On Wednesday, August 31, T&T will celebrate 54 years of independence. My 91-year-old father, Balgobin Ramdeen, who was a Member of Parliament then (1961-1966), loves retelling his experience on that fateful day when we gained our independence.
As he said in an interview: “I remember the day. I was in Parliament when we got our Independence and I stood in the front of the Parliament building there and saw the Union Jack come down and our flag the Red, White and Black, go up and flutter in the breeze.”
An honest appraisal of our achievements over the past 54 years will show that we have made much progress in various areas of our economy, and indeed, in human development. However, while we celebrate our achievements, as we journey on, let us reflect on what we have yet to achieve as an independent nation. If we are to build a just, peaceful, harmonious nation, we must address some of the obstacles to issues such as inclusive governance, social inclusion, social cohesion and unity in diversity.
In CCSJ’s current series of five seminars across the Archdiocese, we seek to raise awareness of the ways in which the social doctrine of our Church can assist us in nation-building. Fifty-four years on, can we truly say that we are a society for all? Are we living up to the guiding principles and watchwords we embraced when we gained our Independence, for example, respect for human rights, discipline, production and tolerance?
If we are truly “forged from the love of liberty”, we will be doing much more to create conditions that will enable each person to achieve his/her potential in all aspects of life, including social, economic, cultural, religious, civic, and political activities.
If national unity is to underpin our policies and practices, we must be concerned to stand united against poverty and social exclusion; against corruption that robs us all; against the evils of crime and violence, including incest, domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.
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Our nation’s motto: “Together we aspire, Together we achieve” sends a powerful message to us. However, there can be no unity of purpose in the face of rampant individualism, greed and selfishness which are in danger of adversely affecting our lives and preventing us from building the common good.
As is stated in our social doctrine on the themes of community and participation: “We are not created by God to live alone. Living in community is an essential expression of who we are. But Community does not just happen – it is something that men and women must work together to develop.” As St John Paul II said: “A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must give it this soul.”
During this Holy Year of Mercy, let us strive to give our community a “soul” by acting justly, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
Pope Francis’ words to President Anthony Carmona in last year’s Independence Day greetings on behalf of the nation are noteworthy. He said: “In commending Trinidad and Tobago to the merciful love of Almighty God, I pray that all may continue to work together for a peaceful society based on solidarity and justice.”
Our Holy Father knows, that, as stated in the Vatican II document, Gaudium et Spes, “A just society can become a reality only when it is based on the respect of the transcendent dignity of the human person…Since the order of things is to be subordinate to the order of persons, and not the other way around.”
If we truly believe that the lives of all our people matter, we will address the deficiencies and weaknesses in our various institutions that hinder human development, and we will strive to foster more meaningful relationships between the different ethnic communities that co-exist here.
Each of us has a duty to be involved in the democratic process. As Local Government elections draw near, let us remember that, as Catholics, we should be promoting the principle of subsidiarity. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, let us work with our politicians to build the kind of society that will enhance our democracy and improve the quality of life of our people.
Happy Independence Day to you. May God bless our Nation!
