(Trinidad Newsday) Although he was given an honorary doctorate last month Police Commissioner Gary Griffith does not want to be referred to as “doctor” after checks raised doubts over the institutions that bestowed it.
Sources within the police service’s communication department told Sunday Newsday that after the ceremony on September 5, Griffith ordered that the matter not be made public as he chose to distance himself from the universities, ordering his officers as well to look into the institutions that bestowed the award. The institutions are the University for Global Peace and the Academy for Universal Global Peace USA.
Senior police sources said the institutions can’t be investigated for fraud since they did not ask for money or any benefits in exchange for the awards. Police added that after the ceremony, Griffith asked that a background check be done on the organisations and after that refused to use the title bestowed on him. The senior officers added that there were many unanswered questions about the validity of the organisation that prompted Griffith’s stance.
Griffith declined to comment when contacted.
At the award ceremony, held at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Griffith was given the honorary degree for humanities. He was one of nine people selected by the institutions, who worked with the Rose Foundation. The other members to receive the honorary humanities doctorates were George Nicholas III, Ian Alleyne, Joan Yuille-Williams, Louis Lee Sing, Phillip Buxo, Murchison Brown, Mariano Browne and David Mohammad.
One recipient of the honorary doctorate said he only accepted the invitation because he knew of the Rose Foundation and the work that they do locally and had never heard of the other organisations before. The recipient, who did not want to be identified, said he found the whole thing to be suspicious but given who were the other awardees he felt at ease but became suspicious again after the ceremony.
The institutions also gave out doctorates in divinity to Archbishop Allison Jordan-Byer, Archbishop Dorothy Hercules, Bishop Earl Hypolite and Patriarch Stephen Julien. Seven people became chaplains while 66 others received ambassadors for peace and certificates of excellence awards.
According to their website, the University for Global Peace is “a global think tank with a primary focus of helping scholars carry out doctoral research into peace and conflict studies, therapeutic jurisprudence and to build competencies of peace activists worldwide.” The Academy for Universal Global Peace has its headquarters in New Jersey, according to their website, with research centres in over 15 countries.
Sunday Newsday contacted the US embassy about the institutions asking if they were accredited and was given two websites used to verify accredited universities in the US. Both the Academy for Universal Global Peace and the University for Global Peace could not be found on those sites.
Sunday Newsday also emailed Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the secretary general of the United Nations about the institutions since their websites claimed to be UN backed and supported.
Not part of the UN
In an emailed response, Haq said: “I am not aware of the University for Global Peace. United Nations University is, as I said, a UN-established body.”
Haq also supplied a weblink to the UN’s University for Peace (UPEACE), based in Costa Rica adding that the university does not have a campus in the US. That link showed that UPEACE was adopted as part of the resolution 35/55, on December 5, 1980 at the UN’s General Assembly.
According to official UN documents, UPEACE was approved as a specialised international institution for post-graduate studies, research and dissemination of knowledge specifically aimed at training for peace within the system of the UN University. The idea for UPEACE was proposed in 1979 by then Costa Rican president Rodrigo Carazo Odio during his address to the General Assembly. There are 41 countries who have signed to the UPEACE charter and both TT and the US are not signatories.
The University for Global Peace’s website stated that they are incorporated in the US as “the UN’s University for Global Peace affiliated to and sponsored by the Academy of Universal Global Peace USA, an affiliate of the American Diplomatic Mission of International Relations-Intergovernmental Organisation.” Their website said the school was founded by Dr Madho Krishan or Dr Madhu Krishan, who is the current chairman.
“In addition, it has been granted permanent observer status to many countries, as well as to the European Union (EU). We partner with many reputed, accredited universities worldwide, such as, European Global University Paris, University of East London, New Bucks University, UCLA, Logos University, Young Scientists University, Kanpur University, Amity college Florida, and make available degrees from such Universities which are approved by the respective HEC or University Grants Commissions in those countries” the website stated.
The University for Global Peace offers online honorary doctorates and theology degree programmes. Many of the organisations’ quotes about them are a mix of information about UPEACE and the Global Peace Foundation – both bonafide organisations.
Sunday Newsday spoke with Sterling Belgrove, executive chairman of the Rose Foundation, whose charity partnered with the institutions and raised the issue of the legitimacy of the organisations. In response, he said the organisations are “duly registered” and have done work throughout the world.
He said the institutions are members of the global peace forum and highlighted that while there is governmental participation within the region, TT does not participate in their forums on a governmental basis but there are those from TT who represented the country.
He said former President Anthony Carmona is an ambassador for peace and once spoke at an event held in Brazil.
“What we have done is recognised people who have done well in the country. People who have led civil society. We are part of 170 countries out of the 190. This is huge from grassroots to national leaders.”
He added that in a few weeks there will be a meeting in TT where Dr Krishan will be in attendance.
Info on Dr Krishan
Dr Krishan is also a member of the Illustrious Personalities of Asia whose website lists him as: “His Eminence Most Rev Dr Madhu Krishan is also the president of Asia for Power Ministries International, Inc USA, holding several positions in many international, inter-governmental organisations. He is the consul ambassador of American diplomatic mission for peace and security, New Jersey, USA and also honourable chairman of “diplomatic mission for peace and prosperity in Europe, Balkans, Republic Of Albania, etc. who got many national and international awards and gold awards for his excellent works for more than 25 years.”
On the Illustrious Personalities of Asia’s website the UN University for Global Peace is listed as a partner as well as the Young Scientists University and the Open International University for Complementary Medicines Medicina Alternativa Alma Ata 1962.
