Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration

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Trinidad And Tobago
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Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration

The Ministry is charged with the responsibility of promoting diversity and inclusion through robust and relevant policy measures and institutional reforms.
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The Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration was established in June 2012, out of a desire to harness our people's rich diversity, while forging a national identity within a more humane and cohesive society. The Ministry was envisaged as both a resource and an advocate for the promotion of patriotism, diversity, nationalism and inclusion, as a critical foundation for sustainable human development and national progress.

Mission: To strategically engender through national development policies, a renewed sense of national pride, patriotism, national identity and a commitment to preserve the heritage assets of Trinidad and Tobago.

Operating as usual

31/08/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration

Happy Independence Trinidad and Tobago

I am, You are, We are Trinbago!

31/08/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

17/08/2015

The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, a division of the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration, formally opened its new Conservation Wing on Friday 14th August, 2015 at its premises 105 St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain.

The conservation services offered by the National Archives, including paper conservation and restoration will now be housed under one roof in the new and improved facility. The National Archives is also working to modernise its operations with one of its main initiatives being to convert the Archival collection into electronic format. Thus far scanners have been purchased for the digitisation of paper and audiovisual records.

This new Conservation Wing will greatly increase public access to the Archival collection and provide additional protection for our nation’s documentary heritage.

12/08/2015

Hi #TEAMMNDSI here are the dates and times for the public viewing of the exhibitions at the Sevilla Sugar Museum and the Sugar Archives Centre.Take this opportunity to learn about one of the very first industries in Trinidad and Tobago and a major aspect of our heritage.

11/08/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

10/08/2015

Here is a quick look at the exhibitions on display at the Sugar Archives Centre. Please note that public tours are by advanced bookings only, and will begin on Monday 17th August, 2015 to Saturday 14th November, 2015 during the hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm from Monday to Saturday. For bookings, please call 625-2689 636-1885.

Bookings must be made one week in advance!

06/08/2015

THE SEVILLA SUGAR MUSEUM AND SUGAR ARCHIVES CENTRE EXHIBITIONS

Public tours by advanced bookings only, will begin on Monday 17th August, 2015 to Saturday 14th November, 2015 during the hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm from Monday to Saturday. For bookings, please call 625-2689 636-1885. Bookings must be made one week in advance.

06/08/2015

IN HONOUR OF SUGAR
The Sevilla Sugar Museum and Sugar Archives Centre was formally opened at the Sugar Heritage Village, Brechin Castle, Couva on Wednesday 5th August, 2015 under the theme “In Honour of Sugar”.
Hosted by the Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration, Dr. Rodger Samuel, the grand event was attended by Minister of Tourism, Mr. Gerald Hadeed, Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, Mr. Rudranath Indarsingh, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Joan Mendez, Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, Councillor Henry Awong, and Former Chairman of the Sugar Village Project Steering Committee, Professor Brinsley Samaroo.
The Sugar Heritage Village was born out of a need to preserve the memories of one of the most important industries of our country, Trinidad and Tobago’s sugar industry.
The Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration is one of the key partners on this project with representation by the National Museum and Art Gallery and the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago. These agencies have key responsibilities for the implementation and coordination of the Sevilla Sugar Museum and the Sugar Archives Centre.
This Sugar Archives Centre will house a comprehensive collection which consists of records of Caroni (1975) Limited namely: Annual Reports starting from 1960, Board Meeting minutes, pay registers for all employees, research and development records, photographs, and audio-visual records. Researchers and citizens alike can visit the Archive Centre and assess the diversification of Caroni (1975) Limited and trade union involvement, interaction and intervention.
The Sugar Museum will be located at the Sevilla House - The beautiful abode constructed in the 1940s by a former general manager of Tate and Lyle, the company which ran the industry before its takeover by Government in 1975.
The Sevilla Sugar Museum will house artefacts from the Brechin Castle sugar estate such as tools and machinery, parts of transportation equipment, and registers. Donations from former Caroni (1975) Ltd employees and the general public will be welcomed.
Public tours by advanced bookings only, will begin on Friday 14th August, 2015 to Saturday 14th November, 2015 during the hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm from Monday to Saturday. For bookings, please call 628-2689 or 636-1885. Bookings must be made one week in advance.

05/08/2015

Tonight we celebrate the opening of the Sevilla Sugar Museum and Sugar Archives Centre Brechin Castle, Couva. Here is a picture of the magnificent Sevilla Sugar Museum. Our history is beautiful!!! #IAMTRINBAGO #INHONOUROFSUGAR

03/08/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

01/08/2015

Timeline Photos

01/08/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

29/07/2015

Congratulations!!! Team Trinidad and Tobago on becoming the 2015 International Karate Daigaku World Cup Champions!!! Yet another sterling accomplishment by our sporting community. Your accomplishment has indeed done us proud #IAMTRINBAGO

Congratulations!!! Team Trinidad and Tobago on becoming the 2015 International Karate Daigaku World Cup Champions!!! which was held at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from July 15-19.

27/07/2015

Congratulations to the members of SOTT Aquatics Team. They won 3 Gold Medals, a 4th Place Ribbon and a 6th Place Ribbon at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in La, California. You have done your country proud, #IAMTRINBAGO

26/07/2015

We extend a heartfelt congratulations to all our athletes who participated at the 2015 Pan-American Games, continue to work assiduously at your endeavors,you have made Trinidad and Tobago proud.

There you have it, #TeamTTO medal haul for the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games. #record

22/07/2015

Today, Wednesday 22, July 2015, we celebrated a milestone in heritage preservation. We are adding sixteen (16) new sites to the Register of National Heritage Sites and Historical Buildings. There are now the twenty-nine (29) sites afforded legislated protection which were selected by the National Trust and endorsed by the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration.

In 2003, thirteen (13) sites were formally listed under the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago Act of Chapter 40:53 thereby affording them the full protection under the Act as National Heritage Sites and Historic Buildings. These are: Queen’s Royal College, Hayes Court, Mille Fleurs, Ambard/Roomor, Archbishop’s Palace, Wesleyann Church (Tranquillity Methodist), Fort King George, Fort Picton, Whitehall, Stollmeyer’s Castle, Banwari Trace Archaeological Site, the Old Mayaro Post Office and the Royal Victoria Institute.

Since then, 500 properties of interest have been recorded by the Trust and they are currently in the process of being evaluated to determine whether they meet the criteria for listing.

Dossiers were prepared for selected sites followed by presentations and acceptance by the National Trust Council of Trinidad and Tobago. The notice of intention to list as National Heritage Sites was gazetted and this afternoon, the Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration, the minister legislatively responsible for the Heritage of Trinidad and Tobago, signed the Register to finalise the process of protection under the Act as National Heritage Sites and Historic Buildings.

These sixteen (16) additional sites are: Kong Cocoa House, Lopinot House, Ortinola Great House, St. Joseph Church, Carnegie Free Library, St. Francis Church, 58 Picadilly Street, Lord Harris Square, George Brown House, Calvary Hill Stations of the Cross, Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Arima Dial, Naipaul House, CLR James House, Shiva Mandir and San Fernando Railway Station.

As the keeper of the national treasures (in all forms and formats), the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration is continuing to work to document, preserve, secure/protect and manage aspects of our diversity and heritage through the statutory boards of the National Museum and Art Gallery, The National Trust and the National Archives.

22/07/2015

Congratulations go out to the Trinidad and Tobago team who participated in the International Math Olympiad and won silver. T&T is the only English-speaking Caribbean country to compete in the global competition and is the smallest country to have won this many medals. You have us proud in this regard #IAMTRINBAGO

Prasanna Ramakrishnan has earned the credit as the first Trinbagonian to win two medals, back to back, at the International Math Olympiad (IMO). He took the Silver medal at the 2015 event, which was held in Thailand from July 4-16.
This is an improved performance from the Bronze medal which the student of the International School of Port of Spain (third from left in photo) won in the 2014 edition in South Africa.
He was part of a five-member team that included Alex Navarro, Arjun Isa Mohammed and Adam Superville. The team was accompanied by Dr Indra Haraksingh, Lecturer in Environmental Physics, and Jagdesh Ramnanan, both from the University of the West Indies. The IMO is held in different countries each year and T&T has been participating since 1991. Over the past 25 years, T&T has won 2 silver medals, 5 bronze and 23 honourable mentions, where a participant has gotten full marks for solving one problem.
T&T is the only English-speaking Caribbean country to compete in the global competition and is the smallest country to have won this many medals.

20/07/2015

We're proud to extend our congratulations to Mr. Lalonde Gordon who won gold medal in the Men’s 400 meter final at the De Veen Stadium in Belgium on Saturday. You have made us proud! #IAMTRINBAGO

Lalonde Gordon took the gold medal in the Men’s 400 meter final at the De Veen Stadium in Belgium on Saturday, while clocking his fastest 400 metres time this season, 44:99.
Just three days earlier, he broke a 23-year-old record held by Trinidadian quarter-miler Ian Morris. Gordon won the Men's 300m title at the International Meeting de Liège on Wednesday with a time of 32.21, shaving off a fraction of a second from Ian Morris’ 32:27.

18/07/2015

Congratulations to George Bovell III on winning Bronze at the 28th Pan American Games in the 50m freestyle last night. Incidentally today is also his birthday, happy birthday Mr. Bovell, once again you have made us proud #IAMTRINBAGO.

18/07/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

10/07/2015

Our congratulations go out to Mr. Keshorn Walcott on His outstanding performance at the Diamond League Meet in Lausanne Switzerland. You are a sterling example of the rewards that perseverance and focus brings. #IAMTRINBAGO

Congratulations to T&T’s Olympic Gold Medalist Keshorn Walcott who won the Men’s Javelin Throw event at the Diamond League Meet in Lausanne Switzerland, Thursday July 9. Walcott threw the javelin 90.16 metres,breaking the Meet Record of 90.13 metres with his first throw,while improving upon his personal best and National Record of 86.20m which he set when he finished third in June at the Diamond League Meet in Rome.

15/06/2015

BuzzFeed Video

Hi Team MNDSI! BuzzFeed tried Caribbean foods, and they loved it! We are not surprised! Caribbean foods are tasty!!

These Americans Tasted Caribbean Food For The First Time

15/06/2015

CNC3 Television, Trinidad and Tobago

Who knew that we held the world record for limbo in the first place? But we did, and we still do! We extend our congratulations to Ms Charles, #IAMTRINBAGO

TT NATIONAL SETS WORLD LIMBO RECORD...AGAIN

22-year-old New York-based T&T national, Shemika Charles has broken the world record for limbo, becoming the first person to ever limbo under a car.

Shemika had first landed a spot in the Guinness World Records book back in 2010 when she limboed down to an unbelievable eight and a half inches (the height of a beer bottle), but this latest achievement is on another level.

Watch her bend over backwards to get underneath this SUV in this short feature by Barcroft TV.

05/06/2015

Hi Team MNDSI!! it's flashback Friday, do you remember this ?

29/05/2015

Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration's cover photo

28/05/2015

Congratulations to this wonderful young lady Ms Sarah Woodham. Perseverance always wins !#IAMTRINBAGO

Sarah Woodham has made the quantum leap from the fledgling University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) to the prestigious Ivy League Yale University.
She has been accepted into the prestigious Yale School of Drama to pursue her Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) postgraduate degree in Costume Design Concentration.
The 24-year-old had already given up the chance to study abroad when she opted to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at the UTT to ease the financial strains on her parents who were also funding her brother’s education at the time.
Sarah excelled at UTT, graduating in 2013, but she wanted to focus on her true passion, Costume Design for her Masters, and so she started looking at Universities with stellar financial aid programs.
In her initial application process she was heartbroken when Yale sent her a rejection letter. Her supportive father who is a graphic designer, encouraged her to liaise with a Lecturer to get a critique of her application so that she could improve.
“He told me I almost got in, but there was only place for four people, and if I applied next year I would definitely get accepted, or in the event that one of the four pulled out, I would take their place,” Sarah told TTRN explaining that she took the news in stride and went on with her life, However one month later, she got the email of a lifetime.
On that fateful morning, “I was checking my emails, still in my pajamas, and I saw it, an unofficial message from the same Lecturer, who told me that I would soon receive official confirmation of my acceptance,” she recalled.
She is the recipient of a 98% coverage scholarship from one of the top rated Drama Schools in the world and will be leaving in August 2015 to settle in before her first semester starts in September.
The budding designer’s love affair with Theatre Arts began when she was 15, helping her mom with costuming for one of Derek Walcott’s plays.
Sarah is currently still organizing her visa and housing, while planning a fund raising fashion show to raise necessary funds for her trip.
(Photo by Maya Cross-Lovelace)

Address

35A Wrightson Road
Port Of Spain

General information

The key objectives of the Ministry are: · To promote diversity and inclusion through the development of a National Policy on diversity · To protect, restore and preserve our built and natural heritage, in order to secure the legacy of our people · To function as both a resource and an advocate for fostering national pride through patriotism, community well-being and nation-building. · To act as a conciliatory and monitoring agency of the Government with respect to inter-religious and ecclesiastical affairs. · To develop a viable framework of engagement for consultation and collaboration with Civil Society groups and organisations

Telephone

(868) 623-9311

Website

http://www.mndsi.gov.tt

Alerts

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Videos

Hi Team MNDSI!! it's flashback Friday, do you remember this ?

Good Morning Team MNDSI! How many of you remember this safe sex public service announcement? #tbt

Get your Free downloadable copy of the National Identity Guidelines at www.mndsi.gov.tt let us always use our national symbols with respect and pride.

Hi Team MNDSI! it's that time for our weekly throw back! do you remember this one ?

Hey Team MNDSI, are you ready for our weekly throwback? do you remember this one? #TBT

Good Morning Team MNDSI! in keeping with the season, enjoy this video from Trinidad Carnival 1957!

Good Morning Team MNDSI! It's Thursday and once again we take you back, Carnival is just around the corner so have a look at what the greatest show on earth looked like back in the day. #TBT Enjoy!

Good Morning Team MNDSI, our weekly #TBT is in keeping with the season, how many of you remember this one? Enjoy!

Good morning Team MNDSI, how are your Christmas preparations coming along? Here is a little something to spread the Christmas cheer,Enjoy!

Good Morning Team MNDSI! so many of us know her as the queen, but do you know how she became the queen of parang? do enjoy this brief documentary on Ms Daisy Voisin. #TBT

Good Day Team MNDSI, How many of us remember the words to our National Pledge? It's such an important part of our national identity, in case you need some brushing up, do enjoy.

Good Morning Team MNDSI! our weekly throw back continues and so does our parang fixation! How about this one from the lovely Marcia Miranda, Enjoy!

Good Morning Team MNDSI! ready for our weekly throw back? well we're still celebrating the season at hand, remember this one from Sharlene Flores? Enjoy! #tbt #parang

"Plenty people in the world today don't realise that worries don't pay. Resting their worries upon your shoulder, only bringing you older and older. These wicked things them people does do, they don't realise you have worries too!" Sounds familiar? From Rapso to Kaiso, here is today's Thursday Throwback - Lord Pretender and Brother Resistance 'Never ever worry'. Happy Calypso History Month Team MNDSI!

Hi Team MNDSI! As we commemorate Calypso History Month, we pay tribute to one of our most memorable calypsoes and entertainers. Even today, this remains a big hit! Here is Black Stalin's 'Black Man Feeling To Party:'

Hi Team MNDSI! In commemoration of Calypso History Month, we are dedicating our Thursday Throwbacks of October to some of the most memorable Calypsoes of years gone by. Let's see how it all started with one of our most prominent soca kings. Here's Machel Montano's 'Too Young to Soca.'

Hey Team MNDSI, For those of us who remember TTT in Trinidad, will remember Ingalook and the Nguyamyams! Here is today's Thursday Throwback:

Good Day Team MNDSI! Tomorrow we will celebrate our 38th anniversary as a Republic. But the road to Republic status was no easy journey. Let's take a look back at how it all started ... Trinidad and Tobago, the Road to Independence.

Good Morning Team MNDSI! Do you remember those songful words of warning sang by the late Ras Shorty I in 1997? Let's take in today's Thursday Throwback, Ras Shorty I - Watch Out My Children:

Good Morning Team MNDSI, Do you remember this classic hit video by calypsonian David Rudder? "It's so cool to be drug free..." Let's take in today's Thursday throwback, David Rudder's 'The Future Belongs To Me':

Good Morning Team MNDSI! Let's take in today's Thursday throwback:

I am, You are, We are Trinbago!

A proud moment indeed! Happy Independence Day Team MNDSI.

Good Morning Team MNDSI!!! Here is a special Thursday Throwback in commemoration of the 52nd Anniversary of our Independence. Enjoy!

Good Morning Team MNDSI! Another proud moment indeed. See Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons proudly representing our sweet Trinbago:

Good Morning Team MNDSI! Check out this video with Melanie Hudson's hit 80s song 'I will Always be There for You" as part of our new Throw Back Thursdays (TBT) when we take you down memory lane. Enjoy!