00:24You may already be familiar with the CTA Foundation's ABCs of Parenting
00:29advertisements, but did you know they launched a new animated educational series geared toward
00:34the youth of Trinidad and Tobago? Dr. Sarah Subban, chair of the CTA Foundation Education
00:39Committee, explains. So the Think Before You Ask series centers on current issues and experiences
00:45faced by young people who live within Trinidad and Tobago. The clear youth participation that we
00:51heard about earlier in the development of this initiative means that the language we're going
00:56to hear, the scenarios we're going to see are all representative of the experiences of the
01:02young people who live in Trinidad and Tobago, and therefore they will understand and relate
01:08to these experiences. Minister of People, Social Development and Family Service Vandana Mohit
01:13commended the initiative, noting the problems we encounter in today's society are not just
01:18individualistic. You today have chosen a title that is simple, yet carries a message of tremendous
01:25importance. Think before you act. Four ordinary words, but words that if properly understood
01:34and practiced can change lives. The problems we see in our communities do not begin and end
01:41within the individual. They are often connected to what is happening within the family, within
01:47the school, and within the wider society. Mohit maintains that one must set better examples
01:53before criticizing the behavior of others. We cannot speak about reducing violence without
01:59speaking about the examples adults set, and we cannot speak about building stronger communities
02:06without first looking at the strength of relationships within our homes. The minister also renewed calls
02:13for a united society, saying it is everyone's job to ensure harmony prevails. In a country as wonderfully
02:19diverse as Trinidad and Tobago, we must continue to recognize that the responsibility for building
02:25a better society does not belong to any one religion, profession, institution, or community. It belongs
02:34to all of us. Our different faiths may express their teachings in different ways, but the values of compassion,
02:43respect, honesty, discipline, and care for fellow human beings are values that can unite us.
02:50The Think Before You Act series is part of the call to action for social change foundation's goals to promote
02:56social responsibility and accountability within society. This goal is one they hope to achieve through educating
03:02the nation on topics such as parenting, family life, education, culture, and law enforcement, as well as mitigating the violence
03:10in families, communities, and the wider society. Dominic Ramroop, TV6 News.
