Creating a viable legacy for the next generation

Nov 02, 2008 Peeping Tom

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Taken from Chapter 14 of My Book “Road to Eldorado – The People’s Revolution”

Given that America is about to seriously consider change, we here in Guyana must also realize we too can experience change, we too can stop the current race politics, we too can focus on our economy, we too can have one destiny as a nation.  We too can look forward to a government in 2011 that makes us the citizens’ number one.  Let us keep the faith, get involved in changing the way we think, it is about our next generation, they are not just our future but they are our today. This piece was written prior to all the current focus on ‘real change”, and many of the young in Guyana have also been motivated by the Obama movement and believe they can help influence that here in our own nation.  I also believe we can.

“I truly believe that individuals can make a difference in society.
Since periods of change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world.” –Dalai Lama

History is the best example of how long the human memory can be. We can sit in our comfortable homes in the 21st century AD and analyse the reign of Julius Caesar who was born in 1st century BC. We have a propensity to over-analyse with the hope of not repeating the same mistakes of those before us.
Does it do any good? If we learn from our past, yes it does a great amount of good. However, if we gaze history full in the face and comprehend the errors of our ancestors without changing, then we only waste our time in studying history.
Guyana’s children study her history every day. They are expected to know the good and the bad so they can identify with the national history that connects every citizen. But will it help them lead the country any better when it is their turn? Did our history lessons help us lead the country better than the generation before us?  Have we become clones of the old system?
In contemplating the legacy of this generation, one must wonder if Guyanese 40 years from now will have a reason to show their appreciation to today’s leaders or if they will use our generation as one more excuse to justify the continuing sad state of the nation. If the latter, then it will surely be a well deserved critique.
Forty plus years ago Guyana was on the brink of the most potential ever to that point in history. The future held nothing but promise and we were ready to make a beautiful country with our own hands. We had a clean slate and could write our own remarkable history. Unfortunately, there has been nothing remarkable to record in the last 40 years. Our predecessors and current leaders have failed us and left us with a legacy of racism, dictatorial governance and poverty. Will our legacy be the same?
The issues that plague Guyana have been analysed to death. We have debated, debunked and declared, but we are still defunct, debased and defeated in the eyes of the rest of the world. We need a new vision. We can use the next 40 years to build a substantial and viable legacy and leave our children a country of which they are proud. All it takes is a little initiative and a lot of hard work.
There is one more very important factor needed to transform Guyana for the better – change. We must be willing to step out of our comfort zones and toss the old system in the trash heap where it belongs. Apathy has been our downfall. This is the first necessary change if we are to see our country develop. The change cannot be in just one or two Guyanese; it must be the entire nation – one strong voice demanding progress and reform.
In unity we can call for a new government, demand a healthy economy and change our country for the better. It is the only way to offer a legacy worthy of the children of Guyana. Even if no one else in the world sees our worth, we still know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are a strong, intelligent and innovative people. We know we are capable of so much more if we only had the opportunity, so it is time to start creating those opportunities. The untapped potential in our country is brimming at the rim and just waiting for the opportunity to bubble over into the rest of the world. We are inspired daily by this knowledge – it is what keeps us going.
This is a strategic point in history. We can choose to end this crazy cycle or allow our children to inherit the same legacy that was passed down to us. Do we dare start believing there is a better way? Do we dare to propose a better way to infuse life into our limp economy, new techniques for a stronger infrastructure and a systematic approach at an educational system that will prepare Guyana’s children to be competitive in the career of their choosing, regardless of where they live? Yes, we dare. The dynamics of our country are like none other in the world. We get swept away in an emotional whirlwind every time a politician yells racism. We sit idly by as the government runs our country to their liking with total disregard for what is best for us and what we want. If we are serious about leaving a pleasing legacy for our children, then we need to start by demanding change right now. There is no more time to wait around for the government to change; they have made it abundantly clear that they see no reason to change at all. But you and I see the reasons every single day.
We see the squalor and the lawlessness. We see the fear in our children’s eyes when they look at the front pages of our newspapers. It is the same fear we lived with daily as we grew up. Every day our headlines scream of death, poverty and an insensitive government. I want to give the children hope and the only way that can happen is if we demand change.
When opportunity meets potential the outcome is dynamic. When an intelligent child is provided a proper education, success is the only expectation.
Likewise, when a country brimming with this much potential makes its own opportunities and refuses to be held down anymore by the unseen forces of social and cultural expectation and dictatorial rule, the only outcome is success.
Can you see the same beautiful vision for Guyana’s future? What legacy do you want to leave the next generation? Guyana, the land of your fathers, a land lush and green, a land riddled with corruption and crime, a land with so much promise, the land you will give to your children, awaits our reply.

Email:    Peter.ramsaroop@gmail.com    or visit  our website: http://www.visionguyana.com

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