BOBIE-LEE DIXON
(bobie-lee.dixon@guardian.co.tt)
If Trinidadian-born, Canada-based businessman and activist, Arthur Augustine beats out his competition in the race for Ajax's Mayor position, he would become the first person of the African race from the Caribbean to hold the position in the town which is located in Durham Region in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Augustine is not new to politics as he tried to give back to his homeland of T&T in 2006 when he became a member of the then newly formed political party, Congress of the People (COP), led by former politician and Central Bank Governor Winston Dookeran.
His time with the COP was short-lived, but he continued to lobby while abroad for better governance not only for the town in which he lived since 1985, but also for the country to which he was birthed.
Supporters of the former Laventille native will face the polls from tomorrow to October 22, 2018.
Augustine goes up against Jennifer Brown, Shaun Collier, Carion Fenn, and Colleen Jordan.
Today he chats with the Sunday Guardian as he talks about his passion, purpose, and country.
Q: As per your biography you were born in Trinidad and migrated to Canada in 1972. Tell us a bit about your background in Trinidad and why the decision was taken for you to migrate?
I am from Pashley Street, Laventille. I went to San Juan Secondary High School. Trinidad was just recovering from the Black Power Revolution; I was very conscious of my culture and my heritage. Although the Black Power Movement was not truly successful, it taught me to believe in myself and to know that black was beautiful; that I can become whatever I wanted to be. At that time my mother resided in Canada. She knew the potential I had and felt it was best to bring my siblings and me to Canada. The day of my departure I stood at the bottom of the Laventille hill, looked up and said to my friends, "one day I will return to fix my community". I was 17-years-old at the time.
Your portfolio as it pertains to your profession is quite extensive. You wear many hats, but all seemingly marry the issue of social justice. What fuelled these interests?
Coming from a socially and economically troubled neighbourhood, I've always had a passion for helping people. All of my academic studies were geared to accomplishing that objective. My motto has been (from an old village council song), 'if I can help somebody as I travel along then my living shall not be in vain'.
I have a master's degree in Forensic Psychology from York University and I am a certified mediator and negotiator with the Ontario Court of Justice.
You are also the architect of the Street Mediation Model, a programme designed to combat crime. How does it work? Has it been successful?
Street Mediation is a mediation model geared towards reducing crime. It thrives on three pillars—facilitative evaluative, and transformative mediation techniques combined with harm reduction principles. My team, both foreign and domestic, studied the areas from Port-of -Spain and its environs all the way to Arima. We studied the various gangs; we looked at police involvement and the judiciary system of T&T. In 2008 my team and I presented the model to various ministries of the then government all to no avail. The model was then brought to Canada and presented to the Provincial Government. The exact model was implemented in Canada and has proven to work wonders. In 2011 and 2012, the model had proven to be a great success, deterring crime in various Ontario communities, especially in the city of Scarborough,
Toronto, Canada. Today the model has been modified to meet the evolution in technology and is still the best non-violent and inexpensive way of reducing crime.
Hair? You also run a successful hair salon—Arthur's Hair Design. What's the story behind this?
My goal has always been to make people happy. Hair and beautification of one's self can sometimes lead to a better self-esteem. If you are depressed, your unofficial counsellor is the barber or hairdresser. On many occasions I had to counsel doctors, lawyers, judges, police officers, mothers, fathers, children, and gangsters; I became so good at it that I quit my teaching job to concentrate on becoming the barbershop
facilitator and adjudicator. The barbershop became the community centre and hall of justice for all. School disputes were settled in the barbershop.
You're running for Mayor of Ajax, a town in Durham Region in Southern Ontario, where you said you lived since 1985. Why do you think you have what it takes to win this election and become mayor?
Ajax is a town in Durham Region on the outskirts of Toronto, with a population of 125,000 people. The community is diverse. I have strong support among the residents. The unofficial polls reveal that I am in the lead. Four years ago, I ran for Regional Chairman of Durham Region, a higher position than the mayor and I came in second against Caucasian candidates. The residents of Ajax have requested my running for mayor to take the town to a higher economic level.
In March 2018, a first-of-its-kind type survey by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) revealed one in every three women in T&T experienced some form of domestic abuse. If you were to address this issue here, how would you approach it?
I am from a family of six sisters. I have three beautiful daughters. I eloquently opposed violence against women. The next addition to my Street Mediation Model would be a programme geared towards the fight against violence against women.
Education is the key component in resolving this issue. As a certified court mediator and negotiator, I have dealt with numerous domestic cases. We need to train not to teach individuals how to deal with rejection, deception, perception, and infidelity.
Mental illness also is a major cause of domestic violence. Two in every five people suffer from some form of mental illness. When I become Mayor of Ajax, I would work with the different government organisations here in Canada as well as in Trinidad and Tobago, to help reduce those statistic.
Our nation's Motto, Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve, seem to be the borrowed aphorism you have attached to your campaign. Is this your way of paying homage to your birthland?
This motto is the most powerful form of calling all people to unite. I am 'Trini' to the bone. This borrowed aphorism has become the cornerstone of my political campaign slogan. Ajax, like T&T, is a multi-cultural diverse community. And yes, this is also my way of paying homage to my birth land.
In 2020 citizens of T&T go to the polls again for general election. What advice do you have to give a voting population?
Do not continue to vote by race or creed! Historically Trinidadians and Tobagonians seem to have voted based on tradition and not by issues. To the voting population, I urge you to cease and desist from this type of practice. Vote for the candidate that you know will look after your communities best interest; and candidates who have a good track record. Politicians must understand that politics is a calling and not a career.