Ceez – on Demand

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Urgent Need – Collaboration!

ceezpaul

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3 Sep 2018

Within a short two weeks, we have had three dreadful murders within our small island.  This is not news to shout about, neither is it something we want to publicize.  The public debate continues, and so does the blame game.  What baffles me is how some of the political parties are busy seeking to prove their points about who is the cause of these occurrences.  p1070003

Are we serious about seeking solutions to this obvious urgent crisis pinching at our social fabric?  The effect of blame is that, we divert from the true issue with the hope of convincing ourselves that we have little or no responsibility to what ever the problem might be.

This current behavior is a clear demonstration of the fact that this little Dominica needs unity.  We are so very divided, and especially politically.  I mean, every single event is interpreted via political eyes, to the extent that the effort to seek empirical evidence for our social demise is seemingly ignored by all and sundry.  While many are aware of the reasons for these dreadful killings, and will not divulge any information to the powers that be, efforts to discover these true and real reasons are being ignored.  It appears to me that some key voices and leaders in Dominica are more interested in seeking to score political points, than to seek solutions to this problem.

While all this debate persists, Dear Dominica, your young men are getting lost in droves, your women are being left to feel helpless, your populace is hungry for vengeance, and your legislature is now busy grappling for a way to curb this madness.  What we are missing, however; is the element of collaboration to conquer this monster.   Continue reading

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A Call To Worship

ceezpaul

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1 Sep 2018

40131308_10155608044865965_8585435399009075200_nMany people who do not subscribe to what I may believe will probably frown on the latest call for us to gather to worship.  I strongly believe we have an obligation to surrender to God daily, not just when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives, but on a regular basis.  The point is that, we are in relationship with Jesus, and must remain connected to Him.  After all, He is the Source and Summit of our faith.  So, to profess that we Love Him and not set aside the quality time to honor and worship Him, is to be contrary to our own profession.

The Call to Worship is for All people, especially for all of us who claim to belong to God.  We are called by many people to do many things, often things which have nothing to do with strengthening our connection with God the creator.  There are many voices screaming out our names, seeking to win our attention and responses.  We must know the difference and determine who we would like to follow, who we would like to choose and whom we choose to serve.

Last Sunday’s Gospel from John 6:60-69 reminded us of just that call – the call to choose whom we will serve.  Joshua in the first reading then, also made it clear to the tribes of Israel that as for him and his household, they will serve the Lord.

As a nation, we must choose whom we will serve.  WE must choose to whom we will devote our time, efforts and energies.  Dominica can do with all the prayerful moments at this time.  After all, our moral fabric is being tested and tried more than ever, or maybe a sense of history seeks to repeat itself.  We must renounce all things contrary to Christ’s ways.  Worship is a Great Place to start, dwell and remain.

On that note, I kindly invite all of you within the locality of the Portsmouth Catholic Church, to join us on Sunday 2nd September, 2018 from 4:00 pm to spend some quality time basking in the presence and power of Jesus Christ.  Come and Worship, as indeed WE ARE CALLED TO WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

WELCOME!  There will be a time of prayer and supplication for we have many a need to seek the face of God on behalf of Dominica, our Young men, our Political and Religious Leaders, and our own personal intentions.  A remnant is needed to pray!  Come And Worship.

To Preserve The Remnant

ceezpaul

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26 Aug 2018

IMG_20180520_083558_044On the heels of having written about “Saving Our Boys”, today – seven months later, I am still concerned that the gun culture is taking newer heights.  When in the middle of a city our young males can walk up to another and take a life stone-coldly, we are in deep trouble.  The rhetoric about this is many, and the blame-game is tremendous.  From Government, to Opposition, to Police to Parents, and Society and its political biases, everyone one is being blamed by everyone else.  The churches and religions are not left off the hook, and are all being blamed for this monstrous act plaguing the nation.  The churches’ lack of a collective and well constructed voice, and their seeming misguided focus is being lambasted by believers and non-believers alike.   So who or what is really to be blamed?

I do not have the answer, let me hasten to say.  What I do have however, is a few thoughts and observations about the nature of our society lately.

We have really been busy tearing each other up via social media, and live radio talk shows.  We continue to treat others with scorn, neglect the younger generations, and the responsibilities  we have been given to teach them basic values that many of us were introduced to as children.  (Granted, some of them care squat about these values now.  Maybe the tree is already bent out of shape?)

The fact is, our basic etiquette, manners and social responsibilities have been eroded.  We have a serious Hurricane-Maria-Effect happening to our once-upon-a-time culture of courtesy, an effect which sadly has long preceded Hurricane Maria itself.    No one cares to stop to give way for the benefit of another, everyone is busy, everyone is entitled to everything more than the other person, and no one dares to accept wrong when he or she is wrong.  If this is what we teach then it is the modus operandi for those who are so awakened to the lessons being taught.  After all, our children live what they learn. Continue reading

#PreserveOurBoys Work-Forum! – The Rational!

ceezpaul

1 comment

15 Jan 2018

FB_IMG_1515539337898Some of you may have read and responded to my recent post on “Saving Our Boys” as can be found on my blog.  After having written about the gun-violence issue in the Town which directly affects that group, and having advocated for us to be a more proactive people, I think that it is necessary for me to do more than write about it; thus, the birth of the #PreserveOurBoys Work-Forum.

People are generally familiar with the term ‘workshop’, but I have chosen under the banner of my Official Page “Ceez On-Demand” to initiate and dub the event as a Work-Forum.  The purpose hoping to be captured in the term ‘work-forum’ – is  Continue reading

No RUSM – now What?

ceezpaul

no comments

8 Jan 2018

Post Hurricane Maria woes continue to directly hit every sector of this country, and this most recent redundancy of employees’ situation at the Ross University School of Medicine is a hard one to process.  I don’t work there, neither do I have any person in my household who does, but living in this town (Portsmouth where this institution is located), and knowing so many people (some friends and relatives) who have been employed at Ross for years are enough reasons to be able to empathize with all affected.

On a national level, this phenomenon is definitely going and has already begun to dent the treasury’s purse, and that of so many members of the private sector.  From utility companies, to home-owners, restaurateurs, tour operators, taxi drivers, doctors, nurses and the local ‘hustlers’ selling coconut water along the Ross Boulevard to name a few, are negatively impacted.  The apartment owners with high mortgages requiring regular attention, and bankers who are probably now orchestrating means to collect much needed payments from the now unemployed is equivalent to a horror story unfolding without restraint.

I mean let us face it – no one really saw this madness coming pre-Maria, but it has, and is evolving rapidly.  Who can forget the folks in the food shacks adjacent to the school, those super-market owners and employees, the bus drivers who made regular trips to and from Roseau carrying Ross’ employees and students, the health fairs offered by the med- students, and the litany of positive rituals surrounding daily processes of the institution that many of us took for granted?  The point is, Ross University School of Medicine is a much required venture in Dominica, and should or must be fought for.  I make this statement with the hope that it is not too late for that fight to ensue by all relevant parties with the weight being on the shoulders of the powers that be.  Continue reading

Saving Our Boys!

ceezpaul

3 comments

3 Jan 2018

Post Hurricane Maria recovery is what most of our populace have been focused on.  Despite these efforts a desire to usher in 2018 with a sense of purpose and joy must have been deep seated within us.  Certainly, none of us anticipated the latest dreadful occurrence of yet another horrible death by gunshot in the Town of Portsmouth.  Not that we didn’t think this could ever happen, but it is just not the thing anyone would have liked to happen.   Obviously, this created a dreary and gloomy new year’s observance for Town folks, especially friends and families of the fallen and those of the perpetrators’.

Sadly some among us will immediately seek to shut down this expression with the notion that when things like these happen around us we are just mere reactionaries.  Truth be told, there is nothing wrong with being reactionary.  Still, this characteristic must and should be complemented with a level of action before the fact, or probably as a means of preventing such occurrences.  So, yes there may be a level of value in the criticism, but it is not sufficient and should not be used as a tool to shut down future endeavors to address this problem in our society.

Clearly, Portsmouth is not the only place with this problem where young men kill each other with guns, but this happens too frequently among our people; besides it is also one that seems like a bad wound that never cures.  If we have to chronicle the number of such deaths, and or disappearances and injuries which occurred through guns, and or some sort of violence among our young people (men in particular), then this is too many.  Continue reading

Teacher Maria

ceezpaul

3 comments

2 Jan 2018

Teacher Maria, you spared no student

Unleashed your lessons without restraint

Your test we’d pass, we were confident

Your plans being stronger made us relent

 

Prior to class we were all in high spirits

Flexing our muscles, rehearsing our lines

After all, your colleagues gave us merits

Irma, and Harvey weak teachers in our minds

Continue reading

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