Thru Novel Lenses! New Vision New Perspectives New Ideas New Directions For the New World! Futuring Sustainable Development in the Post Pandemic Planet From Pre School to Policy Making
In celebration of Independence, Demokrissy is migrating! |
| Children of Leela's Learning centre are glued to Dr Kris Rampersad presenting novel ways of inspiration. |
Notre Dame church on fire...see more
https://krisrampersad.com/notre-dame-heritage-building-on-fire/
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| The Miracle. The Magic.The Moments The Memories Media 2018 in Review Surmounting the Odds Celebrating Awards Diversity Reggae on UNESCO List https://goo.gl/ZHo31y |
This incredible year - one which could have been most static, but with the
love, strength, support and encouragement of valued friends and well-wishers, turned
into one most eventful for our global interconnections in this roadmap of
actions to end poverty, promote quality education and lifelong learning, thrive
for gender equity, enhance cultural and social inclusion, environmental
conservation that will allow for healthy lifestyles, clean air, water, oceans,
sanitation, inclusive cities, partnerships. It takes one plus many other ones
as the globe tap into our local actions, for indeed all global actions are
first local.Our LiTTributes moved
into North America - USA and Canada - proving relevance and adaptability in our
drive to bridge cultural divides. Reaching out into the diaspora, to touch communities
also grappling with issues of belonging and adaptation. Resource permitting, we
will maintain our face to face, while we consolidate and expand our virtual
interactions into a go to portal that promotes global understanding and
communication about our interconnected connections. 
The year began with a January pre-Carnival farewell to former
President
Professor George Maxwell Richards (https://goo.gl/ZHo31y) who, with his wife,
Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards kept their doors and hearts open to lend
unstinting endorsement and support for our literary, education and outreach
endeavours. Professor Richards was but a remote figure as Principal in my under
graduate years at UWI, but became a ready patron as President to my literary
campaign which also received the unstinting support of Nobel Laureate Derek
Walcott and our drive to encourage literacy and develop a literary sensibility
with the offer of literary prizes and a Year of Derek Walcott in 2005.The
Presidency
might be a rubber stamp institution and the President just a figurehead in the
political process, but with creative guidance and direction, it can be a
conscientious social force.
LiTTributes continue
to spread its wings as it evolves into a framework for connecting strands of
journalism, oral and literary culture and community outreach for a pioneering initiative
in journalism-in-action. Now established
is their adaptability and relevance to migrant communities grappling with
issues of belonging, settlement, adaptation, inclusion, respect, appreciation
of diversity, bridging and intergenerational divide as we engage with youth and
empower communities towards achieving sustainable human development targets in
the global goals.
There were beautiful surprises, too, in the appearance of my
infant teacher, Miss Olive, who had since migrated, to declare how proud she was
of my work and achievements as I was speaking at the Mother’s Day function on
Mothers, Motherland and Mother Cultures and lessons from the migrant
experiences of the colonial streams across Europe for the post-colonial
voluntary migrations from the Caribbean to North America. There is nothing as warming as the pride of a
teacher in a student and it is a moment that will fire my drive onwards. As
LiTTributes continue to awakening and deepening the consciousness of our
intrinsic connections to North America, they bring into sharp focus, also, how
our losses, are the gains of others and what we are losing for national development
when we push our best mentors and trainers out to other societies. 
More of this as we
explore new cross-cultural continental connections in the year ahead.
Additionally, the encounter with Catholic Reverend
Father Terry Gallagher, one of the few remaining priests of the aging Toronto
Scarboro Missions revealed the appeal of our initiatives to
communities everywhere, and not just the diaspora or those marginalised. As with our stumble upon the tomb-raiders of
Mayaro in our inaugural LiTTour in Trinidad and Tobago, there was another
surprise encounter at an impromptu LiTTour through the sacred ground of Canada's
First Peoples, still one of Toronto's best kept secret followed by
intimate insights into the crumbling world of a centuries-old
missionary endeavour in the face of evolving multiculturalism and appreciation
of diversity. We will launch our production on that this year. With little resources,
but our connections through the diaspora, we hope to expand this thrust in international
cooperation in cross boundary collaborations for intercultural understanding in
the new and coming years. 
Following the insights offered on the
role of gender and leadership in social change; as Newsday, one of the media
institutions in whose founding I was involved, celebrated its 25th anniversary,
I was invited to share some reflections. I chose the opportunity to offer
insights on the role of media in social change and transformation at a time
when the efforts at truth, solid and proactive journalism for social change is
needed more than ever, even in the face of evolving roles of conventional media
with the spirit of new media. Its on-going shape-shifting will continue to
excite and challenge us into building bridges and reaching out to our human
family.
It was preceeded by the LiTTribute to the Americas towards awakening and deepening the consciousness of our intrinsic connections in the American diaspora on the vast potential of cultural heritage encounters to education and the creative industries.
Here was the healing touch of another primary school teacher, Miss Marion whose incredible drive and optimism is the kind of surfaced to link to the LiTTribute to the Americas with the Trinidad and Tobago diaspora where Kamal Abdool, Anglican Father Winston Joseph and from the series that continues its journeying and will explore new cross cultural continental connections in the year ahead. sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) Peace Justice & Strong Institutions (SDG 16) and Global Partnerships (SDG 17)...It brings into sharp focus how our losses are the gains of others and what we are losing for national develoment when we push our best mentors and trainers out. 
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| Dr Kris Rampersad receives a surprise visti from her ABC teacher Miss Olive during LiTTribue to Toronto |
August: Saying Farewell to Sir Vidia Naipaul: Launch of LiTTributes to thhe LaureaTTes A Global initiative to celebrate the literary and oral heritage tradtions and achievements of the Caribbean, its diaspora and Trinidad and Tobago and the socio-cultural milieu that produced the Caribbean's two Nobel Laureates Sir Vidia Naipaul and Derek Walcott - this folowing initiatives on The Year of Derek Walcott and Tribute to VS Naipaul. As we move into this in full swing this year. We embark on our internatinal actions even as wecontinue to try to raise awareness and sensitivity for reform of the education system and approaches through LiTTscapes, LiTTributes and LiTTours. Send your invitations for partnerships, sponsorships, and let us craft your events and activities on cross cultural connections, intergenerational understanding, elderly appreciation, and inclusion and respect. Email lolleaves@gmail.com 
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| Join Our Reading Revolution - The Reading Room Outside The Reading Room email lolleaves@gmail.com for LiTTours see video https://goo.gl/JDfgNg |
Missed me since the Data Crash? Like any under-resourced curious creative scientist, I self-experimented.To see how they meshed with exper...
