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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/ESPC, USOAS AND INR/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KSUM MASS TD
SUBJECT: SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS: SIDE FORUMS AND PEOPLE'S SUMMIT 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Private Sector Forum and the Youth Forum of 
the Summit of the Americas (SOA) will take place April 15-16 on the 
cruise ship Caribbean Princess, and the Civil Society Forum will be 
held the same days on the Carnival Victory.  Both ships, to be 
docked near the SOA site at the Hyatt Hotel, will then house 
official delegates to the April 17-19 Summit of the Americas.  In 
addition to the three official pre-SOA meetings, the fourth People's 
Summit of the Americas will take place April 16-18 at the Cipriani 
College of Labor in Valsayn, ten miles from Port of Spain.  The 
People's Summit will convene farmers, indigenous peoples, labor 
unions, environmental and human rights organizations and others to 
protest neo-liberal economic models, militarism, and free trade. 
Members of the People's Summit plan to demonstrate in Port of Spain 
during the SOA, though the government has said that it will not give 
a permit for crowds near Summit sites.  The preparatory state of the 
side forums, and the alternate event, about mirrors the current 
situation on the Summit itself -- behind but pulling out all stops 
to catch up.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM: SECRETARIAT SAYS ALL ON TRACK 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summit Secretariat Advisor Maxine Harris told Poloff 
February 16 that preparations for the Civil Society Forum were on 
track.  She expected about 250 persons from outside TT and 100-150 
local participants.  Participants would include non-governmental 
organizations (NGO), human rights groups, community-based 
organizations, academics and the disabled.  The GOTT would provide 
transportation from the airport to the ship.  Harris expected the 
focus to be on capacity building and information exchange.  In 
addition to the meetings on the ship, there would be a "People's 
Space" on Brian Lara promenade, just outside the secure zone 
surrounding the Hyatt in downtown Port of Spain, where participants 
could walk around and interact informally. 
 
NEED TO PROMOTE SOA AWARENESS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  In a separate February 11 meeting with well-known activist 
Hazel Brown, Director of the "Network of Non-Governmental 
Organizations of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women," 
and Gia-Gaspard Taylor, who works in the Port of Spain Mayor's 
office, PolOffs were told the Civil Society Forum hopes to have 200 
local delegates and 250 from other countries.  Brown plans to 
organize a Caribbean-wide video conference prior to the Summit to 
promote SOA awareness and discuss regional concerns.  In addition, 
her group is working to promote greater SOA awareness within 
Trinidad and Tobago by organizing a Carnival Band and visiting 
schools to organize mock debates on Summit topics.  Ms. Brown echoed 
media comments that the Summit Secretariat had not yet made the SOA 
seem relevant to most of the people of TT.  She also hoped that 
Foreign Ministers in country on April 17 would meet with the Civil 
Society Forum.  She added that citizens of TT were looking forward 
to at least catching a glimpse of President Obama; seeing him would 
be the most tangible benefit of the Summit for many.  (Note: Ms. 
Brown has also asked that the First Lady, should she travel to Port 
of Spain, speak at a Work and Family Symposium she would organize.) 
 
 
SOME CONCERNS 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Brown said the Summit Secretariat had "arbitrarily" chosen 
GOTT Deputy National Summit Coordinator Beverly Khan to chair the 
Civil Society Forum without input from NGOs, and that the 
Secretariat had marginalized the Foreign Ministry and various UN 
agencies.  In addition, she said, there had been more turnover in 
the Secretariat staff than had been publicly reported, and the 
mid-level staffers were generally uninformed and were neither 
helpful nor qualified.  The Secretariat, while micromanaging the SOA 
process, was in turn being micromanaged by the Prime Minister. 
Finally, she said the Secretariat had not budgeted to fund the Civil 
Society Forum, which was pretty much left on its own.  She had no 
information at the time of our meeting earlier this month, for 
example, on ship room rates or registration. 
 
YOUTH FORUM 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Poloff met February 16 with Summit Support Specialist 
Christalle Gammon, who is coordinating the Youth Forum, to be held 
April 15-16 on the cruise ship Caribbean Princess.  This forum, 
really for young entrepreneurs, will concentrate on the promotion 
and creation of opportunities for young people through the use of 
technology, media and electronic networking and also include a 
discussion on SOA themes.  The Youth Forum expects to host 100 
 
PORT OF SP 00000070  002 OF 002 
 
 
Trinidadians, 75 from the CARICOM region, and 75 from the rest of 
the hemisphere.  Prior to the Youth Forum, a "Trinbago Experience" 
conference is set for April 13-14 on creativity and innovation, with 
a focus on the science and business of Carnival, as well as segments 
on science and biotechnology, energy and the environment, media, and 
design.  Organizers expect about 250 Trinidadians and 50 from the 
CARICOM region to be participating. 
 
PRIVATE SECTOR FORUM 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Richard Ramsawak, the Summit Support Specialist 
coordinating the Private Sector Forum, told Poloff February 16 that 
the Private Sector Forum would discuss the competitive agenda for 
the hemisphere in the light of the current economic downturn.  It 
would also seek to identify areas for private and public sector 
partnership, and provide opportunities for business networking.  The 
meetings would further concentrate on service and manufacturing 
industries, with a focus on sectors likely to be influenced by the 
U.S. stimulus package, including health care and alternative energy. 
 At CARICOM's request, there would also be an emphasis on creating 
and maintaining small and medium enterprises (SME).  About 350 
participants from outside of Trinidad (many from neighboring 
countries) and about 70 local participants are expected to attend. 
Business contacts have repeatedly told us, including in a 
conversation on February 18, that this forum is behind schedule, 
with the government "sketchy" on details.  Our contacts add, though, 
that the GOTT has indicated to local business groups that it will 
spend whatever is necessary to make the event a success. 
 
PEOPLE'S SUMMIT 
------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The fourth People's Summit will be held April 16-18 at 
Cipriani Labor College in Valsayn.  This alternative summit is being 
organized by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) and 
NGOs, in conjunction with the Assembly of Caribbean People (ACP), 
the Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA), and the Trade Union 
Confederation of the Americas.  According to organizers, the 
gathering will oppose "neo-liberalism" and promote social justice, 
equity, peace and sustainable development, while addressing the 
crises of debt, food, energy, water, and environmental degradation. 
GOTT National Summit official Maxine Harris, who is in contact with 
People's Summit organizers, including local labor leader David 
Abdulah, told us that some who attend the Civil Society Forum might 
then participate in the People's Summit.  Abdulah, she continued, 
was told he could hold the forum and even march if he wishes, as 
long as he and his group stayed out of Port of Spain.  Robert 
Giuseppe, another local labor leader, announced at a February 16 
press conference that some 50 foreign trade union delegates also 
would seek a "dialogue" with foreign ministers. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Poloffs met February 19 with David Abdulah, an Oilfields 
Workers' Trade Union leader and a key organizer of the People's 
Summit.  Abdulah said the alternate summit agenda would mirror SOA 
topics and include energy, agriculture and the global financial 
crisis.  He said there would be a march in Port of Spain and that he 
was "working with the authorities" on the exact route.  He intended 
to come as close to the SOA site as possible and hinted at looking 
at other venues to demonstrate (he asked, for instance, where the 
President would be staying, and we deflected the question).  Abdulah 
emphasized that demonstrations in Trinidad were traditionally 
flamboyant but non-confrontational and non-violent, and he expected 
no incidents.  Abdulah added that representatives from Cuba would 
attend the People's Summit, but he still did not know whether any 
high profile "celebrities" would participate.  Logistics, such as 
lodging for the delegates, contracting interpreters, and arranging 
for transport, were still at a rudimentary stage, he said. 
 
COMMENT: RUNNING TO CATCH UP 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The preparatory state of the side forums about mirrors the 
current situation on the Summit itself -- behind but pulling out all 
stops to catch up.  Whether there is enough time remains an open 
question; in the inevitable triage of resources leading up to 
mid-April, it is more likely the side events than the main show will 
suffer.  As for the People's Summit, that remains a wild card. 
Labor is strong in Trinidad and some of the current downturn in the 
oil and gas industry may play into discontent expressed at the 
alternate event.  Large demonstrations (as opposed to parties) are 
rare in T&T, but the Summit itself is an unprecedented event.  The 
GOTT has told us it will not allow demonstrators near the Summit 
sites, going so far as to flatly say "they will not get permits." 
We will continue to follow this matter closely, both with People's 
Summit organizers and the GOTT. 
 
KUSNITZ