"On Sunday, May 15th, Trinidad and Tobago joins the international community in observing the International Day of Families, which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/237 of September 20th, 1993.
"The annual celebration of this day reflects the importance which the international community attaches to families and I wish to reiterate that my Government places equal significance on families and family life in our country.
"The family has always been the cornerstone of our society, being the source of nurturing, love and comfort and the institution which is charged with passing on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish as a people.
"The theme of International Day of Families 2011 is “Confronting family poverty and social exclusion”, and I find this to be very much in keeping with the developmental goals of my Government, as it reflects Pillar #2 of our strategy for sustainable development – “Poverty Eradication and Social Justice – Preference for the Poor and Disadvantaged.”
"Recent international research indicates that certain types of households show a higher risk of exposure to poverty and these include families living in rural areas or urban slums; single parent households; families with low educational levels; large families and migrant families.
"The sad reality is that Trinidad and Tobago is not excluded from these statistics.
"While we have long boasted of strong family values as a nation, we must acknowledge that we are at a point where special emphasis needs to be placed once more on the strengthening of family values and ties if we are to rid our country of the current social ills which deeply affect our citizens, especially our young people, such as poverty, crime and violence.
"It is a fact that the success of our society is deeply rooted in the success of our ability to build strong thriving families.
"If the family structure is left to deteriorate, so will our society, since it is the primary unit which shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child.
"Therefore, when the family collapses, it is our young people who mostly suffer and when there is widespread deterioration of family life, the society as a whole is crippled.
"My Government is committed to preserving our family values and, by extension, our societal strength, and it is our aim that each family in this country will be provided with the means and given opportunities to rise to their full potential and break free from the cycle of poverty which may have characterized successive generations.
"As we move towards fostering societal cohesion, Government, primarily through the Ministry of the People and Social Development (MPSD), will continue to provide financial assistance and psycho-social interventions to those families most in need of care and support.
"The range of grants from MPSD along with counseling, parenting and family life management support, conflict resolution and life skills development accessed through the various Divisions of the Ministry, in conjunction, with our on-going collaborations with local, regional and international agencies to promote healthy functioning families; all underscore my Government’s commitment to strengthen family life in our country.
"In addition, the Ministry of the People and Social Development has commenced a programme of activities which will continue over the next month until Father’s Day in June, to enhance family life within our communities as well as create awareness of and offer solutions to the issues currently impacting families in our nation.
"I encourage all citizens to take advantage of these activities, and I also encourage all citizens to do their part to ensure our society progresses by making a personal resolution to strengthen their own family bonds of love, commitment and hard work in the interest of our fellow citizens and our nation.
"The ideal of "a family" is one of the most basic models of what a better society and country can be like.
"Ideally, family members are joined by bonds of love; they help each other meet all of their physical and emotional needs and by so doing, help each member to feel more fulfilled and better about themselves and the communities in which they live.
"Families also provide examples of how we can all work together to create a better country."
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