However, while Mo?se’s election represents a chance for Haiti to return to democratic governance after a long period under a caretaker administration, his ascent has not been welcomed unanimously among all Haitians.

There were tumultuous demonstrations in Port-au-Prince as losing candidates questioned the integrity of the voting process.

While US Department of State spokesman John Kirby said the US viewed the elections “as an important step toward returning Haiti to full constitutional rule and addressing the serious challenges the country faces,” he added the election had some “isolated incidents of violence and intimidation.” Mo?se’s election comes at a particularly challenging time for Haiti. The country is still recovering from Hurricane Matthew, the 2010 earthquake and a cholera outbreak, among other things.

Repeated international efforts to bring relief to Haiti have often become enmeshed in confusion.

Last week’s unprecedented apology by the United Nations over its role in the post-2010 cholera epidemic underlines the difficulties.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may have been trying to avoid tarnishing the good intentions of the organisation, yet his half-apology did not go far enough in addressing the serious questions of moral authority now facing the UN.

“On behalf of the United Nations, I want to say very clearly: We apologise to the Haitian people,” the secretary general said.

“We simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in Haiti. We are profoundly sorry for our role.” What was unsaid in the apology is what has stoked anger, even as many laud Ban for the dramatic about-turn in the UN’s approach.

There was no offer of payment of claims, no definitive statement on causation.

UN peacekeepers inadvertently brought cholera to Haiti in 2010 just after the crippling earthquake.

The outbreak, which is still ongoing, has sickened nearly 800,000 people and killed nearly 9,000.

Prior to 2010, cholera had not been reported in Haiti in decades.

The UN’s own special rapporteur on human rights, Philip Alston, criticised the body in a report last August.

“The existing approach is morally unconscionable, legally indefensible and politically self-defeating,” Alston warned then in his report to the General Assembly.

“The legal position of the United Nations to date has involved denial of legal responsibility for the outbreak, rejection of all claims for compensation, a refusal to establish the procedure required to resolve such private law matters, and entirely unjustified suggestions that the organisation’s absolute immunity from suit would be jeopardised by adopting a different approach.” He continued, “The past policy of the United Nations relied on a claim of scientific uncertainty.

That is no longer sustainable given what is now known. The United Nations was clearly responsible and it must now act accordingly.” He warned that not accepting claims would provide “highly combustible fuel for those who claim that United Nations peacekeeping operations trample on the rights of those being protected; and it undermines both the overall credibility of the organisation and the integrity of the Office of the Secretary-General.” We agree.

The UN needs to do much better than apologise.

And further down the line, there has to be an international effort to more seriously address the question of reparations in the wake of the slave trade.

There must be a rethink of the approach to Haiti

As we look around globally and reflect even on our daily encounters with each other and our students, it is evident that there is global order characterised by disrespect, intolerance and selfishness.

This is evidenced by the willingness with which we dismiss the views and opinions of others, infringe on the rights of those around us without any sense of remorse, and the ease with which we are prepared to impose our views on others.

As teachers we are obliged to address this prevailing social malaise.

The corrective attention to this social dilemma must begin in the classroom from a tender age and must be supported by the efforts of the home and media.

Given the state of politics in some of our more mature democracies, it is obvious that more people are prepared to dismiss the existence of others on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or even social status.

The universal principles of human rights to which a civilized world ought to be subscribing seem to be a farce, with ever growing numbers of people boldly coming out to announce their personal prejudices and intolerance for people they deem different.

The political aroma of Western Europe and North America has taken the world into the cusp of an even more uncertain and dangerous future with self-destruction looming in an ominous future.

As teachers, we must pay close attention to these developments, for the noble duty of addressing these social and political issues fall upon our shoulders first and foremost.

Some may even argue that the current socio-political climate that has gripped the world is a direct result of an education system that failed to diagnose and address a social disequilibrium that has been in the making for decades.

The advent of social media has given ample opportunity for people to share their prejudices and fears with others of like ilk, resulting in an undercurrent of hate and mistrust that has the capacity to shake the democratic principles that we hold so dearly to the very core.

How do we, teachers and our education system, respond to this new narrative of hate, disrespect, intolerance and even bigotry? We certainly cannot afford to sit idly by and pretend that these issues will correct themselves or that it is someone else’s responsibility to address.

For teachers these developments signal a most passionate call to act from a conscience of deep social and moral responsibility. Our resolve to confront this basal state of human existence that threatens to engulf us all must be clear and resolute.

It may require us engaging in intense conversations firstly within ourselves as teachers and then with each other and the wider society.

As we position ourselves to confront a global agenda that is pregnant with hate, anger, mistrust and greed, our own resolve to be that beacon of hope to our charges for a world that is characterised by fairness, equity and social justice must never be in question.

The work we do in our classrooms and in the nation’s schools on a daily basis must be driven by these higher principles that guide our social consciences. Our duties as defined by our task environment demand that we pay very close a t t e n t i on to the new global order owing to advances in telecommunicat i ons .

The revolution of hope for a better future is our noble duty.

“Every day in every way it seems that we are faced with an onslaught of vile and ugly news that all point to a country that is losing its way, where murder is carried out without conscience, with a cavalier indifference that speaks to the failure of us as a people and a country, a failure to raise our young men and women with proper values, proper guidelines, real morality so that they understand that all human lives matter and no one should be able to break the law with impunity,” Sookhai stated.

He pointed out that the nation was “already tumbling down the slippery slope to anarchy and it is a national imperative that we all come together to end this violence and deal with the issues that have created this abomination to our land.” Too many of those in authority, Sookhai said, be it successive government administrations or those in charge of national security, seem not to have realized that dealing with criminality of any kind needs a holistic approach…one that addresses the police service, the prison service, the army and other security bodies, the judiciary, the legal fraternity, the education system and so much more. “It is obvious to us at the Chaguanas Chamber, as it must be to so many right-thinking people in this country, that we must all come together at all levels and across party lines, to find a solution to the criminality stalking our land,” Sookhai stated, adding that foreign investors were, “certain to be scared off by the spiralling crime rate.”

Police reported that shortly after 1 pm, the relative entered the house at Arena Road near Tewarie Trace North Extension, when he made the discovery. Police believe the killer broke into the home and beat the frail old man to death.

Maharaj a father of five and grandfather of six, lived with his elderly mother Rampiare Seenanan, 86, who left the country on Saturday. Maharaj’s brother-inlaw Joseph Chanjar that the deceased suffered a stroke about three years ago followed by a heart attack.

Due to his ailments, Chanjar believe that the killer/s did not have to put much effort to take Maharaj’s life.

“If she (Seenanan) was in the country, this would have been a double-homicide. He could have never fight back anybody (sic). It really hard to know that Ramesh died in this manner and not naturally. He was a sickly man.

For the past few years, I spend plenty time with him taking him to doctor and for other things,” Chanjar said. Another relative told Newsday that Maharaj was a quiet man who never interfered with anyone.

The relative said: “We are yet to go inside the house so we don’t know how inside is. He never interfered with anyone. We do not know what, or if anything, is missing. This is really shocking.”

The constable Police Constable, who is posted at the Police Barracks in St James, sustained injuries to her face and was treated and subsequently discharged.

She reported that on Saturday afternoon she and her husband Vernon John, 35, had an altercation at their home at Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas, where he stabbed her. Shortly after, she discovered his body hanging from the rafters of the house. Officers of the Chaguanas CID visited the scene and investigations are continuing.

At about 3 am, officers led by Senior Superintendents Boxhill, Hodge Griffith and ASP Ajith Persad descended upon the Sea Lots area and cordoned off all points of entry and exit.

The exercise was initiated following the murder of known gang leader Ronnie Hogan on Friday night. During the exercise, homes were searched as well as suspected drug dens and eight persons were detained. One of the persons was held for making threats to a police officer who lives in the area as well as other offences.

Others were held for robberies and outstanding warrants.

During the exercise, residents who were asleep were awakened as police announced their presence as they carried out searches.

Some of the residents welcomed the police presence claiming there was a series of illegal activities taking place in their community and they wanted peace returned.

Residents also expect reprisal killings as a result of Hogan’s murder in their area.

Newsday understands that during the five hour operation K-9 dogs were also used in a bid to search for drugs and this was also welcomed by residents who claim that the sale of drugs was destroying their community.

Newsday understands similar exercises will be carried out for the month of December leading up to the Yuletide period.

The exercise formed part of the anti-crime initiative to deal with crime throughout the country.

Narine returned about ten minutes later and allegedly saw the cashier placing $86,200, which represented the day’s sales, into her handbag. Narine intervened and searched the woman’s handbag where he found the cash.

Officers of the Cunupia police were alerted and the cashier detained.

Investigations are continuing.

Bail which had been granted to constables Ronald Modeste and Anderson Richards, at the police station where they were being held, was rescinded and they were both granted fresh bail in the sum of $90,000 and $60,000 respectively after it was revealed that the bailor for both men had acted as surety for two other persons within the last year.

Modeste and Richards as well as constable Nicholas Henry were were assigned to the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and were charged on Saturday night by officers of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) of the TT Police Service.

Henry was granted bail in the sum of $80,000. Aged 26, 34 and 36, they have been serving officers in the Police Service for six, ten and 11 years respectively.

The formal charges are two counts of misbehaviour in public office by corruptly soliciting and receiving from a member of the public, namely Dion Babb, a quantity of cash ($4,500), as well as an amount of $2,000 as an inducement to not investigate a suspected criminal offence of human trafficking.

Modeste is on three charges, while Henry has been charged with two offences and Anderson one.

The SRPs were arrested between November 30 and December 1 and have been in custody since.

The offences were said to have taken place on November 27 at St Lucien Road, Diego Martin.

It was alleged that the three police officers attempted to extort money from a landlord whose tenants are Venezuelan nationals.

The landlord was allegedly approached by the three SRPs who allegedly told him he had to pay them $4,500 every Monday for a month or else he would be detained and handed over to the Immigration Department for harbouring illegal Venezuelans.

They will all return to court on January 3.

Tamar Johnson, 37, walked out the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court yesterday seemingly shocked that a magistrate had ordered her husband, Roland Dillon,45, to stay 500 meters from her. Dillon, of Simpson Brown Terrace, Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, appeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court. He was arrested on Friday. Forde-John read a charge to Dillon, that on Friday, at about 3pm, he maliciously wounded Johnson at their home. The charge was laid indictably, but court police prosecutor, PC Cleyon Seedan, recommended a summary trial.

Dillion was asked by Forde-John how he pleaded and he answered, “Not Guilty!” The charge was laid by Corporal Shannon Ali of the Mon Repos Police Station.

Johnson stood on the other side of the courtroom during the hearing, with a bandage across the left eyelid.

Forde-John granted Dillion bail in the sum of $40,000, but warned him that he is not to go to the matrimonial home. The accused man was further warned by the magistrate, that he must not even write letters to Johnson, try to telephone her, or attempt to make contact via any social network such as text messages, emails and Whatsapp.

The magistrate ordered Dillon to report every day to the Mon Repos Police Station.

When the matter was adjourned and Dillion was taken back into the prisoners’ holding bay downstairs, Johnson sat in the lobby and waited for Seedan to emerge from the courtroom.

She complained to him that she had hoped to tell the magistrate that she no longer wanted to pursue the case.

Johnson then told the Newsday outside the court that her children are ages six, five and four.

“He is my husband and if he goes to jail, I need him to pay our rent and mind we children. If he go to jail, what would be my position?” Johnson asked.

The woman said that when next the case is called on December 30, she plans to tell the magistrate that she would not give evidence.

Forde-John heard that on November 5, Rajeen Ramnath, 55, was stationed at the car park at Southern Medical Clinic on King Street, San Fernando.

It was at about 8.15 am, court police prosecutor Police Constable Cleyon Seedan said, when Ryan approached Ramnath with a knife and ordered him to hand over his money. There was a scuffle and employees from the medical centre were alerted and they ran to Ramnath’s assistance.

They managed to subdue Ryan by taking his (Ryan’s) shoe lace and tying his feet. Police officers responded and apprehended Ryan.

Seedan told Forde-John that the accused’s criminal record reveals he has over 15 convictions of a similar nature. The magistrate ordered Ryan to serve five years in jail with hard labour.