster, author and former Independent Senator in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been a nationally, regionally and globally recognised public intellectual since 1992.
Dr. Meighoo has the unique honour of being the only West Indian to have launched a book in the UK House of Commons in Westminster. He also co-authored Democracy and Constitution Reform in Trinidad and Tobago with Court of Appeal Justice Peter Jamadar.
Dr. Meighoo was a founder of the British-Caribbean Chamber of Commerce and has consulted for Fortune 500 Companies including BP Trinidad and Tobago, JP Morgan, among others, in addition to serving on boards of several innovative start-up companies in the fields of environmentally harmonious development, digital technology, security, and media. He is an advisor for Global Consulting firm NazranRoth.
About the Global Indian Series:
My name is Rajan Nazran Chief Explorer for the Global Indian Series, the official platform for people of Indian origin (PIO), because let’s face it, we are everywhere!
For almost 15 years we have travelled across the globe covering 58 countries to date whilst exploring the kaleidoscope of our remarkable 50 shades of brown community.
Voyaging to the edges of the Amazon, facing Ebola in West Africa, being held hostage in Eastern Europe, tapping rubber in Malaysia, drinking chai with Heads of State and sharing laughter with local fishermen – I have been there, looking for us!
Our purpose is simple, to build a living encyclopaedia of the human experience of the community and a safe mooring ground for open discussions, whether you are an NRI, Indian Diaspora, person of Indian origin (PIO) or a fan of South Asian anthropology, what we do is bring people and communities together.
We do this by plunging into the human experience of being a person of Indian origin (PIO), taking a second look at the countries we now call home and tackling the conversations we need to know more about.
Through our range of award-winning original content (print, podcasts, events and TV) and fascinating discussions, our impactful stories and platforms have spearheaded national and international conversations that have brought people together. Our work is featured in global brands including The Indian Express through to the CNBC network.
How to get involved:
Interested in getting involved in building the world’s largest living encyclopaedia on the community? Whether you want to become a patron, buy us a chai in a new location or have your story shown, simply get in touch via our website, we would love to hear from you. www.globalindianseries.com
Social media:
You can reach Rajan via
Global Indian Series (@rajannazran) • Instagram photos and videos
(1) Rajan (Singh) Nazran | LinkedIn
Global Indian Series – YouTube
Special thank you to TAIZU for the music
Episode: 114
Presenter – Rajan Nazran
Producer –Global Indian Series/NazranRoth
Guests in order: Dr Kirk Meighoo
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