By Simone Leid, Trinidad and Tobago
Development is not synonymous with economic growth alone. It is a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence. As such, development is inseparable from culture. (UNESCO)
Increasingly, the development monster is altering the cultural landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. High rise buildings and expansion of heavy industry is not only destroying the natural environment and traditional lifestyles, but also creating a sense of alienation and dislocation; a metal beast barrelling ahead like a tornado, crushing the soul of a people in its wake.
We often think of culture in terms of language, religion, dance and festivals. But the natural environment, topography of the land, architecture and traditional modes of production also constitute key aspects of culture. Recognising this important relationship between natural heritage and culture, several international Conventions and Declarations require State parties to ensure that cultural landscapes and natural heritage are protected and that indigenous communities are allowed to preserve their traditional livelihoods and share in the benefits of any rents accrued from extraction or use of its natural resources. (See The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Convention on Biological Diversity Article 8j, Declaration on the Role of Sacred Natural Sites and Cultural Landscapes in the Conservation of Biological and Cultural Diversity)
In the last several years there has been an on-going battle in the south-west region of Trinidad. Economic development initiatives such as the planned construction of an Aluminium Smelter, a Steel Mill, a port for the Mill and the now completed Water-Taxi service are not only threatening the health and well being of communities in these areas but are also decimating the natural landscape, destroying ecosystems and fishing grounds and eliminating traditional lifestyles and livelihoods particularly in the artisanal fishing and subsistence agriculture sector.
Even our architecture is creating a painful dissonance between who we are as a people and the spaces we inhabit. The design and location of various buildings and physical infrastructure seem to have been developed with little consideration for our peculiar ecological and socio-cultural contexts. The National Performing Arts Centre which will be the venue for the cultural gala that will open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is one example. The large metal and glass domes burrowing their way up from one of the former, and quickly disappearing, open green spaces in the tiny capital city feels oppressive and alien, having been designed without consultation of the local artist community. There are also plans underway to further destroy the famous Maracas Bay. This once pristine natural beach and peaceful weekend refuge for citizens will now be defiled with the addition of pavilions, boardwalks and other built structures.
In a world increasingly impacted by the homogenising forces of Globalization and the destructive effects of pollution and climate change on natural ecosystems, countries need to be vigilant to safeguard their cultural diversity and to preserve natural sites and traditional knowledge. These are what contribute to our identities, shape our attitudes and build our sense of community. Civil Society must take action to ensure that ‘development’ doesn’t result in a destruction of our natural heritage.
