On occasion of the Interfaith Religious Service of Caribbean Heritage Month
June 10th 2012 Thank you for the honour of inviting me to your event celebrating Heritage Month. I regret that I am out of the country and unable to attend, but appreciate the opportunity to bring you greetings on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This is a doubly important occasion as Trinidad and Tobago also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence this year. One of the key elements which makes our homeland as unique as it is, is the conmingling of ethnicities, bringing with it a mix of cultures and religions. We all participate in and openly enjoy Christmas, Eid, Divali, Easter, and Spiritual Shouter Baptist Day among others. This appreciation and acceptance of each other’s beliefs and practices is a lesson which our comparatively small nation has mastered and one from which the world may benefit. The Consulate General has recently established the Trinidad and Tobago Interfaith Council of New York as one step to mobilising our Diaspora. Together with the community we have held celebrations for Black History Month, Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day, AN Interfaith and Thanksgiving service, Phagwa and Indian Arrival Day. We are in the process of planning for Emancipation Day and Divali. Please follow us at www.ttcgny.com on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube for all updates. Celebrating our heritage is important to maintain our sense of identity, our self esteem. After all, if we do not know where we came from, how can we chart a course to the future? I urge you to look to your homeland in Trinidad and Tobago for opportunities which abound in business, culture and education. The Consulate General is available to help in all these areas. I join you all in giving thanks for the multitude of blessings which we as Trinidad and Tobagonians, and persons of Caribbean descent enjoy. We pray for pray for our adopted home, the United States of America, our families and friends, and for a prosperous, peaceful and joyful future. May God bless our nation. Thank you Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam Consul General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in New York CT post article about Caribbean Heritage Month
http://blog.ctnews.com/mixingitup/2012/06/04/ Library article about CCA/TAAoSC display in Stratford
http://stratford.patch.com/blog_posts/caribbean-culture-brightens-the-stratford-library |