Ethnic awareness session goes to West Dem hospital

Apr 01, 2009 News

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) descended on the West Demerara Regional Hospital on Monday in its quest to heighten awareness about the crucial need to improve ethnic inter-relations.
The move, according to Coordinator of the Programme, Bisham Mohamed, comes as part of the Commission’s awareness activities planned for this year.
He pointed out that the visit to workplaces activity commenced last month and represents one of the recommendations that have been made by stakeholders. The ERC has not hesitated to implement it.
On Monday, Mohamed said that the ERC met with members of staff at the hospital, not only people of various races but staffers that offer medical services to persons of various cultural backgrounds.
In order to emphasise its point the ERC exposed the staffers to a film titled ‘Elbow Room Distance’, which highlights conflicts in the workplace and ways that persons could work together and not allow problems to be blown out of proportion, Mohammed noted.
And since the response was favourable, he said that there is likely to be a follow-up session during the course of the year where staffers will be able to raise concerns about issues that could be improved to better the interpersonal relations within the work environment.
Several other organisations, including other hospitals, the Guyana Power and Light Inc, the Guyana Post Office Corporation, have already been involved in the awareness campaign, which is being streamlined by the ERC Public Education and Awareness department.
Last year a similar undertaking was engaged at schools countrywide. More than 1000 youths gained knowledge about the ideal way to relate in the workplace through films.
The youths were also engaged in discussions based on race, tolerance and how to have a better understanding for each other’s culture.
It was while meeting these constituents, Mohammed said, that it was recommended that parents be enlightened about their operation in the workplace as it relates to ethnic relations.
The ERC came into being with the primary aim of promoting harmony and good relations.
According to the ERC official website, the genesis of the Commission lies in the Herdmanston Accord which was signed on January 17, 1998 by the now deceased former President Janet Jagan and deceased former opposition leader Hugh Desmond of the People’s National Congress.
The Accord brokered by the Caricom Mission that included Sir Shridath Ramphal, Sir Alistair McIntyre and Sir Henry Forde, sought to provide a peaceful solution to the political impasse that had gripped the country following the December 1997 Regional and General Elections.

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Ethnic awareness session goes to West Dem hospital

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