Catholic Commission for Social Justice
“In some coastal areas the disappearance of ecosystems sustained by mangrove swamps is a source of serious concern.” (Laudato Si, Pope Francis)
On Thursday, July 26, the world will mark International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. Mangroves, these beautiful, resilient, evergreen trees, referred to as the roots of the sea, are nature’s gift to us.
“World Youth Skills Day is calling on global communities to engage youth to identify types of investments needed to support youth skills development. Together we can all make a difference in youth and skill development and work towards creating a more sustainable future for all” (World Bank Group).
Today, Sunday July 15, marks World Youth Skills Day. Is T&T equipping our youth with the knowledge, skills, competencies, values and attitudes they need to function effectively and efficiently in the 21st century? I don’t think so!
We should heed Pope Francis’ warning in his homily at a Mass at the Vatican for about 6,000 poor, homeless and displaced people from a dozen European countries and Africa (November 2016):
“We should be worried when our consciences are anaesthetized and we no longer see the brother or sister suffering at our side, or notice the grave problems in our world, which become a mere refrain familiar from the headlines on the evening news.”
The Greater Caribbean for Life (GCL) & the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ) welcome the judgment by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Barbados’ highest appellate Court, that the mandatory death penalty as stated in section 2 of the Offences Against the Persons Act (OAPA), Ch.141, for persons convicted of murder in Barbados is unconstitutional.
The term ‘Windrush generation’ refers to the immigrants who went to the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries. When the MV Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, on June 22, 1948, 802 passengers on board came from Caribbean countries. This included about 539 Jamaicans, and about 120 persons from T&T and Guyana.