The Christmas message of “peace on earth and goodwill to men” carries particular resonance in T&T, as the nation approaches the end of a year marked by prolonged uncertainty, heightened security measures, political shifts and unease beyond its shores.
For much of the year, citizens have lived under a State of Emergency, and while the Government has consistently argued that these measures were necessary to confront violent crime and restore public order, the psychological toll of living under emergency powers should not be underestimated. A society cannot remain indefinitely in this posture without consequences for trust, social cohesion and democratic confidence.
Christmas, therefore, offers more than festive cheer. It presents an opportunity for national pause and introspection.
Peace, in this context, must be understood not only as the absence of gunfire or criminal activity, but as the presence of stability, fairness and hope. It is the assurance that citizens can live without fear—fear of violence, fear of arbitrary power, and fear of economic uncertainty.
Politically, 2025 has been anything but quiet. Significant developments have reshaped the national conversation, reminding citizens that leadership decisions have far-reaching consequences that reverberate beyond Parliament. At times, political discourse has sharpened divisions rather than bridged them. Christmas should challenge leaders across the spectrum to recalibrate their tone and priorities. Goodwill cannot be selective. It must extend across party lines and into genuine efforts to address the root causes of crime, inequality and social fragmentation.
Beyond T&T’s borders, regional and hemispheric tensions have also loomed large. Developments involving the United States and Venezuela continue to cast a long shadow over the Caribbean. As a small state situated at a strategic crossroads, this country has little room for diplomatic missteps. Prudence, restraint and clarity must guide foreign policy, particularly when geopolitical rivalries risk spilling into economic or security consequences for ordinary citizens.
In such a climate, the Christmas message is not naïve or outdated. On the contrary, it is profoundly practical. Peace requires deliberate action: consistent investment in communities bearing the unfortunate label of crime hotspots and mired in poverty, reform of the criminal justice system and honest dialogue about what safety truly means.
Goodwill demands empathy from those in authority and accountability to those they serve.
Churches, civic organisations and families, as they always do, are playing their part during the season—feeding the hungry, comforting the grieving and reminding the nation of shared values. But Christmas goodwill cannot be confined to charity drives or seasonal rhetoric. It must translate into policies that uplift rather than exclude, and governance that prioritises people over politics.
As T&T moves toward a new year, the hope is that the measures of the past will give way to sustainable solutions, that security will be anchored in justice, and that leadership will be marked by wisdom rather than expediency.
“Peace on earth and goodwill to men” is not merely a carol lyric or a religious sentiment. In this moment, it is a challenge—one that calls on citizens and leaders alike to choose reconciliation over rancour, courage over fear, and unity over division.
The true test of Christmas will be whether those choices endure long after the decorations come down.
