Archbishop calls for greater oversight of popular party series

As thousands of students across Trinidad and Tobago complete their examinations and prepare for the July-August vacation period, Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon is urging parents, organisers and authorities to take a closer look at the culture surrounding the popular Island Crashers event in Tobago.

Speaking during a recent interview on Altos, the Archbishop acknowledged the immense pressure young people face during the academic year and the need for opportunities to relax and celebrate after months of study.

“I’m happy for young people to breathe, to get past exams,” he said. “I think we put too much pressure on our young people for their exams.”

He noted that students face significant anxiety through the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), making it understandable that many seek a “brain cooler” once examinations are over.

However, the Archbishop questioned whether Island Crashers, a series of events that attracts large numbers of young people to Tobago, provides a healthy environment for that celebration.

A culture that needs rethinking

Archbishop Gordon expressed concern about reports he has received from parents regarding excessive alcohol consumption and risky behaviour among young people attending the event.

“Many parents have said to me, you see young children, girls and boys, lying down on the side of the road completely drunk,” he said. “That’s not culture. That is debauchery. That is asking yourself for trouble.”

The Archbishop argued that the transition from the discipline and structure of school life into an environment marked by excess sends the wrong message to young people.

“We have developed a culture that I think we need to relook at,” he said, adding that parents in particular must become “more discerning” about the environments to which they expose their children.

According to Archbishop Gordon, some parents who accompanied their children to the event were shocked by what they witnessed. “The parents I have spoken to who have gone to Island Crashers have said to me they are ashamed of what they saw, and they’re appalled that this could happen,” he said.

He warned that allowing such situations to continue unchecked risks normalising behaviours that can have lasting consequences for young people.

“I think we have to now start checking and putting limits, guardrails, for the sake of our children,” he said.

A responsibility shared by many

While acknowledging that law enforcement has a role to play in ensuring public safety, the Archbishop said responsibility cannot rest solely with the police.

“The police have to step up their patrols,” he said, but added that event organisers should also take greater responsibility for ensuring the safety of attendees.

Addressing those who own and operate the Island Crashers brand, Archbishop Gordon called for immediate self-regulation.

“If this is your brand and you’re making a lot of money out of it, then start self-regulating it because it has to serve the children of this nation,” he said.

He suggested that organisers should actively consider how to make the event safer and more appropriate for the young people who attend.

The Archbishop also called for a wider national conversation about what parents and society truly want for the next generation.

“I think we need a conversation among parents about what we really want for our children, what kind of exposure our children should be having,” he said.

Parents must be parents

A major concern identified by the Archbishop is the influence of social media and peer pressure, which can create a sense that attendance at events such as Island Crashers is almost mandatory for young people.

Yet he challenged the notion that parents are powerless in the face of these pressures. “Parents feel as if their hands are in a handcuff and they have to let their child go. You don’t have to let your child go,” he said.

Pointing to the significant cost associated with attending the event, he reminded parents that participation often depends on their financial support and approval.

“They only could go if you give them the money,” he noted.

For Archbishop Gordon, the issue ultimately comes back to the role of parents in shaping character and values. “A parent is not a best buddy of a child,” he said. “A parent is a parent setting the moral tone, the character tone of a child.”

His message was simple but direct: “You have to become parents to your children.”

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