25 Commissioned for the National Committee for Sustainable Community Development

On May 18th the Ministry of Sport and Community Development virtually held its Inaugural Meeting of the National Committee for Sustainable Community Development. The event saw the appointment of 25 committee members that comprised of senior government officers, corporate organisations, academic sectors, international organisations including UNDP and IDB and the Tobago House of Assembly representatives whom seek to push the National Policy of Sustainable Community Development (NPSCD) further.

The Minister of Sport and Community Development, the Honourable Shamfa Cudjoe in her feature address said she looks forward to the collaborative efforts across various sectors as the Ministry works towards building and shaping communities. Minister Cudjoe said, “I am pleased that our government have taken an all-inclusive approach by creating this platform where people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, feel welcome, safe where every group has a seat at the decision making, where prosperity can be properly pursed, accomplished and shared…This approach helps us strengthen relations with citizens, which is a solid investment in better policymaking  and a core element of good governance.”

The sustainable development approach to community building through the national policy cultivates leaders on the ground to identify and examine community assets; be they cultural, natural, infrastructural, and/ or human. They are then taught how to ascertain their value and monetising these natural assets. This will boost opportunities and create income generating, self-sustaining communities.

This national committee is one of three that have been designed to ensure that there is input by all relevant organisations and individuals in delivering services in support of sustainable development at the Community level.  The other two committees which will be appointed later in May are an operational Municipal Committee established  in four regions where the pilot of the policy has commenced (Diego Martin, Chaguanas, San Fernando and Siparia) and a Committee on Sustainable Community Development (CSCD) which includes community stakeholders and citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, as the key planners and designers of sustainable community development on the ground, especially in vulnerable communities.

An integral part of this leg of the policy is the engagement of the private sector in supporting sustainable community development through their corporate social responsibility initiatives.  Various companies have agreed in principle to support the NPSCD. Their investments will help create greater impact and revolutionary transformation within communities across T&T.

Caption: Honourable Minister of Sport and Community Development joined by Committee Members and Attendees at the Inaugural Meeting of the National Committee of Sustainable Community Development on May 18th.