Latest update January 8th, 2025 12:02 AM
Jan 13, 2014 Editorial
Our politicians have frittered away the years after elections in shouting away at each other across the aisles of Parliament and in the streets of our communities. This is in addition to the just as dangerous verbiage hurled under ‘bottom houses’. As we enter another year, we hope the recently-ended season of goodwill can influence our politicians to ease up with the screaming and begin to dialogue with each other.
As one expert in the field of conflict resolution pointed out, “Dialogue means we sit and talk with each other, especially those with whom we may think we have the greatest differences. However, talking together all too often means debating, discussing with a view to convincing the other, arguing for our point of view, examining pro’s and con’s. In dialogue, the intention is not to advocate but to inquire; not to argue but to explore; not to convince but to discover.”
These destructive shouting matches between our politicians do not help to address long-standing conflicts over public issues.
Repetitive communication that is based in entrenched positions tends to close people’s minds to new ideas. Parties simply argue more loudly and refuse to be receptive to others’ views. These polarized ways of relating pose significant barriers for collaboration, and make informed and problem solving impossible. Opportunities for are often lost to find common ground on which the nation’s business can be dealt with positively.
In addition, what we have witnessed is that since the shouting matches are filled with rhetoric and accusations, the public is exposed to a very limited discourse. This detracts from the involvement and education of citizens. In order to move toward productive collaboration, which is what all three parliamentary parties promised after the last elections, our political parties need to find new ways of relating to each other. Ways that help them to more fully understand the beliefs, meanings, values, and fears held by both their opponents and themselves.
It was our hope that the Tripartite Talks launched by President Ramotar would have become a site of dialogue such as we are advocating. But we would advise if these Talks are re-launched, the ground rules should be that they are based on ‘dialogue’ and not ‘argument”. Therefore before they sit down to negotiate or discuss resolutions to our deep-rooted, identity- or value-based conflict, they must indicate they are willing to partake in such a conversation. Unless this occurs, as we have seen, public discourse about divisive issues will once again characterized by destructive debate that can lead to further group divisions and violence.
It is more than likely that if new Tripartite Talks are to lead to sustainable progress there might be the need for a mediator trained in conflict management. This is because our parties are operating from different interpretations of facts and events that may not even be fully understood by themselves. When public conflicts are long lasting and involve seemingly irreconcilable differences of identity, worldviews, and values, parties tend to cling to their own positions and denigrate views of the opposing side. They rarely ask each other questions or genuinely listen to what the other side is saying.
Our country’s future is delicately poised at this time. We are ill served even if were simply to be marking time, for the rest of the world is marching ahead. But in the last year, we have actually moved backwards on several fronts. A real dialogue among our political leaders will go a long way to get our development program – on all fronts, political, social, economic and cultural – back on track.
Jan 07, 2025
Kaieteur Sports-Archery Guyana (AG) is set to host a 2-day National Indoor Senior Recurve tournament on January 18 and 19 2025, at the Cyril Potter College Auditorium, Turkeyen Campus. Getting the...Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Olympic boxing now finds itself as at a crossroads. A recent report in the Kaieteur News... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]