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Self- Reflective piece about the course. 19/4/17 Objective 4.

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Self- Reflective piece about the course. 19/4/17 Objective 4.

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This course was an interesting experience for me. I have not only learned things about other cultures and civilizations but specifically my own diverse culture. This course helped me appreciate what it means to be Trinidadian and how our heritage makes us into the people we are today. Unfortunately being someone who is not fond of reading, this course was a bit challenging however, i persevered and grew to appreciate the knowledge i have learnt during the semester. The online lectures was a big issue for me, because i prefer a more natural feel of a classroom setting. however, i understand it's convenience for those who may be pressed for time, but there should be some revision on the medium (BBC) and the Broadcasting of the lectures.

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Human Trafficking and Slavery today. 19/4/17 Objective 3.

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Human Trafficking and Slavery today. 19/4/17 Objective 3.

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These are the most prominent forms of modern slavery today. Many individuals are trafficked daily, taken from their homes, kidnapped and scared of what would happen to them. they are often shipped off to another country where they will be solved or forcefully placed into labor and /or sexual exploitation. According to the Global Slave Index there are approximately 167 countries that some form of slavery is present in today. Haiti is ranked 8th on that list which is awfully surprising since its a part of the Caribbean and considerably minute compared to places like Russia and Jamaica. Trinidad recently has been exposed to the human trafficking problem. Many adults and children are missing from their homes without a trace. The snipping below is from the Trinidad express newspaper's website  about an heading published last year, 2016.

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The drawing below depicts exactly how finite our choices really are. Being a part of this system for 19 years now, i really see how enslaved we are. Since we were small we've always heard ' you can be anything you want to be' but now having a university level education, it really proves that things are not as they would lead us to believe.

Jaggernauth, Damian. 'Decisions' 19/4/17

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Was slavery abolished? Or was it just redesigned? After being a part of this course which essentially made me broaden my scope on my surroundings, I have learned that slavery was indeed redesigned. Although not as harsh as Chattel slavery, slavery still exists in the Caribbean, presently. In my honest opinion, slavery is still an epidemic plaguing societies worldwide.  The government creates this illusion of choice for us citizens but do we really have a choice? We live in a government driven lifestyle day to day, we go to school, get a job, have a family, send them to go to school so that they can get a job as well and the cycle is never ending.  When I reflect on life as it is currently, it revolves around obtaining money. Some do it for greed but most individuals just want to live, and that is only possible with money. So when you think about it, we are still slaves to the system. In order to get the money they have to work and in order to work they essentially give up some of their freedom. Ironically, it's all an attempt to gain true freedom from this economic system. Freedom is a dream and choice is all an illusion. Race aside, all of us are slaves, whether we like it or not, some of us, however, are given better choices because of the position we hold in life. The drawing below ideally embodies modern day slavery as it represents how mentally enslaved we are as humans. The drawing is original however, the concept was prevalent for a very long time now.

Jaggernauth, Damian. 'Mental Slavery.' 11/4/17

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Caribbean Chattel Slavery. 13/4/17 Objective 1. 

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Caribbean Chattel Slavery. 13/4/17 Objective 1. 

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According to Dr. Eric Williams in his book 'Capitalism and Slavery,' the origin of Negro slavery came about not because of their race but the cheapness of their labor. Slavery in itself was indeed economically driven. Sugar, Tobacco and Cotton were not needed for sustenance but were recreational commodities. The only reason such importance were placed on these commodities was solely for economic purposes. “The reasons for slavery, wrote Gibbon Wakefield, “are not moral, but economic circumstances; they relate not to vice and virtue, but to production.”13 With” (Williams, 1944).  The following picture bellow shows how slaves were reduced to being commodities and how people advertised them as goods and products to be obtained.

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Nostalgic by Damian Jaggernauth. 11/4/17 Objective 1.

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Nostalgic by Damian Jaggernauth. 11/4/17 Objective 1.

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This poem that I wrote essentially, describes West African slavery prior to the Europeans introduction of capitalism. The poem presumably articulates the thoughts of a former West African slave, currently in Caribbean Chattel slavery. Reminiscing on his past, the slave, explains essentially the pros and cons of West African slavery. A light comparison between West African slavery and Caribbean Chattel slavery is present in the poem, however, its main focus was to depict how the notion of capitalism impacted West African slavery. Slaves were not viewed as human beings anymore, but property. The late Dr. Eric Williams wrote heavily about this in his book 'Capitalism and Slavery.' He fleshed out the inner workings of slavery and exposed it for what it truly was, an economic foundation upon which countries were developed. According to him in his book, “slavery was an economic institution of the first importance. It had been the basis of Greek economy and had built up the Roman Empire. In modern times it provided the sugar for the tea and the coffee cups of the Western world. It produced the cotton to serve as a base for modern capitalism. It made the American South and the Caribbean islands.” A notion of superiority was also present, and currently plagues modern society. The Europeans subjected the slaves to harsh conditions as a means to oppress them and eradicate their personal sense of identity. Luckily they did not succeed hence the influence of African culture prevalent throughout the Caribbean.

Jaggernauth, Damian. "Nostalgic."  11/417.