Tapia House revitalising at 50

TAPIA House founding member Lloyd Taylor says after 50 years the group is revitalising and seeking to share its wealth of knowledge and views to help make TT a better society.

He was speaking with the media Friday at the Tapia House display at the National Library, Port of Spain.

He said the group's anniversary was being celebrated with the display and a commemorative symposium atthe University of the West Indies (UWI) on November 10 also commemorating publication of Lloyd Best's Theory of Pure Plantation Economy.

Taylor said Best, an intellectual and economist, founded Tapia House as a break-off from the New World Group of West Indians academics at UWI, Mona, Jamaica.

He said the group has "limped to 50 years" and has been especially inactive since 2009. He explained the activities were meant to revitalise Tapia House and reinterpret their body of work for the society including for those who know nothing about it, like millennials.

"We want to bring the work to the fore."

Taylor said the group did not want to just regurgitate information but make a fresh interpretation of the engines of growth and development in the economy and to figure out the politics and governance required for service the society.

He added the group, which partnered with parties opposing the People's National Movement to form the National Alliance for Reconstruction, was not returning to active politics but to share political views for the future of TT and the Caribbean.

He said of the 11 foundation members four were still alive: Taylor, Ivan Laughlin, Hart Edwards and Augustus Ramrekersingh.