I've tried to create a simple timeline of some major events since I first became properly invested in the work that I do. It's important to note that my focus has been youth empowerment and encouraging youth involvement in decision making processes. The milestones highlighted have played an integral part in ensuring that I am competent enough to pursue youth empowerment and development, since they have exposed me to real-world scenarios and experiences. A simple breakdown of the timeline:
The journey continues...
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This isn't the type of geography we took in high school. It's definitely more thought provoking, and arguably harder to grasp. A very interesting look at the factors affecting SIDDEL (whoever that is). If I'm being honest, this topic took me some time to navigate, so my best advice would be to send an email so we can schedule a telephone conversation.
Let me preface this by making it clear that when I speak about the environment, I limit it to meaning the people who surround me. When I consider why I am the way I am it is, hands down, as a result of the experiences in my life - largely due to the influences of my parents and my environment. The simplest version of this is that my dad has always exposed my brother and me to social work. We have always witnessed his involvement in the community and as a result have always recognised the importance of giving back and “lending a helping hand”. If you happened to read my biography (no stress if you didn’t, it’s pretty boring) my academic and professional pursuits rarely tie in with the social work that I do, that is, I do not work professionally in any of the fields that I am involved with socially. This is because I have always seen social work and involvement as a responsibility that must be held in tandem with all the other responsibilities that we must adopt. This is how I’ve been exposed to social work – I’ve only ever witnessed it as an addition to everyday life. Is that the right way? I have no clue, but it seems to work for me. It helps me appreciate life’s everyday responsibilities and social responsibilities as separate and important entities. One of the biggest driving forces behind my inspiration was my volunteering experience at Mustard Seed Communities (MSC), Jamaica in 2010. Incidentally MSC was founded by my dad’s brother, Msgr. Gregory Ramkissoon – so maybe there’s a little bit of nature/genetics in me being the person that I am, doing the work that I do. It was the experience of dealing with young, differently abled children, who were full of life, smiles, and love that mandated the paradigm shift (away from solely Siddel to that of others). If these kids who faced so much hardship could manage a smile, then why did I ever worry about a mere final year exam or missing a night out with friends? Jamaica, I’m now realising, seems to be my land of discovery, since my first zip-lining experience there was largely important in forcing me to step out of my comfort zone. Though, I’ve since had many experience that have forced me to step out my comfort zone (QYLP being one of those), my first zip-lining experience will always be that initial eye-opener. Had my brother and mum not enthusiastically encouraged (forced) me to do it I would’ve missed out on a truly exhilarating experience. That got me thinking, at a relatively young age, that I should never be afraid to try something (within reason) at least one – these days I find myself questioning the meaning of “within reason”. Now that I’ve caught on to the length of this, I’m beginning to worry that it’ll become a long and drawn out blog about me – but I think one other experience that really impacted me was travelling to London alone and surviving it. The independence that I gained from that trip was empowering. It may have also sparked what we locally refer to as “hot foot” for travelling, or an extreme love and desire to travel. So, is it nature or nurture? I think it is definitely a mix of the two, but I have to say that nurture seems to reign supreme – the experiences I have had, as a result of my family, have really assisted in shaping who I am. There must be some genetics involved, or so I’d like to think. Also, if you know my mum, then she DEFINITELY has had an impact on the organising, cleanliness and order that I love and have come to expect. Now, if we go really in depth we start to consider one of my biggest supporters (they should know who they are), my extended family (aunts and cousins who are always there), a group of wonderful and amazing friends (#SVEN, #SVENandFriends, and the special one or two), the family I built out of founding my NGO, and some amazing mentors – but this would soon become a book, so I’ll stop now. Final thought before I go - the monkeys are here to stay and they're secretly managing this blog! I can’t say that I did extensive research on this, but I did review the Charter and asked a couple friends to chime in. It seems that there was general consensus amongst the group of us. So, what does the Commonwealth mean to me? Queen Elizabeth II – obviously! What else is there? On a serious note, and apart from good ‘ole Queenie, the Commonwealth and its meaning to me has never really been something of much consideration – apart from CHOGM 2009 (held in Trinidad and Tobago) and the odd International Relations assignment/reference. The Commonwealth, it seems, can easily be considered that twice removed, slightly stuffy Great Aunt that everyone sends a Christmas card to because, well, why not? However, I am a firm believer in the Commonwealth and what it stands for. The mere fact that the Commonwealth represents the unity of several nations with a shared, direct or indirect, history – Queen Lizzie and her minions, represents something that I believe is ever so necessary. I have to agree that it may have begun as “a bad thing, but led to good”. In the words of a friend, “Like any organization, the Commonwealth is an evolving thing, and though it does need work in several aspects, it's an integral part of the modern world”. The Commonwealth, to me, represents collaboration between distant relatives, who recognise their shared history and roots, and have attempted to improve. In modern times, it forms the basis for country-country linkages at the diplomatic level, but more importantly at the 'grass-roots' level. A simple example is the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, which connects young people of the Commonwealth, who collaborate to achieve much better things – correcting the wrongs of the past. We must appreciate the importance of such, more so than the very public diplomatic connections. It is the behind-the-scenes collaboration that encourages me to believe in the Commonwealth and what it can achieve. Which of the Commonwealth values and principles do I hold as most important? There’s no other choice for me – the Importance of Young People in the Commonwealth. This is because my work surrounds ensuring that young people are recognised as crucial - after all, we are the ones affected by the major decisions. The simple inclusion of young people as one of the 16 Core Values and Principles is a strong and progressive step in the right direction. Young people have a lot to offer (have a look at the QYLP) and are definitely capable of enacting change (again, have a look at the QYLP). We have a voice, and it is the inclusion in such policy that forms the foundation for positive outcomes. It seems, however, that the goals and principles have played it safe in an attempt to appease the vastly different (but similar) Commonwealth nations – totally understandable. However, I think it’s high time we move away from such appeasing policies toward more action-based policies. A simple example is that fact that there is nothing LGBT+ related that is clearly stated. Yes, it may fall under “other grounds” of the Human Rights principle, but leaders need to be willing to state the problems that exist so that they can be addressed effectively. LGBT+ issues are rampant in the Commonwealth nations, and should have been stated clearly under Human Rights. All in all, the Commonwealth acts a “positive unifying factor” for the nations involved. It offers a positive platform for collaboration. For Trinidad and Tobago the Commonwealth has seemed to facilitate, however limited, a push toward including and sustaining several aspects of the Charter. There seems to be the need for further use of the Commonwealth as a platform or tool to facilitate more impactful discussions on issues such as human rights. Also, greater emphasis may need to be placed on ensuring that member states are held accountable for the actions they take after signing the Charter. What are the penalties? How Is the Charter properly enforced? But, there’s lots of hope when we consider the passion of the young people around the Commonwealth. The important part is that they be given the opportunity to improve an entity that has facilitated interesting work. Disclaimer: Written light-heartedly. No disrespect meant. Blame it on the monkeys.
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June 2017
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