MANAGING THE MULTICULTURAL CHALLENGE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICES OF A SMALL, PLURAL SOCIETY

Abstract

This article examines the mechanisms introduced in the public sector of a small plural society, Trinidad and Tobago, to ensure that the diverse population employed within this sector are afforded equal opportunity. The article argues that while a number of institutions and procedures have been introduced to manage and contain issues relating to conflicts and charges of discrimination by the various groups, one major shortcoming has been the inability of the various governments overtime to confront the challenges of managing multiculturalism in a more structured way. Hence, to date there has been no stated policy with respect to managing diverse groups or structured approaches to allocate funds to the various groups within the society. The end result is that the institutions and procedures that have been introduced have merely addressed challenges as it relates to direct discrimination of persons rather than address challenges of the more fundamental issues of multiculturalism.