Invitation To The 101th Zoom Public Meeting by Staff Reporter
The entire month of May in most of the Caribbean has been deemed as Indian History or Heritage Month. On special historic days in various countries, participants gather to honour their ancestors who had crossed three oceans to travel halfway around the world to reach the Caribbean. They gather to pray for their souls and to seek guidance and blessings for the future. Scholars, teachers and elders share their knowledge of the past and increase public awareness of this important aspect of the nation’s history and heritage. Speakers and writers emphasise the common experience of Indians and Africans under colonial rule, and the links and similarities between indentureship and slavery. It is a day of remembrance as well as reflection, and a time for celebration of unity in diversity.
Commemorations take the form of prayers, speeches, songs, music, dances and plays in communal as well as public spaces. The spirit of the day is invoked at various beaches with the re-enactment of the landing of the first boatload of pioneers who gave birth to the Indian community. At libraries, books and other reading materials are put on display. Schools engage children in art and research competitions, and in the reconstruction of their respective family trees. Citizens are encouraged to collect and display old photographs and artifacts relevant to the history of Indians in the Caribbean. Participants recommit themselves to traditional values and celebrate their cultural contributions to their respective multi-ethnic societies.
Please join us THIS SUNDAY for a joint ICC, AGI & SCF ZOOM Public Meeting, May 8, 2022 at (1.00 p.m. Belize), (3.00 p.m. New York/Eastern time), (3.00 p.m. Trinidad/Atlantic time), (3.00 p.m. Guyana), (4.00 p.m. Suriname), (8.00 p.m. England), (9.00 p.m. South Africa), (Mon 12.10 a.m. India, ND), (Mon 7.00 a.m. Fiji).
Topic: Indentureship, Oral History, Memory and Movies in the Indian Diaspora
Speakers:
- Ravi Dev (Guyana) – Indo-Guyanese civil rights activist and former Member of Parliament; former attorney in New York City, USA. Former leader of ROAR (Rise, Organise and Rally)
- Dr. Ouma Seebaluck (Mauritius) – Author of the book Bollywood and its Global Impact (2022), former airline executive, and Ph.D. in International Studies from JMI University, India
- Dr. Kumar Mahabir (Trinidad) – Lecturer, University of Guyana; Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Florida (UF); and former Organisation of American States (OAS) Fellow
Followed by Q&A
Join Zoom Meeting by touching or clicking on this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88218492543
Meeting ID: 882 1849 2543
No Passcode Needed
Live-streamed on the YouTube channel of the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre
https://www.youtube.com/user/dmahab
Hosted by www.indocaribbeanpublications.com + https://ameenagafoorinstitute.org
WhatsApp +1 868 756 4961 or +1 868 381 0386
dmahabir@gmail.com, indocaribbeanstaff@gmail.com
is a full-time anthropologist at the University of Guyana (UG) and Fellow of The Eccles Centre for American Studies, British Library (2022-23). He is a former Assistant Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida (UF). As a doctoral student, he won a Florida Caribbean Institute Award, an A. Curtis Wilgus Grant, and an Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowship.
Mahabir received a National Award (Hummingbird Silver Medal) for his contribution to education in his country in 2011. He was among 50 recipients who received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the UWI Alumni Association.
Mahabir is the author of 12 books to date.