Emancipation messages

Aug 01, 2013 News

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People’s Progressive Party

The People’s Progressive Party extends warm wishes to Guyanese from all walks of life as the nation again pays tribute to the struggles and sacrifices which culminated with the birth of freedom and emancipation175 years ago.
The party is proud to stand side by side with Guyanese of African ancestry who played no small role then in fighting against the injustices and inequalities which ate away at the moral, social, political and economic fabric of our societies in Guyana and nations around us.
We believe that the story of emancipation and the struggle for freedom has lessons for all Guyanese regardless of their race, political or economic standing.
These lessons have in turn enriched our nation resulting in the emergence of a strong multicultural society with high levels of tolerance for the diverse cultures which exists.
Emancipation is a celebration for all Guyanese but even more so for our African brothers and sisters as their fore parents fought for freedom 250 years ago in the Berbice Revolt led by Kofi; 190 years ago in the Demerara Revolt inspired by Kwamina; 179 years ago in the Essequibo Revolt led by Damon; and in so many other places at many other periods in our history.
The PPP believes that Guyana today remains the land of the free, despite attempts aimed at undermining the progress that have been made in our country.
Guyana still stands out as one of the most patriotic countries in the world where nothing replaces the pride of being Guyanese and of working together to build a brighter future for each other.
The party is proud to have worked for decades to eradicate the high levels of poverty, underdevelopment, bankruptcy, and social inequalities which had for 28 years enslaved our people and retarded our forward movement.
The PPP wishes to warn Guyanese that as they celebrate their hard earned freedom and emancipation this year, they must stand firm against any attempts made in the National Assembly by the political opposition to hijack the development of our country.
The opposition must not be allowed to “enslave” the future of our people while pursuing selfish aims and desires.
The opposition must not be allowed to “weaken” our democracy.
The opposition must not be allowed to “suppress” the economic and social progress of our country because of its one seat majority.
The PPP nonetheless remains confident that the problems which currently confront us in the parliament will be resolved amicably as the will of the people must always prevail.
We remain open and hopeful that our future engagement will bear fruit and that we will see the freedoms of our people being advanced and secured.
In the struggle to build a strong and prosperous society in our times we must continue to be inspired by the victories of our ancestors who, fighting an enemy who had superior weapons, succeeded in liberating themselves and destroyed the hated system of slavery.
Happy Emancipation to all Guyanese!

 

PEOPLE’S NATIONAL CONGRESS REFORM

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) joins the Guyanese people in celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the Emancipation of enslaved Africans. The Party regards this event as the most significant in the foundation of our nation and the formation of our society. It was the first step in our country’s long march towards social equality, economic independence and political freedom.
Africans in the united Guiana colonies of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo regained their freedom on the 1st August 1838 after two hundred years of enslavement. Emancipation on that day commemorates not only the bloody sacrifices of the Africans who struggled, suffered and were slaughtered for the sake of the freedom we all enjoy today but also the birth of the nation itself. The entire Guyanese nation should participate in this public celebration.
Emancipation is Guyana’s most important national celebration. It marks the start of the most significant demographic change through the coming of the Portuguese, East Indians, West Africans and Chinese and the transformation of the coastal landscape through the creation of free villages and the diversification of the economy into the production of food crops, gold-mining and logging. It led, also, to the liberation of society through the popular movements for educational development, labour organisation and political mobilisation.
Emancipation celebrations in 2013 – an auspicious year – also commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Revolt of 1763 led by Kofi and the 190th anniversary of the Demerara Revolt of 1823 inspired by Kwamina. Guyanese of all races are the beneficiaries and heirs of the sacrifices of our nation’s first freedom fighters.
Emancipation, after all, was not a finite event that occurred 175 years ago. It was the commencement of a continuing process which must aim at providing a good life to all Guyanese.
Happy Emancipation!

 

Progressive Youth Organisation  
August 1, 2013 marks the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. An occasion that is joyously celebrated by all. It commemorates a point in time when the struggles of our forefathers with the aid of abolitionists finally bore fruit and the criminal enterprise of slavery was overthrown.
The Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) joins all Guyanese in its celebration of this milestone anniversary and encourages all to treat their fellow citizens with the respect and dignity that this occasion signifies.
Unfortunately, it does not seem that the opposition parties in the National Assembly grasp the importance of this occasion. In their recent vote against raising the debt ceiling and the Hydro-Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013, the opposition once again showed that they are willing to sacrifice the needs of the people of Guyana for partisan political gains.
Cheaper electricity would not only benefit supporters of the PPP/C but all Guyanese. However, the opposition again made it clear that the needs of all Guyanese are subservient to their desires. Stymieing the economic growth of the country is to the detriment of all Guyanese.
President Donald Ramotar recently stated that “when we are united we can move mountains.” Guyana has for too long been dependent on the primary sector for economic growth. Our young people labour in the mines, on timber grants, in the rice fields and on sugar estates. Cheap power will give us the ability to become a value added export nation. It will allow our best and brightest to remain in Guyana. It will allow our youth to become entrepreneurs and manufacturers and fulfill their destinies; destinies that our forefathers struggled for under the oppressive regime of slavery.
The PYO, therefore, proposes that the opposition parties take heed of the needs of the Guyanese people and to embrace the significance of these 175th Emancipation Day commemorations. We demand that they work with President Ramotar and the PPP/C to make the lives of all Guyanese better. Our forefathers fought and died for the ideals of unity, freedom and self-determination, as their descendants let us not forsake their efforts for narrow ambitions!
Happy Emancipation Day to all Guyanese.

 

Speaker of the National Assembly
On this 175th Anniversary of the abolition of slavery, in Guyana and all former colonies of Britain, the National Assembly salutes the African heroes who made it possible for us citizens of Guyana to enjoy the freedoms and liberties that we now do. We could never fully grasp the horror of slavery and the resulting damage that ensues unto today. We, the inheritors of the blood, sweat, tears and indignities heaped on the heads of our fore parents, have a sacred duty neither to forget nor diminish their efforts and sacrifices.
I wish all Guyanese a Happy Emancipation Day, and to our African brothers and sisters in particular, I remind you that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Never forget, never be unguarded!
One such sacrifice was the life of Damon – A life that was taken on a specially erected scaffold in the forecourt of the Public Buildings at noon on the 3rd October, 1834. Damon, and those who stood with him, believed that they were entitled to their freedom. No force of arms was resorted to, and no open disobedience and resistance was unleashed. Their crime was that they had gathered in a Church’s compound, believing it to be a place of refuge and salvation, to seek answers.
As Speaker of the National Assembly I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to correct the injustice and barbarity meted out to Damon on that fateful day by moving the National Assembly to unanimously reverse the wrong committed against him. To this end, the parliamentary parties, civil society and the public will soon be engaged in a campaign to restore the honour and dignity of Damon, and to remove the stain left on the Public Buildings when he was unjustly hanged on October 3, 1834.

 

MADAME DEOLATCHMEE RAMOTAR, FIRST LADY OF GUYANA
I join in extending greetings to all Guyanese and to all freedom lovers the world over who are today celebrating Emancipation Day 2013. I trust that the significance of this historic anniversary will resonate for all time because Emancipation marked a defining milestone in the struggle against human bondage and in the fight for freedom and dignity.
Slavery remains the darkest chapter in human civilization. It was a travesty that must never again see the light of day. The seeds of the ideology of racial supremacy which gave rise to this heinous and to other abominable systems must be utterly and comprehensively discredited and rejected so that it may never again gain currency in the modern world.
We in Guyana must also not forget our own history in which the economic impulse for profits formed the basis of the introduction of slavery and other forms of servitude into our part of the world. Our history is decorated with the sacrifices and struggles of those who resisted these systems of oppression.  On this Emancipation Day we can all take pride and draw inspiration from the heroic and epic struggles waged by our ancestors against all forms of human servitude.
Slavery was abolished but its scars remain. More importantly there has been no recompense for the great human toll, the untold suffering, dislocation and deprivations that it inflicted on millions of innocent individuals who were treated as non- persons. Justice for the victims of the slave trade is still outstanding.
On this Emancipation Day, I join with all of those who have lent their voices to the plea for reparations for the most dreadful crime committed against humanity – slavery.  I trust that the collective voices of all freedom- loving people will one day ensure a fair and just response from those guilty of the slave trade and of slavery.
Happy Emancipation Day to all!  May the glorious struggles of our ancestors inspire us to value even more the freedoms we now enjoy and for which they sacrificed so much.

 

Working People’s Alliance
WPA salutes the African Guyanese community on the 175th anniversary of the abolition of chattel slavery. As African Guyanese reflect on what 175 years of emancipation have meant for their community, WPA reiterates its commitment to ethnic equality and unity as crucial cornerstones of our national wholeness. For the WPA, emancipation must mean a constant reclaiming of dignity, identity and humanity. We take note of initiative in the African Guyanese community to begin a conversation on the condition of the community. We believe that such a conversation is a positive development that deserves the support of all political forces.
This year’s Emancipation observances come at a time when the economic management of the country is under the microscope. As our government seeks to press forward with ill-conceived projects, poverty continues to escalate. WPA continues to believe that the destruction of poverty is an important aspect of the unfinished business of emancipation. In this regard WPA wishes to associate itself with those forces in Guyana and the Caribbean who have dared to raise anew the issue of Reparations.
WPA also uses this Emancipation anniversary to remember the Linden Martyrs on this one-year anniversary of their demise. The spirit of the Linden Struggle of 2012 reflects the best of the Emancipation Spirit. Finally, the WPA puts on record its support for a return of the Village Councils which in our view would be a crucial blow in favor of African Guyanese political empowerment.

 

Alliance For Change
Greetings on the 175th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery
On the occasion of the 175th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery, the Alliance For Change pays homage to our African ancestors who were forced to journey to this foreign land; many dying along the way, and their struggle for freedom.
The history of Guyana and indeed of the Caribbean could not be written without recall of the greatest evil ever unleashed on mankind; that of slavery. Likewise, who we are as a people cannot be defined if we fail to acknowledge the fortitude of our African ancestors, which saw them through the harsh reality of slavery and the struggle for freedom.
All Guyanese, regardless of race or colour can learn from the examples of our African ancestors. Under the most severe of conditions they pooled their meagre earnings to purchase plots of land. Today, we can do well to imitate this lesson of unity and of resolve and the many other lessons they taught us through their courage and endurance.
175 years after slavery was abolished and the subsequent period of apprenticeship, we the descendants must determine whether we have proven worthy of the sacrifices they made. As we celebrate our freedom, let us remember that it was bought with tears, sweat and blood.
Long live a free Guyana!

 

 

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