The confusion surrounding this year

Jan 18, 2011 Editorial

This year has been designated the International Year of People of African descent and from the look of things, it seems that the people of African origin have organized precious little on their own. They seem unable to mobilize at the most basic level, the Afro centric villages.
When the United Nations made the designation one would have expected that in Guyana the very people who over the years claimed that they were being marginalized, would have taken this opportunity to not only highlight their plight, but to also showcase their skills and talent. This would have allowed the world to see that the country, against which the charges of marginalization are levelled, was indeed was bypassing the skilled and the qualified.
There are black businesses and black entrepreneurs and black contractors who operate within the country. Some of them hold pride of place in the society and continue to do well. These entities, using the principle of ethnic preference, would have turned to the black communities for support and in turn, provide job opportunities for black people, provided the recruits are equipped to undertake the jobs.
Last week, a group organized a forum at which they members accused the government of hijacking the event. The People’s National Congress Reform in its weekly column, made a similar accusation. “The actions of the PPP/C regime have clearly demonstrated that President Jagdeo and his Party are seeking to use the Year for People of African Descent for political and electioneering purposes, rather than in the interest of the people for whom the year has been dedicated.”
“The PNCR had also stated … that the first action by the Administration was to exclude all legitimate organizations representing African Guyanese from formal representation on the so called National Committee. Instead, that party has sought to manipulate individuals of African descent to give the false impression that Guyanese of African descent are fully involved in the programme.”
This is a trickle down situation. If anything, the national committee should have comprised Afro centric committees and organizations. These should have been organizing the various programmes and coming up with suggestions for the year of activities and events.
The United Nations has as its objective, highlighting the role and status of African people in the various societies. It stated, “The Year aims at strengthening national actions and regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent in relation to their full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture.”
In the context, the government would have indicated the national effort and actions, the employment opportunities and the various rights. The Afro centric groups would have mobilized its people to showcase their rights to be an integral part of the society. They should have been the ones to organize the cultural activities.
The leading black organisation by a long way is the African Cultural and Development Association—ACDA. This organisation does not profess to be the umbrella organization for black groups and organizations but it has been known to mobilize for national efforts whenever there was something targeting the people of African descent.
Something had to be horribly wrong for the government to single-handedly plan a year of activities for Afro centric people in Guyana. Even if the United Nations expected governments to take the lead, there would have been the need for national consultations.
And if there was little or none the black groups and organizations would have fashioned a programme for inclusion in whatever the government intended.
The PNCR with its decidedly large Afro centric base should have been among the leading organisation people preparing its political base for this year.

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The confusion surrounding this year

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