Tapping the talents, wisdom of the elderly
Pope Francis greets an elderly nun during his general audience in Paul VI hall in February at the Vatican. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout). Today, Sunday, is the International Day of Older Persons. The theme this year is: Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society. It is about […]
Republic Day wake-up call
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Today Trinidad and Tobago celebrates our 41st anniversary as a Republic. My father was an MP in the first Parliament of Independent Trinidad and Tobago. After we gained independence in 1962, we gained republican status on August 1, 1976. Pa died in December 2016 and, in assisting […]
Together for Peace
Exhausted Rohingya refugees rest on the shore in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, after crossing by boat through the Bay of Bengal September 10. (CNS photo/Danish Siddiqui, Reuters) By Leela Ramdeen, Chair CCSJ, and Director, CREDI On Thursday, September 21, the world will observe the International Day of Peace. The theme for 2017, “Together for Peace: […]
A Catholic perspective on Democracy
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI On Friday, September 15, the world will observe the International Day of Democracy. This year’s theme, Democracy and conflict prevention “focuses on the critical need to strengthen democratic institutions to promote peace and stability. A more integrated approach to foster resilient societies calls for effective and inclusive […]
Being charitable
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI “Unless those who call themselves Christians live to serve, their lives serve no good purpose” (Pope Francis). On September 5, the world will observe the International Day of Charity. The day was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the death of St Teresa of Kolkata. The […]
An Independence commitment
A toddler waves a miniature national flag at the 2015 Independence Parade. Photo: Elmo Griffith. By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of […]
Stop pillaging our common home
File photo: A Leather Back turtle prepares to lay its eggs at Matura, May 2009. By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI “A Christian who doesn’t safeguard creation, who doesn’t make it flourish, is a Christian who isn’t concerned with God’s work, that work born of God’s love for us.” Pope Francis, February 9, […]
Youth building peace
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI Saturday, August 12 is International Youth Day. The theme this year is: Youth Building Peace. As the UN states, “there is growing recognition that as agents of change, young people are critical actors in conflict prevention and sustaining peace. International Youth Day 2017 is dedicated to celebrating […]
The rights of Indigenous Peoples
An indigenous woman greets Pope Francis during a meeting with participants in the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum of the International Fund for Agricultural Development February 15 at the Vatican.(CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout) By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI “We must not ignore those who claim the status of First Peoples in this country as […]
Create conditions to develop our people
by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI On July 4, the Daily Express reported that Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi, expressed concern about the high levels of poverty still existing in Trinidad and Tobago. He said: “San Fernando West, for those of you who don’t know, has some areas of poverty that would shock the […]
