The knowledge society

Sep 15, 2012 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
September is designated Amerindian Heritage Month. It is a month set aside by the current PPP/C administration to focus attention on the progress made by our indigenous peoples over the years and the challenges that continue to face hinterland development.
The theme of this year’s observances “Embracing our Identity, Celebrating our Culture” could not have been more relevant. Amerindians are much more empowered today than in previous years, thanks to an enhanced quality of education delivery, better health care services and a more democratic environment in which Amerindians are free to elect their own village leaders without interference from central government, as was the case under the previous PNC administration. All of this has resulted in a greater sense of group identity and a flourishing of Amerindian cultures.
Those of us who have had the opportunity to visit Amerindian communities throughout Guyana can relate more readily to the transformation that has taken place since the coming to office of this current administration. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that the entire physical and social landscape of the Amerindian communities have undergone a complete transformation. Today, government buildings are no longer the rundown structures that leak profusely during heavy rainfall. The same could be said of the health facilities, which were a disgrace by any standards.
Today, Amerindian communities boast of new schools, health centres and recreational facilities, which as mentioned before have impacted positively on the quality of life of the Amerindian people. This is especially true of education and health, as reflected in better student performances and enhanced health care delivery.
The fact that the Amerindian population has higher fertility rates than any other ethnic group is indicative of a combination of better heath care and education delivery. The incidence of malaria has been reduced significantly due to more robust vector control measures by the Health Ministry which, coupled with more comprehensive immunization programmes, has resulted in higher longevity rates in Amerindian/Hinterland communities.
September is also designated Education Month. There is a saying that one cannot be educated and poor at the same time. Knowledge is power and education serves to empower people. This is why education and health services are so important for individual, and by extension, community development.
The Guyana government has been putting in increasingly larger sums of money towards hinterland development which has resulted in a transformation of these communities. Amerindian communities are no longer isolated from the rest of the country, as happened under the previous PNC administration when there were hardly any communication and transportation facilities available.
Today, thanks to the construction of airstrips in hinterland regions, it is now possible to travel by air to any part of Guyana in a matter of a few hours. The same is true of the communication infrastructure which has now seen radio and telephone networks in some of the remotest corners of the country – making it possible to transmit information within seconds.
In the past, it took days to communicate with hinterland communities due to the unavailability of radio sets and telephone networks. All of this has now changed with the proliferation of cell phones and internet services in several hinterland communities which is impacting positively on the quality of life of the Amerindian people who are now becoming increasingly connected to the global community thanks to advances made in the area of information and communication technology.
Under the Low Carbon Development Strategy, it is envisaged to provide every Amerindian home with solar energy which would enable communities to benefit from the use of modern technologies, including computers, which today are the most important tool in the empowerment process.
We now live in what is described as the age of information and any individual or society that lacks access to internet services runs the risk of being marginalized and pushed into the backwaters of development. This is why the current administration is placing so much emphasis on bridging the digital divide by putting in place the necessary information and communication infrastructure and providing laptops to children and young people, in particular those from the low income group.
The truth is that computer literacy has now become one of the core competencies that children and young people must have if they are to succeed in this highly competitive learning and work environment. There is no longer the dominance of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – important as these are in the teaching/learning process. It is common knowledge that young children are much more adept at computers than adults and the sooner they are exposed to such technology the better for them, in terms of being able to obtain, process and transmit information so vital for their success in life.
I wish to take this opportunity to salute all my Amerindian brothers and sisters on the occasion of Amerindian Heritage Month.
Hydar Ally

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