At the recent launch of the Call to Action for Social Change Foundation’s (NPO) 3 animation videos at UWI, 12-year-old Jeleah Charles’ (Providence Girls’ High School) spoken word piece The Words We Throw made an impact on us. It was written by her mother, Kedeasha Williams for the launch.
Jeleah delivered another piece at Dot Ten Entertainment’s TalentPot Kids inaugural Competition in August and was awarded Best Dramatic Piece. The following is the final stanza of the poem, which reminds us of the power of words to either heal/comfort, or wound/divide:
“... choose your words wisely, choose kindness instead,
Be the reason somebody feels hope not dread.
Because you never know the battle someone may be fighting
“Your words could be the darkness … or the reason they’re still surviving.
“WATCH THE WORDS YOU THROW.”
Language shapes our culture and carries immense weight. During my childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, I often used a children’s rhyme to respond to taunts about my mixed ethnicity (Indian and African origin). Some “threw” the “N” word at me, others used the “C” word to tease me. While I often responded stating: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” on reflection, I admit that this rhyme is false.
Such verbal abuse can do lasting damage to one’s mental, emotional and physical health. Gossip/mauvais langue, tittle-tattle, slander, harsh language, hate speech and online hostility degrade the speaker, dehumanise others and deepen social divisions.
Pope Francis reminded us that “We live in an atmosphere polluted by too much verbal violence, too many ... harmful words, which are amplified by the Internet.” Since speech carries significant moral weight, he emphasised that spiritual fasting, for example, during Lent, should go beyond food, and should include the practice of abstaining from hurtful, harsh, or negative speech. We need to watch how we speak within our families, workplaces, and digital communities.
Insults, dismissive remarks, online trolling, or demeaning labels can destroy emotional capital. Empathy is the most effective counter to “verbal pollution” because it forces a shift from reactive, toxic communication to conscious, human connection. Since 1993, the Danish education system has required all students aged six to 16 to participate in weekly empathy and emotional intelligence training as a fundamental part of the curriculum.
For one hour every week, students step away from academic subjects to focus entirely on social-emotional learning and discuss individual or group problems, interpersonal conflicts, or feelings of being left out. It is called Klassens tid/class time. Led by the teacher, the entire class works together to listen, understand different perspectives, and find mutual solutions to social friction. Such sessions can strengthen classroom community, empathy, active listening, cooperation, and mutual respect. Dr Jeremy Pollack, social psychologist and conflict resolution consultant, states that empathy can help prevent and resolve conflicts.
In his first Lenten Message this year (2026), Pope Leo XIV invited Catholics to go beyond traditional physical abstinence from food, and to practice an under-appreciated form of fasting—refraining from language that offends and hurts others.
He said, “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour ... Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. If we do so, we will let words of hatred give way to words of hope and peace.”
As we strive to “watch the words we throw,” remember the importance of conscience formation. Matthew 12:34 is instructive: “... out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
Conscience formation is critical in guarding against “verbal pollution” because it builds an internal moral compass that transforms how we choose our words, shifting our motivation from external policing to internal character. A strong, well-formed conscience provides the moral stamina to resist peer pressure and ensures you speak with integrity even when no one is watching. The AEC Bishops tell us that: “A healthy society depends on well-formed consciences. Laws may regulate outward actions, but conscience governs the inner motives that no one sees.”
Finally, I urge our leaders to lead by example. Your words help to shape community norms, trust and collective behaviour. Words have power, so be mindful of your speech. Use communication to inspire/elevate citizens.
