Remembering the victims of slavery
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI The world will commemorate the UN International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade tomorrow (Monday, March 25) which commenced in the 15th century. Let’s offer up our prayers for the repose of the souls of the millions of Africans and […]
Oh, Happy Day!
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI “Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are married or own a house, as if life was some kind of grocery list. But no one ever asks you if you are happy.”—Heath Ledger On Wednesday, March 20, the world will observe International World Day […]
Advancing women’s equality
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI On March 8 the world observed International Women’s Day (IWD). The 2019 theme is: Think equal, build smart, innovate for change. As the UN states, the theme “focuses on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas […]
Celebrate culture on the savannah grass
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI RECENTLY I gave a woman and her two young children a lift to their home. On the way the children suddenly started to sing along to Kees’ song, ‘Savannah Grass’ that was playing on the radio. Their young voices filled the air as they sang along to […]
Families matter
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI I watched the video-clip on Facebook in which six girls in school uniform at a school in north Trinidad were smoking what has been described as ‘spliffs’. The Minister of Education has asked for a report and the matter has been referred to the police. The incident […]
Promoting equal opportunities
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ, & Director, CREDI It may be timely to remind ourselves of legislation that exists in T&T to deal with various kinds of discrimination. I am also an attorney-at-law and Lay Assessor on the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (EOT). The Equal Opportunity Act, Ch 22:03, prohibits certain kinds of discrimination and seeks […]
Addressing the needs of migrants and refugees
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Recently someone remonstrated stating that the Catholic Church should not “get involved in refugee and migrant issues”. I was floored by her reasoning—particularly as she is also a Catholic. Our Church has always urged us to have a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. This is […]
Education system needs an overhaul
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI On Thursday (January 24) the world will observe the first UN International Day of Education. The right to education is enshrined in a number of documents, particularly in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in The Convention on the Rights of the Child. […]
Get ready for the heat
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI T&T is caught up in the worldwide change in weather patterns. It is clear that human activities contribute to climate change. Recently Rev Lennox Toussaint and I were talking about Baron’s 1994 calypso ‘Mother earth crying’. Here are some of the lyrics: Mother Earth is crying, she […]
Pilgrims of Faith
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Today, Sunday, January 6, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word ‘epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’. Symbolically, the three wise men/the Magi, who travelled from foreign lands, following the star faithfully and bringing gifts for the Christ-child, represent the fact that Christ came for […]
