Category: columns2015

columns2015

Make space for Civil Society

Post author By Web administrator
Post date September 13, 2015

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

“Civil society is the oxygen of democracy. Civil society acts as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. It plays a critical role in keeping Government accountable, and helps represent the diverse interests of the population, including its most vulnerable groups” – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
On Tuesday, September 15, the world will observe International Day of Democracy. Now that our general elections are over, let us all put our shoulders to the proverbial wheel to promote and strengthen our democracy.

Tags civil society

columns2015

Vote for the common good

Post author By Web administrator
Post date September 6, 2015

“Political parties have the task of fostering widespread participation and making public responsibilities accessible to all. Political parties are called to interpret the aspirations of civil society, orienting them towards the common good, offering citizens the effective possibility of contributing to the formulation of political choices. They must be democratic in their internal structure, and capable of political synthesis and planning” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #413).
As we prepare for General Elections tomorrow (September 7), I urge each of you to offer up your prayers for leaders of political parties, candidates, and citizens of T&T, that we will all have the interests of our people and our country at heart.

Tags general elections, patriotism

columns2015

Be proud of the progress T&T

Post author By Web administrator
Post date August 29, 2015

…but still a long way to go

On August 30 and 31, I will be serving as one of several judges at London’s Notting Hill Carnival – Europe’s largest street festival. God has gifted his people with abundant talent. Artistic excellence is evident each year in many a band.

Tags event, Independence

columns2015

No to assisted suicide

Post author By Web administrator
Post date August 22, 2015

We are all ‘masterpieces of God’s creation’

“How great a lie…to make people think that lives affected by grave illness are not worth living!” (Pope Francis)

I am involved in London at the moment in encouraging individuals to contact their Member of Parliament to ask them to vote against a Private Member’s Bill – The Assisted Dying (No 2) Bill – introduced by parliamentarian Rob Morris. The Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted suicide, will be debated and voted on Friday, September 11 in the House of Commons.

Tags assisted suicide

columns2015

Stand up for Life

Post author By Web administrator
Post date August 16, 2015

The scandal emanating from the undercover videos revealing the sale of body parts of aborted babies by Planned Parenthood (PP) in the US should spur us on to stand up for life. About a dozen videos were recorded by a pro-life non-profit group, the Center for Medical Progress (CMP). They show PP officials talking about the sale of unborn babies’ organs. In one of these a PP executive jokes about pricing aborted baby parts and says: “I want a Lamborghini.”

In a third video released on July 28, a PP employee in the US is seen casually discussing over lunch the sale of the hearts, lungs, livers and muscles of aborted babies. The discussion was with a woman who says she worked in a clinic procuring tissue from aborted foetuses. The PP official said: “I think a per-item thing works a little better, just because we can see how much we can get out of it.”

Tags abortion