Eliminating violence against women 

Coryal Sylvester  By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  On November25, the world will observe International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. “Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfilment of women and girls’ human rights.  All in all, the promise […]

Sat Maharaj – remembering a cultural champion 

Sat Maharaj  By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  It was with great sadness that I learned on Saturday, November 16, about the passing of Shri Satnarayan Maharaj, Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS). On behalf of my family, I offer condolences to his family and to the Hindu community. My father, […]

United as a nation 

Kerlyssa de Verteuil  By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  CCSJ shares with you 15-year-old Kerlyssa de Verteuil’s second prize poem at CCSJ’s & the Catholic Youth Commission’s Spoken Word Competition on October 2, on the theme for Justice, Peace, and Community Week: The dignity of work.  Inter alia, she urges us to “unite […]

Introducing spoken word in the classroom 

Malique Wilson  By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  Did you see and hear our talented youth at CCSJ’s & the Catholic Youth Commission’s 5th annual Spoken Word Competition which was aired live on TCN on the evening of Friday, October 25? It focused on the theme for Justice, Peace, and Community Week: The […]

Comforting those who mourn 

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI   “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come”—Rabindranath Tagore  November is the month dedicated to those who have died. November 2, All Souls’ Day, is commemorated the day after All Saints’ Day. One of the Spiritual Works of […]

Building a culture of inclusion 

Re-enactment of the story of Divali. CN File Photo  By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  One of the joys of being a citizen, is the fact that we have learned over the years to embrace and respect the rich diversity of our people who have come to T&T from many parts of the […]

The facts about the stats 

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI  “Good data and statistics are indispensable for informed decision-making by all actors in society“—Ban Ki-Moon, the then UN Secretary-General, 2015.  The first World Statistics Day was on October 20, 2015. The eleventh observance of Caribbean Statistics Day in CARICOM last Tuesday, October 15 had as its theme: […]

Protecting the dignity of work 

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  The Dignity of Work is the theme for the 2019 Justice, Peace and Community Week, October 19–26. See the calendar of events and prayer supplement in next week’s Catholic News. In T&T, many have lost their jobs or are underemployed. Many graduates and young people are unable to […]

Children – the unseen victims of the death penalty 

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  On Thursday, October 10 the 17th World Day Against the Death Penalty will be dedicated to children whose parents have been sentenced to death or executed. The theme this year is: Children: unseen victims of the death penalty.  The World Coalition against the Death Penalty states that “Today, […]

Living our baptismal call to mission 

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI  “The Church is on mission in the world. Faith in Jesus Christ enables us to see all things in their proper perspective, as we view the world with God’s own eyes and heart…This missionary mandate touches us personally …every baptized man and woman is a mission…to the […]