The End Where I Begin

Whilst reading my colleagues' blogs, I was so happy to see how such relevant urban subjects were interrelated. I have learnt a lot thus far about my theme, and have read much scholarly articles regarding the topic of homelessness. While this indeed may be my last post, it certainly not is the end. Becoming engaged in this blogging activity has aroused and deepened my interest in the topic, and I will continue to keep myself well informed about homeless persons, especially in the Global South. Any articles or links I see interesting I will share on this space. But I would also like to share what my colleagues have done regarding my blog.

• Kevin Ousman's blog, themed "Urbanosity," revealed how a newly urbanized Trinidad affects the behaviors of citizens, both in a positive and negative light. Unfortunately, with regard to homelessness, the reactions seemed to be negative, according to Ousman's post "Homeless: Sweep Them Under The Rug?" So true his words were when he said that urban dwellers misconceive homeless persons as "how yuh make yuh bed so yuh lie" and truthfully viewed as an eye sore.

 http://triniurbanosity.blogspot.com/2013/04/homeless-sweep-them-under-rug.html

• On as side point, Ousman also furthered my post on "Accommodations" in his post "De Bandit Mentality" where defensive architecture was featured in his picture choice, but this time not against homeless persons, but against..well... bandits! It really brought to mind the questions of the readiness of Trinidad taking a step forward in calling itself post-modern.

http://triniurbanosity.blogspot.com/2013/04/de-bandit-mentality-us-and-other.html

• Nirvana Hanooman also gave her take on homelessness in two of her posts, one entitles "Homelessness-No where to go" and "A place to call home :-)" The information she presented was insync with my points. For example, while including her personal experience, she stated that housing is an important determinant of personal security and comfort, however it is clear that the ability of persons to secure a home is unequal throughout the city. Very important was the point that homelessness is caused by a diverse variety of reasons.

http://citydwellingstt.blogspot.com/2013/03/single-family-dwellings.html

http://citydwellingstt.blogspot.com/2013/03/homelessness-no-where-to-go.html

• Conversely, where I lacked, Tabeeta Dwarika filled in. In her post "Decentralization- Good or Bad?" Dwarika stated as a solution to homefullness (if I may) was decentralization, giving the Trincity Millennium  Vision as an example of such. Such a post was really appreciated as the concept of family and community was encouraged, something gravely lacking in the homeless arena. This was highlighted in my post "House vs. Home."

http://urbangeographer8.blogspot.com/2013/04/decentralization-good-or-bad_14.html

Fellow bloggers, thank you sincerely for taking you time to read my posts, and as an end, I'll just leave with this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE-cc_BlvwU

Oh This Colourful Man!

I see this guy almost everyday. Actually every time i leave my house I see him. But what adds dimension to this is that he is ALWAYS, like leterally ALWAYS dressed in different clothing every time I see him.  And when I do see him, he is occupied attending to his own business. So the picture above he is sweeping the pavements, even though he has no "boss" to tell him what to do. (I asusme he is his own boss). But in the pictures below, he is seen dressed in totally different clothing. This man, to me, has one of the most colourful personalities. At times I would see him sitting on the pavement, quietly fiddling with his fingers, then a sudden burst of of ravenous laughter!!! (muhahahaha) Other times he would be sweeping cooly and calmly, then a sharp attack of the broomstick! (quite frightening I might say!) he would hit the broomstick to severely against the ground, breaking it, then cooly gather the pieces together in a nice arrangement. Then you might see him passing by you on the road and just grinning at you, in the most uncomfortable way (sighhh!!!!). This guy is a trip! He is colourful!!!

Before...

...After

 But what I found interesting was that there were books and articles published showing a direct correlation between homelessness an mental health. In fact, in a survey of hospitalized vagrants done by German psychiatrist K. Wilmanns, he found that 120 men and women had been committed with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Furthermore, American workers Faris and Dunahm suggested that the prevalance of mental illness was higher in what they termed 'the disorganized community.' (D. Bhugra," Homelessness and Mental Health." 2007). The numerous reports and writing published based on this hypothesis startled me, because it seems as if it was an obvious conclusion that 'must have been drawn.' (smh!) What do you think?

My Own Space

"...not only vindicating their right to occupy these spaces, in the face of attempts to privately take over public spaces, but also in some way...vindicating their presence as 'normal' in a space that is essentially versatile and ambiguous and should continue to be so, a space with a calling to remain chaotic, permanently erupting in some way, wild, where all conflicts have their place and where all the triumphs and failures of our times can be found, facilitating the most incredible and unexpected encounters."

Those were the words of Cabrera (2006:3) who, when regulation of public space was introduced in the global north cities demonstrated by spatial exclusion of the homeless, spoke out against the abnormality of such actions and asserted the normality of the presence of homelessness in the urban space.

Recognizing the restrictive use of public space is becoming the popular course,  Tosi (2007) explored the impacts of such changes on the persons who require the utilization of public space by virtue of their absence of fixed homes. Unfortunately the mere presence and activities of homeless persons in urban space are seen as a disturbance of the 'normal' activities  for which public spaces are intended, even as a danger. Additionally the regulation of public space further restricts the life spaces of homeless people in that it deprives marginal groups which spend most of their day in public space of 'a location for basic human functioning': of 'places where theycan claim some degree of personal comfort...' (Doherty et al, 2006) and paradoxically 'places where one may feel safe and somehow protected' (Giannoni, 2007).

Someome's own comfort, someone's own home...

(Such policies are very present and active in European countries and U.S.A.)

As a result, homeless persons are being squeezed out of their HOMES (yes! I did say homes!!!) removing culture, removing ethics and thus rendering homeless persons virtually invisible. So I go back to the quote above and ask why. Why, in a place that begs to be choatic, the chaotic and colour should be removed?

Hence my picture for this post, clearly a homeless man, on Fredrick Street in Port of Spain, claiming his own space, his own comfort, his own home...

For further reading on the Tosi's article "Homelessness and the Control of Public Space-Criminalising the Poor?" see the following link:

http://eohw.horus.be/files/freshstart/European%20Journal%20of%20Homelessness/Volume%20One/EJH_Vol1_Thinkpiece3.pdf

University of Woodford Square

Port of Spain without Woodford Square is like doubles without pepper...virtually incomplete! Without getting into the history, I can safely say how relevant and significant this place is to the city. But allow me to what Dr. Williams remarked, forewarning the struggles of constructing a post-colonial identity,

"There can be no Mother India, for those whose ancestors came from India.  There can be no Mother Africa, for those of African origin. There can be no Mother England and no dual loyalties.  There can be no Mother China, even if one could agree as to which China is the Mother; and there can be no Mother Syria and no Mother Lebanon.  A nation, like an individual, can have only one Mother.  The only Mother we recognize is Mother Trinidad & Tobago, and Mother cannot discriminate between her children.  
(History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago, 1962).

And thus began the re-identification of the square as a center of learning, a breathing manifestation of budding national identity, The University of Woodford Square. What has it grown into today? Today Woodford Square is an open space with beautiful shady trees, some over 100yrs old. Its well kept lanes with benches criss cross the grass. Its use has flourished from being singularly political to accommodating religious, business and entertainment purposes. Crusades have been held there, vendors sell there, artists drawing their models live and calypso and soca concerts are all frequent. 

But something quite common is what you shall see in the following picture:

Roaming in and around the Square, stooping on the sidewalks, leaning on the trees, so many homeless persons are found here. Infact, research papers have revealed that more important that food, homeless persons simply desire a place for rest, and Woodford Square provides that. So, what do you think should be invested into the Square? See if the following video is something realistic...

A Place To Call Home

I am taking this opportunity to give a new perspective on my take of "homelessness." Traditionally we link homelessness with street dwellings. But let's stop and think for a second about persons who have homes but prefer to find comfort and security elsewhere? Perhaps they seek security further than out of their town or city, but in another country! Yes I am referring to asylum seekers. 

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss yet what if someone wants to 'gather moss' so to speak? A recent BBC film featured a young Afghan, refusing to join the Taliban and fight for his country. In order to escape the bitter persecution he faced, he sought asylum in Greece. His application, however, was rejected,and his fate was to be deported back to his home country. He refused to accept such fate and so he ran! Before the Greek authorities could get hold of him he ran to another European country. Again he tried for political asylum there, and just like in Greece, he was rejected and so he ran again. This unfortunate guy experienced this in succession in every country he went to. The documentary ended saying that he is still looking for a place to call home.
But perhaps something a little closer to home. Did you know that, according to reports from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, over the past decade there were some 310 persons seeking asylum in Trinidad and Tobago? Indeed! On the other hand, what about locals seeking asylum internationally? Well I invite you to follow this link to a local newspaper to continue reading about what led to Auburn Mason's plea to the UK Embassy after his 2 children were murdered, and what was the outcome of his story...
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,82736.html
But for others, maybe the following picture may make some feel nostalgic, or unfortunately bring back bad memories of their, perhaps, hopeful visit there...

And finally a link to my colleague's blog on her take of my title "A Place to Call Home"

http://citydwellingstt.blogspot.com/2013/03/single-family-dwellings.

You Can Dance If You Want To!

Can anyone guess what this guy is doing? Yes, he is dancing, but you want to know something more? This guy is homeless. He was dancing to Frank Sinatra, clumsily coordinated I might add! Can you imagine that? Why did I choose to include this in my blog?

We usually walk or drive past the street dwellers, sometimes trying to avoid them, without even giving a second thought about who they are or what they have done. Admittedly I have fallen into this category as well. But this blog has really given me the opportunity to pay them attention, and stop on the pavement and wonder a little about their life. Like this guy! 

Fortunately some places have given street dwellers consideration. For example the Wake Forest University in North Carolina have an annual dance competition to support the homeless. Their members of staff, professors and students put on their dancing shoes in an effort to raise money for the homeless of Bethesda. 

But what about the homeless showcasing their own talent. "What talent?" you might ask. But look at the following video and then tell me if you got an answer to your own question.....

Accommodations

This post is dedicated to a lecture presented on the theme of Urban Architecture.

A recent debate argues that our local Trinidad is post modern, while others were contesting this theory. This post seeks to highlight the architectural factor that can be considered to give insight into this fascinating topic.

Architecture, as it is defined, is both the process and the product of designing environments for people which reflect a range of practical and aesthetic considerations (Hall and Barrett, 2012).
A facet of architecture as we know it as defensive architecture, which is described as the dystopian side to post modern architecture. Why? Because it is designed to exclude 'undesirables' as beggars or rough sleepers from the public realm (Pacione 2009). The cities of the world, namely post modern cities, emplyed various strategies to keep such 'order.' For e.g.

 (Source: New York Times, March 4th 2009)

So where does that leave Trinidad? How does Trinidad compare to the 'cities of the world?' Well, to put it simply....we accommodate the homeless! Want proof? Check my picture at the top of this post! :-)

House vs. Home

So far I have been exploring different stories of people perceived to be socially displaced. But as the title of my blog shows, what really is homeless? One definition of homelessness describes it as a condition of people without a regular dwelling. But the problem with that is that now "a regular dwelling" need a definition! Who defines "a regular dwelling?" I would say that definition is null and void. Hence the reason why Kennett (1999) said that meanings are not fixed but are continually contested, formed and re-formed in the context of political, social, cultural and economic struggles. Homelessness is a category which has shifted dramatically over time and space. In other words  it is an historically and culturally specific phenomenon and a relative concept, (Townsend, 1979) where people make judgments about their own deprivation on the basis of what they see around them. Castoriadias describes it this way:

The construction of its own world by each and every society is... the creation of a world of meanings  its social imaginary significations, which organize the natural world, create a social world proper to each society  establish the ways in which socialized and humanized individuals are to be fabricated, and institute the motives, values and hierarchies of social (human) life. (Castoriadis, 1991, p 42)

Thus, how homelessness is understood in each society reflects the ways the society is organised. Part of the difficulty of defining homelessness lies in the concept of 'home' as distinct from 'house'. Houses are relatively easy to reduce to the notion of dwelling, the material of physical structure that provides shelter, but homes are not.Given the traditionally dominant association of women with the family, with the domestic and the private arenas, home is likely to have particularly strong gendered connotations and so also is homelessness. So, when you see this picture, what comes to your mind? Homeless or houseless?

New life for homeless man | Odd Spot | BigPond News

New life for homeless man | Odd Spot | BigPond News

Literate but Homeless?

A popular politician recently said that education is the passport from poverty. Many popular press articles on adult literacy explicitly cite illiteracy as a cause of poverty. Unfortunately such assumptions have been nothing but erroneous and pervasive. Such  reasoning only focuses attention and energy on illiteracy, instead of the circumstances which illiteracy flourishes. And it blames the victim.

But what happens when someone like the man in the picture stops us in our tracts? Do we reach a dead end? I have seen his man many times wandering through the streets, swearing at the wind, sleeping on the pavements and benches along his way. But one afternoon, I came across his reading this magazine, holding it upright, without glasses (how many of you are wearing glasses to read this right now? hmm.. myself included) And that's the problem with us! We train our perceptive powers into thinking that homelessness and illiteracy are a cause and effect relationship. However a more accurate description is CORRELATION. So bloggers, the next time we see someone socially displaced, let's not stigmatize. Give him/her a chance to be believed in.     Let's remember this picture and give them a second thought. Let's not conclude that they are merely a victim of circumstance, but they are just like us....humans!

Such a relevant figure in this topic. What are your thoughts on her quote?

David Rudder - A Madman's Rant.

The man who CAN be moved...

They say a picture tells a thousand words. But some however asks a question, like this one. "What is the point of this picture?" On my commute from City Gate to the National Library I usually take the same route; up Fredrick Street and across Queen Street. On passing along Queen Street I always see a specific socially displaced, blind and begging from the pedestrians religiously sitting in a corner of a building, the corner in the picture. On this particular day I had a Digestive biscuit in my bag so I decided to save it for him to have. I went to have lunch, however I did not finish it so I decided I would give it to this faithful resident of Queen Street (and simultaneously thought "This is an epic pic for my blog!!!!") To my disappointment, I was greeted by the wrapping of the biscuit I had earlier given him, as seen in the picture. He was now gone... To where I have not a clue. Yes people...the man CAN be moved!!!

What do you have planned for today?

Just as an introductory picture, its a fore gleam of things to come. I took this picture as I was walking along a police station. Seeing these three men, early in the morning was a contrast to the bustling Croisee I'm accustomed to; adults dressed in their work attire, usually in a hurry to get to work and get their day started. I wonder what these men had planned for the day...