Think Positive – We must all resolve to make 2013 a better year

Dec 29, 2012 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The year 2013 is just around the corner. The number 13 for many people conjures up feelings of foreboding, of some impending sense of disaster. Let me say from the very beginning that I am not a superstitious person. I subscribe to a scientific world view which allows me to dispel such notions as completely nonsensical and without any scientific basis. Like the Mayan prediction of the end of the world earlier this month, such views will see a natural evaporation since there is no scientific or rational basis for such doomsday prediction.
I am by nature an optimist, that is to say, I always believe that tomorrow will be better than today. In like manner I also believe that 2013 will be better than 2012 in the same way 2012 was better than 2011. In this regard, I consider myself to be among those who subscribe to the scientific worldview of dialectical and historical materialism. I believe that changes are not only inevitable but that society is constantly and progressively evolving from lower to higher stages of development and organization.
With such an outlook and worldview, there is hardly any room for pessimism. This is not to suggest that society is free from conflicts and tensions. According to sociologists, some amount of tension and conflict is necessary for the health of any society. It is how we go about resolving conflicts that defines us as a society. This is why it is important that we seek to develop conflict-resolution skills that lead to win-win situations, where everyone comes out a winner.
All of this may sound idealistic and wishful thinking, but I am firmly convinced that there are more than enough good things to celebrate during the course of this year.  We saw indications of growth and development in some of the major economies, including that of the United States of America.
According to recent estimates, the rate of unemployment has declined, albeit slowly. The US economy has shown some marginal growth after a period of stagnation and financial depression. President Barack Obama has been re-elected to the White House in what was seen as a tight presidential contest. Things are looking up for the US economy which, if sustained, could have an overall positive effect on the rest of the world. As the saying goes “when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches cold.”
In Guyana, things have also been looking up, quite contrary to those prophets of doom who never cease to paint a doomsday scenario for Guyana. The economy has recorded positive growth with record levels of gold and rice production. The other sectors have also been showing some encouraging signs including sugar production which, despite being unable to achieve its full production potential, did better this year.  The industrial relations climate in the industry has shown some significant improvements compared to previous years which augurs well for the future viability of this important industry.
The festive season of Christmas is over and the New Year has already dawned. This is a good time to reflect on the many challenges we faced during the course of the year and at the same time give praise where it is due for the achievements we have made both in our private lives and as a nation.
We are blessed with an abundance of natural and human resources which potentially ranks us among the most highly endowed, resource-rich country in the Caribbean. The challenge for us is to exploit these riches in the most sustainable and cost-effective manner in order to optimize the benefits of these resources for the people of Guyana.
This is why it is so important that we seek to find common ground on the way forward for this country. We have to think big and always strive to put the national interest before narrow sectarian interests. I am absolutely sure that there are enough people right across the political and ethnic spectrum who passionately care for the good and well-being of this nation, but for one reason or another seem unable to liberate themselves from parochial bondage.
This is why there is so much hope for this country. I believe that we all mean well for this country even though we differ on tactics and approaches. We all want a better quality of education for our children, a better quality of health care delivery, a bigger basket of goods and services for our workers, better roads and bridges among other things. We all would like to see more Guyanese own their own homes and have access to clean and potable water. In short, we all want the good life which this country is capable of offering, if only we can get our acts together as a people.
Let us all resolve to make 2013 a better year; one in which we put the past behind us and work for the common good of all. There can be no higher calling than to put the interests of the Guyanese people ahead of personal interests.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Guyanese a happy and prosperous 2013.
Hydar Ally

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