Demokrissy: UNESCO Kris Rampersad Shamla Maharaj Trinidad Youth Assembly General Conference Cerebral Palsy Heritage World Culture Youth Gender Women Caribbean

On the day when we collectively observe All Saints

with the Christian community and Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, I want to recognise the inspiring life of one our young citizens, Shamla Maharaj, who has ably represented us at the just-concluded UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris where she was a specially-invited guest of the UNESCO Director General. Because of her determination that her affliction with cerebral palsy from birth will not disabled her pursuit of excellence, this outstanding young lady who is a national award

winner and a youth ambassador, earned her BA and Masters in AgriBusiness Marketing at UWI and is an articulate champion of persons with disabilities, came from the most humble circumstances in Trinidad's rural South.

She was therefore a most apt choice by the UNESCO Director General to participate in the Youth Forum on the theme of Youth and Social Inclusion: Civic Engagement, Dialogue and Skills Development.

We at the National Commission for UNESCO are, (in my official capacity as Chair and in my personal capacity as citizen I am) tremendously proud of the representation you, with Ms Abigail Maxwell, have given to Trinidad and Tobago and all youths of our nation at this forum and are humbled to be walking in your footsteps Sharda and Abigail, when we too will represent this country at the UNESCO General Assembly in Paris next week.

May your perseverance and brilliance continue to shine and light up the world. Shubh Divali! UNESCO Director General welcoms Shamla Maharaj from Trinidad and Tobago to UNESCO Youth Assembly in Paris.

See more in Links: www.kris-rampersad.blogspot.com;
T&T asks UNESCO to fcus on special needs children
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2013/11/trinidad-and-tobago-asks-unesco-to_17.html
T&T tops region in UNESCO elections:
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2013/11/trinidad-and-tobago-tops-region-in.html
Call us BOSS SIDS tell UNESCO
http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2013/11/call-us-boss-say-sids-unesco-general.html
UNESCO World Heritage being run like FIFA say delegates: http://kris-rampersad.blogspot.com/2013/11/world-heritage-being-run-like-fifa.html

Close up … with Shamla Maharaj at the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Page on Divali from the SEction FesTTscapes of Trinidad and Tobago's Fiction as represented in LiTTscapes - Lndscapes of Fiction from Trinidad and Tobago with this Shirley Bahadur photo....