Using the American example to forge one Guyana

Dec 14, 2008 News

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Dr. Richard Van West Charles

On November 4, 2008, US citizens – and indeed American citizens of Caribbean heritage – voted impressively in favour of President-Elect Barack Obama. The world looked on and waited anxiously for Americans to exercise their franchise with the expectation that their vote would usher in a new era of change in the domestic milieu which would facilitate, at the same time, a dynamic world order.
This apparent universal political frenzy proved to be so infectious that some political leaders and Heads of State deviated from the established inter-state norms of non-interference by publicly declaring a preference for a political candidate – in this case Senator Obama.
But, be that as it may, what seemed to have driven the engine of hope was the goal of a new face for America which would represent ONE America, the United States of America – the ONE America which Barack Obama spoke so passionately about when he addressed the Democratic Convention some four years ago.
The election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, together with the desire of Americans for one America, indicates that there is yet hope for human beings to re-examine the various components of their identities. With this introspection, it is hoped that they will affirm a pre-eminent identity that is national, in contrast to other identities based on race, ethnicity and other distinctions.
Of course, this battle to create a national identity in the United States of America is not over; but after many years of deadly struggle and personal sacrifices, including wrongful incarceration and murder, America has indeed projected a new face, a new identity in support of a new human destiny to the world.
America’s unquestionable global leadership would appear to provide citizens of all nations with a solid opening to assert and reinforce their pre-eminent national identity. In different geographical spaces, therefore, citizens must seek out the common good within a framework of tolerance as they confront differences of one kind or another – some real, some perceived.
Hence, Guyana, a young nation that has struggled for the last 48 years to make manifest the realization of its Guyanese identity, now has a golden opportunity to seriously involve itself in the global psychological environment of change. Indeed, it is a timely moment to fundamentally address its pathological ethnic demons and embark on a process which will bring about change in a much shorter time frame than the United States of America.
I hardly believe that there is any Guyanese who does not want an environment of peace, security and a good quality of life. But in our concrete conditions, those elements of national existence are hampered by divisions of race and culture, ethnicity and religion.  In the prevailing circumstances, we need to interrogate the issue in these terms: what do we, as Guyanese, require in the changing environment to create that pre-eminent national identity?
How concerned are our political leaders with this issue of national identity? How concerned are our trade union leaders with this issue? How concerned are our religious leaders with this issue? How concerned are our other civic leaders with this issue? It is my considered judgment that our leaders — and their constituencies – would greatly redeem themselves if they were to take that bold step of emphasizing and re-emphasizing our national identity.
For my part, I am committed to the forging of a Guyanese national identity — and I see this as critical and fundamental to the creation of a new Guyana.
This year has not been one to make us proud citizens of a mature nation. The divisions persist and seem to be gaining a measure of ascendancy in the domestic environment. Consequently, we have suffered many heinous crimes; we have experienced many injustices; we do not feel safe and secure; we are increasingly labelled as a corrupt nation not open to fair business practices; we lack the confidence in our justice system; and we are enduring increasing inequities, among other things.
Yet, we cannot place the blame in its entirety at the feet of the government of the day. For if we then only point our fingers at the government, I wish to posit that we are not aware of our basic human rights. We, therefore, have to ask ourselves: How informed are we of our rights as citizens? How informed are we of our rights in responding to the Police?  How informed are we in our understanding of the role of the Police, the Magistracy and the Judiciary, and realizing that their roles are not identical?
The change in the United States, which we witnessed under Barack Obama’s leadership, was achieved with the involvement of millions of citizens – from the grassroots up. For us in Guyana, we must learn a lesson from his campaign – and that is to involve grassroots organizations and people in the ongoing process.
Thus, there is an urgent need to transform our political institutions to ensure that the democratic values undergirding our national platform must, by necessity, strengthen the political process in our political parties, our civic organizations, our trade unions, our churches, etc. In particular and more significant is a change in practices of our political culture which are inimical to a democratic culture.
Obviously, the change in the governance of our political parties is a natural precursor to the expected change in the governance of our country. But most critically is the historical alignment of ethnicity to the political process which has to be confronted in the interest of a better Guyana.
In the not too distant past, we had been engaged in a process of constructing the highway for moulding and cementing the Guyanese identity. There were direct strategic efforts, but somehow we seem to have lost our way.
Have we lost that vision of brilliance of what it is to be Guyanese? Have we decided to accept enclaves of the haves and the have-nots? Have we agreed that it is too difficult a task to confront and limit the opportunities of the younger generation?
I believe that the road of emphasizing our national identity is the only path which we must travel. It is a course which requires us – not only those we describe as leaders, but all Guyanese – to engage in a strategic process to understand the insecurities, the concerns, which fertilize the growth of a culture at odds with that collective identity of being Guyanese.
As we reflect on this past year and prepare for 2009, let us be part of the global effort to create an environment of hope. Let us engage in dialogue which can lead to solutions that can liberate us from the ethnic demons of our divisive past. I am aware that it is much easier to write than to do. But the courage to engage in understanding the diagnosis will allow us to understand the challenges and find the solutions.
The important link of the political culture to the issues raised makes it a sine qua non for the urgent attention of the members and supporters of our political parties.
I invite the governing bodies of each political party to immediately embark on a process which begins with self-examination and diagnosis and ends with the elimination of practices inimical to democratic values in each political party.
This, clearly, is a first step to the rebuilding process, and is in essence empowering our people to become involved and taking charge and charting the course of our collective Guyanese destiny. Let us not confuse electoral legitimacy with governmental accountability, fairness and justice.
Let us strive to make the change by beginning the process in 2009. We have the opportunity to begin 2009 with renewed energy and hope. We need to ensure that we give change a chance,
We can; we must; we will.

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