Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 07/Jan 03:48

Some new year thoughts

SURUJRATTAN RAMBACHAN MY FELLOW citizens, as the new year begins, we pause together – across villages and cities, across faiths and cultures, across generations ­– to reflect on where we have been, where we stand today, and where we must go together. The turning of the year is more than the passage of time. It is a moment for national reflection – a moment to speak honestly about our challenges, to acknowledge our strengths, and to renew our shared commitment to the future of this beloved country we call home. We begin this year in a world marked by uncertainty. Across the globe, conflict continues to displace families and fracture societies. Economic pressures have affected livelihoods everywhere. Climate change has reminded us, with increasing urgency, of our vulnerability as small island states. Trust in institutions is being tested, and divisions – social, political, and cultural – have deepened in many places. TT has not been immune to these global forces. Rising costs of living, concerns about crime and public safety, economic transition, and social strain weigh heavily on many households. Too many families are anxious about the future; too many young people are uncertain about opportunity; too many communities feel the pressure of fear, frustration, and fatigue. Yet this is not the full story of our nation. For alongside these challenges stands something enduring and powerful: the resilience, creativity, and humanity of the people of TT. In times of difficulty, our citizens have continued to show up for one another. We see it in neighbours who look out for each other, in teachers who go beyond the call of duty, in healthcare workers who serve with compassion, in volunteers, first responders, religious leaders, artistes, athletes, and ordinary citizens who quietly hold the fabric of society together. This is the true strength of our nation. TT is a country born of diversity. Our history has not been simple, but it has shaped us into a people uniquely equipped to live together in difference. From the First Peoples to the descendants of Africa, India, Europe, China, the Middle East, and beyond, our story is one of encounter, struggle, adaptation, and creativity. We are a nation where churches, temples, mosques, and mandirs stand side by side. Where Divali lights, Eid greetings, Christmas carols, Spiritual Baptist bells, Hosay drums, Emancipation celebrations, and Carnival rhythms all form part of our national heartbeat. This diversity is not a slogan. It is a daily practice. And it must never be taken for granted. As we begin this new year, we must recommit ourselves to unity – not by pretending we are the same, but by remembering that our shared destiny is greater than our differences. We must reject the false idea that one group’s progress requires another’s exclusion. Our future depends on co-operation, mutual respect, and a renewed sense of national purpose. We must also speak frankly about responsibility. Government has a duty to govern with integrity, transparency, and accountability. Leadership must be rooted in service, not self-interest. Institutions must work for the people they exist to serve. Trust, once broken, is difficult to restore – but it can be rebuilt through honesty, competence, and consistency. At the same time, citizenship carries responsibility. A nation cannot thrive on policy alone. Laws and plans mean little without a culture of respect – for life, for the rule of law, for public spaces, and for one another. Crime, violence, and lawlessness are not abstract problems; they destroy families, limit opportunity, and erode national confidence. Building a safer TT requires enforcement, yes, but it also requires prevention, community engagement, education, strong families, and moral leadership. It requires us to address not only symptoms, but root causes. Economic transformation remains one of our greatest challenges and opportunities. As the global energy landscape changes, we must continue to diversify our economy, support innovation, and prepare our workforce for new realities. This means investing in skills, technology, entrepreneurship, agriculture, creative industries, and sustainable development. Economic growth must be inclusive. A strong economy is not measured only by statistics, but by whether working people can live with dignity, whether small businesses can thrive, and whether opportunity is accessible regardless of background or geography. We must never lose sight of those who are most vulnerable – the elderly, people with disabilities, children at risk, and families living on the margins. A just society is judged by how it treats those with the least power. Our young people deserve special attention. They are growing up in a world more connected, more competitive, and more complex than any generation before them. They face pressures we cannot ignore – social media influence, mental-health challenges, economic uncertainty, and questions of identity and belonging. They need more than criticism; they need guidance. More than instruction; they need inspiration. More than discipline; they need belief. Education must remain a cornerstone of our national development – not only academic achievement, but character formation, civic responsibility, creativity, and critical thinking. We must ensure that our education system prepares young people not only to earn a living, but to live meaningful lives. As a small island developing state, we also carry a special responsibility to the environment. Our beaches, forests, rivers, and marine ecosystems are not merely assets – they are inheritance. Climate change, flooding, coastal erosion, and environmental degradation threaten our way of life. Stewardship of the environment is not optional; it is essential. The decisions we make today will determine the TT our children inherit tomorrow. As we reflect on the world beyond our shores, we reaffirm our commitment to peace, diplomacy, and international co-operation. Our voice, though small, matters when it speaks for dialogue, justice, and respect for human dignity. In a world too often shaped by force, we must continue to stand for principle. The new year also invites personal reflection. Each of us can ask: How will I contribute to this nation in the year ahead? How will I speak to those who differ from me? How will I raise my children, serve my community, care for the vulnerable, and protect what is good? Nation-building does not happen only in Parliament or boardrooms. It happens in homes, classrooms, workplaces, places of worship, and communities – one decision at a time. TT has overcome hardship before. We have navigated colonialism, independence, economic cycles, and social change. We have celebrated triumphs and endured setbacks. What has sustained us is not perfection, but perseverance. The new year does not promise an easy road. But it offers something powerful: renewal of purpose. Let this be a year in which we choose responsibility over rhetoric, co-operation over confrontation, and hope over cynicism. Let us speak with civility, act with conscience, and remember that our shared humanity is stronger than any division. May this new year bring health to our families, wisdom to our leaders, opportunity to our youth, security to our communities, and peace to our nation. May God bless TT, and guide us as we move forward – together. On behalf of my Nandini and myself, I wish you all a safe, hopeful, and meaningful new year. The post Some new year thoughts appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.