Latest update April 11th, 2026 12:35 AM
Latest News
- U.S. EXIM Bank signals interest in major Berbice Deep-Water Port project
- Pres. Ali pushes urgent drive to unlock Guyana–T&T economic partnership
- ASL aircraft crashes in Region 8; GDF launches rescue mission
- Seven-year-old Isabella laid to rest
- Iranian delegation lands in Islamabad ahead of ‘make-or-break’ talks
Let us fix this very broken country
Dear Editor,
On January 29, 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a speech on Education to the US Congress and it is still relevant in our Guyana’s context today. He said ‘…for the individual, the doors to the schoolhouse, to the library, and to the college lead to the richest treasures…to the power of knowledge – to the training and skills necessary for productive employment – to the wisdom, the ideals and the culture which enrich life… For the nation, increasing the quality and accessibility of education is vital to both our national security and domestic well-being…Failure to improve education performance is thus not only poor social policy, it is poor economics’.
My disappointment, however, is that so many of our educated and older citizens have accepted the status quo while one of the effects, is that our citizens are being mistreated based on the negative characterisation of us as a people. We have over thirty resident foreign missions and international organisations in our country, and with a population of 750,000 and after 50 years of Independence, we have corruption at its highest, our 15 to 24 year olds are the top criminals, among others.
Moving forward, I wish to make a few suggestions. Firstly, that the International community do a stocktaking among themselves. It cannot be business as usual anymore. They have to hold us accountable and hold our leaders more accountable. Human development is about achieved wellbeing, where is the “achieved well-being” if our 15 year olds feel that their choices and opportunities are limited to criminal activities? The next 50 year must be different, it has to be different!
Our Governments have to ensure prudence in their operations. Those persons who took what belonged to the people of this country must return what was taken. I believe in showing mercy, hence, I would recommend that these persons be given the next six months to repay and return what was taken. If they do, let’s forgive them and move on, if they don’t, let the law take its course but still let’s forgive them.
For the drug dealers, I would recommend a grace period of 12 months. Again I believe in showing mercy. I am advocating again for a ‘Citizens Police Fund’, which will put in place a system for citizens to support members of the Police Force in a legal way, by institutionalising the process. Our leaders need to understand that we do not want perfect leaders, but what we desire, are leaders who are mature enough to accept that they are not perfect and to ask for our forgiveness and let’s fix this very broken country. I am inviting every Guyanese at home and abroad to join our ‘Leave A Better Guyana’ movement, the theme is ‘I am taking responsibility for the future of Guyana’. To learn more contact iam_guyana@yahoo.com Finally, I will end with the words of President John F. Kennedy, ‘…improved education is essential to give new meaning to our national purpose and power’.
Audreyanna Thomas
Share this:
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Similar Articles
One thought on “Let us fix this very broken country”
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
Very good suggestions but we as a people and a nation we need good and competent leaders and this we do not have,corruption have ruled our nation for the last twenty five years and all the promises that were made by this govt prior to May ,2015 have not materialized .For example, after one year in office, ask yourself what have changed in Guyana and you will come up with the answer : new faces same old tricks.