In the News: Life-Altering Journey Through India

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Heritage educator Dr Kris Rampersad on mapping India’s development 180 years after ancestors left.

“An unforgettable phenomenal-packed life-altering experience.” This is how Dr Kris Rampersad, an intercultural multilateral outreach specialist, multimedia innovator/educator describes her recent visit to India.

“Astoundingly, many cultural elements that descendants of Indians have rooted in Trinidad and Tobago and our extended diaspora across North America and Europe are now disappearing from the Indian landscapes,” Rampersad noted in her blog, Demokrissy on her website GloCal Knowledge Pot (www.krisrampersad.com).

Multilateral Policy Influencer Dr Kris Rampersad interviewed by international media Asian News Network at Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj India more at www.krisrampersad.com — Multlateral Policy Influencer Dr Kris Rampersad interviewed by international media Asian News Network at Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj India more at www.krisrampersad.com

Rampersad recently returned from India following participation as Content Creator and Policy Influencer ambassador of the diaspora at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) which took place in Bhubaneshwar. PBD is the flagship diaspora event of the Government of India.

Extended journey through ancestral districts

She also attended the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj before continuing on an extended stay that took her through ancestral districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from where most of the descendants of Indians in TT originated.

She took the opportunity to visit core heritage sites across Odisha, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Mathura, Gokul, Vrindaban, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Hapur, Kabirpur, Delhi, Agra among others.

Best Practices for the Global South

Rampersad, who holds a TT National Gold Award for Development of Women/Journalism, said she seized the opportunity for an extended stay to identify best practices in cultural heritage tourism as she maps India’s development strides as it positions itself as a leader of the global south. This builds on her development initiatives, and pioneering doctoral and post-doctoral research on migration, settlement and adaptation.

She said while there she identified numerous opportunities for multipronged diaspora engagement through education, IT, health, agriculture, textiles, transportation, digital payments, solar energy and other emerging sectors. She interfaced with thank tanks, experts, students, journalists and community leaders who provided close insights while she also made presentations to universities and technical organisations on bridging knowledge and other gaps to enhance diaspora relations.

MultiMedia Innovator, Dr Kris Rampersad enters the Virtual Reality Universe at World Skills Centre, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India during the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Content Creators' Influencer Tour — MultiMedia Innovator, Dr Kris Rampersad enters the Virtual Reality Universe at World Skills Centre, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India during the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Content Creators’ Influencer Tour

“This would add to my experiences of India to inform mapping of best practices in sustainable development and trace differences since our ancestors left almost 200 years ago,” she said.

From this and other experiences, Rampersad is identifying best practices for cultural heritage tourism, education and diaspora outreach as an independent scholar and multilateral relations specialist focusing on gender-sensitivity mainstreaming and culture-centred approaches to development.

Reconnecting Ancestral Histories, Retrieving Cultures

Dr Kris Rampersad In the News Life Altering Journey Thorugh India Newsday Feature

TT this year celebrated the 180th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in TT. Rampersad, a fourth and fifth generation descendant of persons of Indian origin, was one of the first guests from the Caribbean that included Nobel Laureate Sir Vidia Naipaul and legal luminary Sir Shridath Ramphal at the inaugural PBD in 2003.

It is now the flagship biennial event in which the Government of India reaches out to its diaspora, said to be the world’s largest diaspora gathering. She also studied for a diploma in mass communication at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus and earned its highest Rajasthan Patrika Award.

Books for High Commissioner

Indian High Commissioner receives books from Dr Kris Rampersad. –

This week, Rampersad paid a courtesy call on Dr Pradeep Rajpurohit, High Commissioner of India to TT who warmly welcomed her back home as the two exchanged experiences of Maha Kumbh Mela, which Rajpurohit also attended. Maha Kumbh Mela is a significant global heritage event celebrated during a particular alignment of planets once every 144 years, while Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 12 years.

The Indian High Commission of TT is currently preparing to welcome President of India, Shri Narendra Modi to TT on the invitation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a fourth-generation descendant of persons of Indian origin.

Rampersad also presented Rajpurohit with copies of her books, Through the Political Glass Ceiling which maps Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar’s pivotal journey to becoming the first woman in that position, and LiTTscapes – Landscapes of Fiction, the official commemorative publication of TT’s Jubilee Year of Independence that opens up opportunities for economic diversification through knowledge sectors that link bridge industrial with literary, heritage, educational and other social sectors.

US Vice President Al Gore receives a copy of Through the Political the Glass Ceiling — Al Gore receives a copy of Through the Political Glass Ceiling from Prime Miister Kamla Persad Bissessar by Dr Kris Rampersad’s book Through the Political Glass Ceiling

Rampersad is unfolding highlights of her India visit through her social media channels as she develops two of her creative innovations, the world’s newest creative genre, the MultiMedia MicroEpic and CEIBA-EDUtainment which blend education and entertainment through new media.

Her posts can be accessed through her website krisrampersad.com and social media channels as KrisRampersad on You Tube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest.

LiTTscapes to heal self schisms in the post pandemic planet

Mapping Strategic Impacts

Rampersad shared how she closely observed the strategic impacts of emerging fields as information technologies and solar power in reducing poverty in villages and expansion of the middle class, while retracing footprints through ancestral regions and ancient heritage sites across Odisha, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Mathura, Gokul, Vrindaban, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Hapur, Kabirpur, Delhi, Agra among others.

She was also guest of honour at key events at Universities of Banaras, Gorakhpur and Delhi where she delivered insights on expanding educational programmes with our diaspora, drawing from her research and experiences over the past four decades on migration, settlement and adaptation of Indians across the globe. She participated in the launch of studies on the Indian Diaspora, presenting at seminars and conferences in Banares, Gorakhpur and New Delhi, met with children at district schools and community knowledge holders as scribes of Pandas, record keepers of ancient ancestral lineages of Indian families.

Engaging Diaspora With Multilateral Mechanisms & Programmes

Rampersad further shared insights on advancing multilateral and bilateral mechanisms and programmes to enhance India’s engagement with the diaspora and the Global South through interconnecting the spheres in which she functions across gender-sensitive mainstreaming, culture-centred development, education and media/new media. This is in keeping with India’s development drive to advance recognition of the diaspora’s contributions to Viksit Bharat which was the theme of PBD 2025.

About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is India’s largest outreach initiative to engage its diaspora through discussions, socials and exhibitions. It is celebrated biennially on January 9 in India to recognise the contributions of the Indian diaspora in its journey to Viksit Bharat – development of India. This marks the day Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to India in 1915, escalating focus on social injustices being experience by Indians abroad which propelled the movements for independence from colonial rule across the globe.

To collaborate, partner and sponsor development of these materials for film and educational outreach and to stay connected and updated through her website krisrampersad.com and social media channels as KrisRampersad on You Tube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest. See links: https://krisrampersad.com/knowledge-exchange-on-daughters-of-world-largest-diaspora-a-visit-with-the-india-ambassador/ https://krisrampersad.com/inside-pulse-of-a-civilisation-tracing-ancestors-footsteps-in-worlds-largest-diaspora/

Published in Newsday: https://newsday.co.tt/2025/07/04/life-altering-journey-through-india/

About Dr Kris Rampersad

Dr Kris Rampersad is confronting the perils of Artificial Intelligence with AuthenThink Intel & AI AnalyEthics & CEIBA-EDUtainment. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a Latin American & Caribbean-based global thought-leader, multilateral relations & knowledge sector strategist with expert knowledge of emerging issues from the media-new media & Information Technology environment, including AI & Data Science & close knowledge of the Global South & SIDS issues.Dr. Kris Rampersad is an internationally recognized Caribbean culture-and-development strategist whose work bridges heritage, gender, media, education, governance, and sustainable development. Her leadership roles within UNESCO and other multilateral systems place her among a relatively small cadre of global experts capable of connecting grassroots knowledge systems with international policy frameworks. T his combination is comparatively rare and difficult to replicate because it represents decades of relationship-building across UNESCO, Commonwealth, OAS, EU-ACP, Caribbean, Latin American, and civil society systems. Her accumulated social capital derives from more than t hree decades of international networks, proven trust across governments, NGOs, academia, media, and communities, extensive experience strategising and negotiating between local and global systems, and a demonstrated ability to translate policy into public engagement while maintaining credibility across multiple sectors.She occupies a distinctive position among the relatively small number of internationally active specialists operating at the intersection of culture and heritage policy, gender mainstreaming, media and communications for development, multilateral diplomacy, sustainable development, and knowledge systems across the United Nations, Inter-American, Commonwealth, European, Caribbean, and Latin American spheres.Dr. Rampersad holds sustained intelligence and expertise in sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Caribbean and Global South development policy, strategic North-South engagement, knowledge-sector and knowledge-systems development, heritage tourism, creative and cultural industries, and gender-responsive governance.She is among the most internationally experienced practitioners in Caribbean culture and development policy, serving at a senior specialist level with unusual leadership experience for a Caribbean representative within UNESCO heritage and cultural policy. Her contributions have established her as a recognized regional change leader in gender and culture mainstreaming, a pioneer in communications for development, and a specialist with distinctive expertise in heritage tourism linked to sustainable development.Dr. Rampersad is among the relatively small cadre of Caribbean specialists whose work has influenced policy, strategy, and advocacy across UNESCO, Commonwealth, OAS, EU-CARIFORUM, and other multilateral systems, particularly in the fields of culture, gender, media, heritage, education, and sustainable development. She is internationally recognized as an expert and leading Caribbean thought leader functioning at the intersection of culture and sustainable development, heritage policy and safeguarding, gender mainstreaming, communications for development, the creative economy, heritage tourism, Global-to-Local (GloCal) development strategies, SIDS advocacy, intercultural education, and knowledge systems.She sits among the upper tier of specialists engaged in UNESCO, Commonwealth, OAS, and EU-ACP multisectoral initiatives, particularly in advancing global SIDS priorities through policy influence, participation in governance and development frameworks, intellectual leadership, and innovation. Her work has pioneered integrated culture-gender-media-development approaches and contributed to the evolution of GloCal, multimedia, and multisectoral engagement models. She is one of the Caribbean’s most visible culture-and-development advocates, with sustained regional impact and significant specialist recognition that extends well beyond conventional media visibility. Her legacy potential resides in an extensive body of work with continuing relevance to contemporary policy and development challenges. Within global culture-and-development circles, her profile is closest to specialists who bridge policy and practice, culture and economics, heritage and development, and communications and governance, rather than fitting the mould of traditional academics or politicians. Her professional profile is distinguished by the rare combination of roles as journalist, scholar, multilateral systems expert, policy strategist, Ethical AI analyst, heritage facilitator, gender specialist, educator, and multimedia innovator. Few specialists operate simultaneously across these domains while maintaining active engagement with UN agencies, UNESCO, Inter-American systems, the OAS, EU institutions, SIDS frameworks, and Caribbean regional mechanisms. Among her areas of global distinction is leadership in cultural heritage and sustainable tourism. She has served as a UNESCO Executive Board member, President of the UNESCO Education Commission, Vice-President of the Programme and External Relations Commission, Independent Expert and Vice-Chair of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Consultative Body, and member of the UNESCO Heritage Facilitator Network.She is also a founding expert of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and Founder of Leaves of Life, Dr Kris Rampersad Knowledge Research Information Services & Resources and the GloCal Knowledge Pot.Dr. Rampersad is among the few global professionals who have simultaneously operated at community, national, SIDS, CARICOM, Commonwealth, and UN-UNESCO levels while maintaining an independent intellectual and professional profile. One of her strongest distinguishing features is her long-standing commitment to integrating gender equality, cultural diversity, heritage, media, education, and sustainable development into unified frameworks rather than treating them as separate sectors. This integrated approach has been a defining characteristic of her work across multiple international systems. She is among the leading international experts in interconnected cultural heritage and is certified to prepare and review UNESCO nominations. She ranks among the most internationally experienced Caribbean culture-and-development specialists, sits within the upper international tier of Global SIDS cultural policy, heritage tourism, and creative economy specialists, and is recognized as a leading Caribbean authority on gender-culture policy integration. Her work also includes pioneer-level contributions to the development of the new media arena of communications for development, advancing innovative approaches to knowledge creation, transmission, public engagement, and sustainable social transformation. She brings core experience of actively culling successful innovative global gender & culture sensitive initiatives, negotiating, analysing, critiquing & troubleshooting global developmental hiccups, building successful education & public awareness engagement strategies & programmes, developing creative & strategic information & outreach materials in technical to creative multimedia forms. Her insights and experience are applied to identifying gaps and silos from concept through planning, programme development and multi-stakeholder engagement to drive successful implementation across sectors, connecting the needs of local communities to institutional, national and global policy goals and targets.Dr Rampersad has led global think tank processes for developing global to local policies, matching budgets to programmes, developed progress reports for economic diversification and transformation of public sectors and for motivation of private and NGO sectors for interagency partnerships.She has further successfully led intersectoral engagement across social to industrial sectors as petroleum and clean energy, trade, tourism, agriculture, culture and education among others for international, intraregional, national and local public, private, NGO and intergovernmental arenas of agencies of the United Nations, European Union, Commonwealth, Organisation of American States, Caribbean Economic Community/CARIFORM along with international to local academic, media and NGO networks. An award-winning journalist, she invented the world’s newest creative genre, MultiMedia MicroEpic She served as former Vice President of the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, President of UNESCO Education Commission, VP, UNESCO Programme & External Relations Commission, VP Consultative Body of UNESCO InterGovernmental Committee on ICH More at https://krisrampersad.com/

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