National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has stressed the importance of leadership in the country, particularly parental leadership.
And he noted that members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service sometimes take up that role to ensure children do not lead down a wrong path.
Speaking at the Unveiling of a Peace Pole in Beetham Gardens on Saturday, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said while it is merely a symbol, it is one that should constantly be on the mind of citizens.
“When I observed the installation of the peace pole this morning, I acknowledged that it is symbolic, and then I thought peace is the natural state. War is unnatural.”
He encouraged all citizens to be ‘agents of peace’ in Trinidad and Tobago.
“As we put that symbol of peace up, you know that there’s a lot of “unpeace” in our community. If I may put it that way, there are a lot of things that disturb the peace. And most of us turn a blind eye on it. Ignore it. Some of us do that out of fear. For our own safety, we say let’s just leave that alone. But the best we can do is decide in ourselves as individual that we are going to be agents of peace.”
Minister Hinds also reiterated the critical need for parents to be role models or leaders for their children.
“Especially parental leadership is very, very critical. So the police in the youth club formulations that they have. And in the IATF arrangements that they have they have played the role of parents sometimes. I’m told about the relationship between some of the youngsters in our community and these officers, they play the role of fathers in many cases where fathers are absent. They play the role of mothers in many cases where mothers are absent. They played the role of protectors.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, Florette Clarke, stressed the importance of a Memorandum of Understanding signing for the Beetham Vibrations Steel Orchestra.
“In 2022 a meaningful partnership was forged between the Inter Agency Task Force, the Rotary Club of Central POS, and the residents of Beetham Gardens. Together we embark on a journey to create a safe space for youth. A space that would nurture their creativity, instill discipline and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.”