A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to extricate the nation from five decades of racial animosity

Mar 01, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
At the announcement of the ‘Cummingsburg Accord’ on Valentine’s Day, Brig. David Arthur Granger declared, “There is no time to lose”. Those six words stand out among other significant statements in that momentous announcement for their historic parallel to what Dr. Martin Luther King preached in his iconic “I have a Dream’ sermon over 50 years ago at the historic Civil Rights March on Washington D.C.
In that speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, Dr. King called for an end to racism in the United States and spoke of ‘the fierce urgency of now’.
I have no doubt that this May 11 election is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Guyanese to finally extricate the nation from five decades of racial animosity and political slumber. With the APNU/AFC coalition, a sleeping giant has awakened.
The short and long term priorities for the first 100 days have been pronounced in the form of a 10-point program for democracy, development and national unity.
They include the announcement of a date for the long overdue Local Government Elections as well as Constitutional Reform.
These are indeed urgent priorities of a general nature. However, I sincerely believe that one golden opportunity which specifically and uniquely presents itself to the nation as an immediate springboard for national unity, is what I would call ‘The Guyana Golden Jubilee Project’ – Guyana at 50!
In 2016, there will be only two nations in the entire Commonwealth, which shall be commemorating their 50th Anniversary of Independence from Great Britain: Guyana (May 26) and the African nation of Botswana (Sept.30).
The Botswana celebrations are already underway, with a three-year countdown to 2016, which began in September 2013.
Unfortunately, the current Caretaker Minority Government of Guyana spent the last three years trampling upon and making a fool of Democracy in Guyana.
It is said that a fool at 40 is a fool forever! Now that Guyana is about to achieve that significant milestone of half a century, we must let the world know that we are no fools at 50!
The fighters for Guyana’s independence were men and women of substance and full of wisdom.
They did not struggle to establish a foolish nation. It is now APNU-AFC’s opportunity to secure that rich legacy. There is much we can emulate from Botswana, which has benefitted tremendously from our teachers and nurses who were aggressively recruited by the Botswana Government to work there in the 1990’s.
My brother Eustace Williams (Industrial Arts) and cousin Grace Hale (Art & Craft) spent six years each teaching in that country.
With a GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in late 1966, when that country achieved its independence, this landlocked nation has transformed itself into one of the fastest growing economies in the world, now boasting a per capita of about $16,400 per year (2013 statistics).
Its high gross national income gives the country the highest Human Development Index GHI of continental Sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to Botswana, Guyana’s GDP in 1966 was five times higher at $348.00.
According to the 2013 statistics, however, Guyana’s GNI is $8,500 –just about half that of Botswana’s $16,400.
Interestingly, the President of Botswana, Lt. General Sereste Khama Ian Khama served as Commander of Botswana Defence Force before entering active politics and becoming President of one of Africa’s most stable democracies in 2008.
In launching ‘Botswana Day’ (Botswana 2016) President Khama declared, “This celebration must be used to reflect on what it means to be Botswana.
It must be observed in every settlement, every village, every town and every Region.” The name ‘Khama’ should be familiar to many Guyanese, who remember the historic State visit to Guyana in the 1970’s of the first President of Botswana, Sir Sereste Khama and Lady Khama. Sir Sereste’s visit was part of a long list of distinguished Heads of State who graced these shores shortly after independence, starting with Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India in 1968, followed by a stream of Non-aligned leaders including Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Prime Minister of Zambia and the late Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then Vice President of India in 1988.
The late Sir Sereste, who led Botswana to Independence in September 1966, was the father of Lt. General Sereste Khama Ian Khama.
Our commemoration activities must commence with an APNU-AFC victory on May 11, 2015.
This historic coalition is a blessing to Guyana. By divine intervention, the nation has been bequeathed two 21st Century leaders bearing1st Century names: David and Moses. The epic stories of King David and Prophet Moses are stories of bravery, heroism and ultimate redemption.
David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo have been ordained to redeem this nation and propel it towards the goal of a good life for all. According to Philosopher Francese Torralba, “The art of commemoration of independence is the perfect grounds to deepen our collective essence, our national identity and richness of intercultural contact.” The Guyana Golden Jubilee Project should not only be a part of the APNU-AFC 2015 Elections Manifesto, it must be a clarion call to each and every Guyanese to embrace the Guyanese essence.
The Guyana Golden Jubilee Project should be dignified, solemn, rejuvenating and memorable. It must restore national pride and patriotic fervor. It must demonstrate what it means to be truly Guyanese. It must commemorate our oneness and deepen the Guyanese collective essence.
Standhope Williams

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