Is the cooperative movement in Guyana dying?

May 06, 2012 News

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–  The second and final part of an interview with Patrick Mentore, Community Advocate, Paradise Housing Scheme

By Dale Andrews

(Continued from last Sunday)

Kaieteur News (KN): It seems that you have given the matter of the operations of PMCS (Paradise Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society) a lot of thought.  According to an item carried in this newspaper, at that March 18 meeting you were identified to be a part of the team managing the affairs of the Society.  Have you been able to make the transition from what many might see as an adversarial role to a more participative one in the interest of the general membership?

Patrick Mentore (PM): If you mean have I been welcomed with open arms; the answer is no on many fronts.  I don’t think that I have made any impression on the minds of some who arguably have benefitted from a situation of disorder. I am still of the opinion that if we do not move swiftly in the direction of a cooperative community, we will be doing ourselves a grave injustice.
I strongly maintain the view that the Paradise Housing Scheme needs a place where we organize for community development; where members can be educated on the obligations and benefits of cooperatives.
To my mind, members need to be continually exposed to cooperative education, which incidentally is one of the planks of an expanded and strengthened cooperative movement.  Earlier I alluded to a joint Local Government and UNDP initiative; in that venture several items were bought for the Paradise community, including three computers with accessories, office desks and chairs, bookshelves and books.  Sadly, I would have to admit that the lack of a community space has resulted in the items being reallocated to another community, to the disadvantage of the Paradise residents, who are no less deserving.

KN: At the start of this interview you mentioned that the registered office of the PMCS is Lot 8 Paradise on the East Coast.  Why not use that address for Society business and as a space for other communal activities?

PM: First of all I am not sure where that address is, but I have a strong suspicion that it is connected to the founder of the PMCS, who I firmly believe will not be willing to cooperate under the circumstances.  As it stands, the PMCS business is conducted out of the office of the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer (CCDO) every Tuesday and Thursday of each week. My question is what input do members have in such a situation?
Another concern that I have is the number of unoccupied lands in the Paradise Housing Scheme.  Since October 1, 2011, I suggested that a notice should be sent to the media requesting persons who are allottees of house lots to come forward and reestablish their interest in building homes. This was never done.  There is a general view that many of these lands are owned by persons who abandoned them after the 2005 floods and by persons residing overseas – something I have no serious quarrel with.  However ,the condition of these lands does not give a favourable impression of the residents, and generally reflects a community without pride in its appearance… reminiscent of a disorganized squatter settlement.  Those persons who reside overseas should be asked to pay an environmental fee towards keeping their lands free of unsightly bushes, while those in residence could be encouraged to keep their surroundings clean.
It is only right that I add that my suggestions have earned me the label of “joining with the PPP to take away Black people land.”  I believe that the injustice we are meting out to ourselves and our children is much more than any efforts towards improvement I could ever think up – joining with the PPP or not.  There is need for a centre where youths can be the focus of motivational talks by respected Guyanese; sessions dealing with healthy life choices; opportunities to become members of the police scouts or participate in sports and extracurricular activities.

KN: Would you subscribe to a government takeover of the community with the attendant conditions which obtain under the policy among which is the reallocation of land if construction does not begin within a given timeframe?

PM: Some persons have approached me saying that they would prefer the government to take over, because in their view, PMCS has been a cash cow for too few for far too long, with no accountability to members.  I am not going to push that line, simply since I feel that that sentiment is exactly what some others are trying to provoke, because they might be feeling that any such transition under the current circumstances would cause any wrongdoing to be covered up. I would prefer to wait on the results and recommendations of the audit.
What I find hard to understand is why so many opportunities to develop the cooperative spirit have not been utilized by the management.  It was within the remit of the CCDO to ensure that the persons whom he appointed under 56(2) were qualified and knowledgeable of cooperatives or, if not, that they tapped into those with the necessary expertise.
On a related point there was, as far as I am aware, no collective effort by the community to contribute to the victims of two house fires which occurred in the scheme during 2011 and this year where two children lost their lives in a shack, and an entire home was destroyed respectively.
The Golden Heart Day and Night Care and Play Group is the only institution which organized a hotdog sale, with the proceeds going to the victims of this year’s fire.  Why can’t we purchase brush cutters as a Society and charge a fee to residents for cleaning their yards of unsightly bush?
There is a commendable effort by a few who have established little shops to cater for the needs of residents, but by and large there is no concerted effort to encourage the return to the land through kitchen gardening, where house lots measure in excess of 130 feet long.  This would, I am sure, give real meaning to the concept of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Right now, a group of concerned residents are examining ways to arrest the crime situation in the community, and it is hoped that all would come on board for our collective security.  It is an established fact that criminals thrive on disunity and disorder, and I think that if we have the will and spirit of cooperation and cohesion, they will be forced to either adjust or find things to do with their time, or alternatively, relocate to more vulnerable communities.  Finally, and I think that this is a fitting end to our discussion, the community needs to allocate lands for a burial ground, since all available lands outside of the housing scheme have been exhausted.

KN: You preempted me there, but before you go, could you share your thoughts on how cooperatives generally can better perform their role for the benefit of members.

PM: Sorry!  My readings have shown that successful cooperatives are those which have ongoing cooperative education programmes, where members are informed and involved.  Cooperatives need to be proactive in seeking out and using appropriately qualified and experienced advisers and committees.  If we talk cooperatives, we must be prepared to collaborate with other cooperatives based upon mutual management philosophy and practice.
Regular meetings must be businesslike, with members encouraged to speak freely and to vote on important issues including amending the cooperative‘s rules.  I have been particularly harsh on the governance of the PMCS, and I paraphrase these words for any board or committee entrusted with conducting the affairs of a cooperative society: know your duties and legal responsibilities under the Cooperative Act Chapter 88:01; place the cooperative first in all dealings and decision-making, and be the first to disclose any conflict of interest; be willing and mature enough to have your performance evaluated, and accept the results, because after all, you are serving at the behest and in the interest of the membership.
Finally, do not be afraid to take members into your collective confidence in the process of development, while ensuring at all material times that there is transparency in all processes.

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