This effort of the UN is a step in the right direction

Jan 27, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
After centuries of discrimination based on race and skin colour, the United Nations in a progressive move has recognised that the world owes people of African descent the benefits of equal treatment and correction of the discrimination that has particularly affected them more than any other.
In the words of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, “the event aims to strengthen the political commitment to eradicate discrimination” and “also aims to promote respect for diversity and cultural heritage.” Governments throughout the world, particularly those that are signatories to UN conventions are expected to concur with the declaration and give meaning to its spirit and intent.
In Guyana Africans are being organised to self destruct. They are encouraged to betray themselves and group and even take pride in denying their African roots and culture to gain acceptance. These are deep seated issues that plague the African community for years exploited and damaged psychologically, economically, politically, culturally etc. by the effects of racism against them.
If only for acknowledging this impact, the effort of the UN is a step in the right direction. It will take all descendants of Africans and those who are perpetrators and beneficiaries of racism, governments and people at large to truly begin the journey advanced in this year recognised as the year to make changes to century long customs and practices.
Letter writer Gill in an article “Corbin should fade away in the interest of his party and country” SN 23rd January 2010, demonstrates what may very well be a wide spread belief and general lack of understanding of what the expectations and role of Africans and African leaders ought to be.
This is exactly the effect that the Guyana Government benefits from. Africans or descendants of Africans should not allow themselves to be manipulated by this Government to betray African peoples and their organisation as well as their efforts to empower each other.
With the Government’s launch of the year of African descendants we see willful manipulation to downplay the African centeredness and place emphasis on issues that are not priority on any African agenda. The public is also being manipulated to accept that the State sponsored programme is adequate and ought to be accepted by the premier African leader and leader of the main opposition party as well as other major African groups.
How much longer can the African continue when we are constantly being pitted one against the other and prove to be our worst enemies?
With the Government’s anti African agenda stemming from our political culture being known, can African Guyanese trust Government to plan without proper consultation and without the involvement of the Opposition? Is this year going to serve the interest of the PPP or the interest of African Guyanese who will be fed the crumbs off of the table to fool them that Government cares?
The boycott of the launch by the Leader of the Opposition was justified and other boycotts should occur so as not to give credence to Government’s hijack of the year and most recent revealed effort to divide and conquer by President Jagdeo meeting with each African group separately. Now who is President Jagdeo trying to fool? Why must he set out to divide Africans and determine that he will meet with them individually instead of as a representative grouping? African Guyanese must not be suckered into this act of betrayal and effort to undermine African unity.
Africans need to open their eyes and not be guided by those amongst us who would not even acknowledge their identity or Africaness, even by distant, lineage but who can be identified by their embrace of the oppressors’ agenda. The prominence given to certain letters signed and or written by certain African names is a symbol of how lost some are and the extent to which we are being played one against the other. It is also a symbol how much our self destruction is being readily facilitated.
These methods of fostering African self betrayal, deep seated racial prejudices and attempts to divide and conquer will not end with the Year of African descendants but Africans must at least recognise the machinery behind the scenes when writers like Harry Gill gain prominence mainly because they attack other Africans and execute the biddings of others either consciously or unconsciously.
If the current Government is serious about giving meaning to this year of African descendants they ought to make public the programme that they have put together, the monies allotted to this programme and revisit the needs of African Guyanese by having open respectful consultation with a representative grouping comprising, the main opposition party which represents the largest cross section of Africans, ACDA and others. Anything else is a farce and will result in misuse of tax payers’ money to buy African votes even as they remain discriminated against and placed on the fringes of society by this government supported by those who were they not being good slave drivers with whip in hand cutting down the rebellious slaves and others not conferring to the master’s bidding would themselves be placed on the fringes of society earmarked for destruction.
Osafo Modibo

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