Catholic Commission for Social Justice
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
On September 24 we celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Trinidad & Tobago becoming a Republic. We gained independence on August 31, 1962 and Republican status on August 1, 1976. The event was celebrated as a public holiday September 24 because this is the date when the first Parliament met under the new Republican Constitution.
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 democratic governance with respect for human rights and the rule of law”.
“Democracy is fundamentally a ‘system’ and as such is a means and not an end. Its ‘moral’ value is not automatic, but depends on conformity to the moral law to which it, like every other form of human behaviour, must be subject: in other words, its morality depends on the morality of the ends which it pursues and of the means which it employs.”(Compendium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 407)
Tomorrow, Monday September 15, the world will observe the UN International Day of Democracy (IDD). The theme this year is Engaging Young People on Democracy. Too often we adults underestimate and stifle the contribution that our young people can/wish to make to strengthen our democracies.