Social cohesion and multiculturalism

Mar 19, 2017 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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(Excerpts from an address by HE David Granger at a Social Cohesion Validation workshop on March 16, 2017)

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, according to its Constitution, is “…an indivisible,

secular, democratic state.” It is an inclusive democracy. It is a multicultural society ― a nation of various beliefs, customs, ethnicities and languages.
We believe that there is a way to harmonise relations and reduce conflict among social groups. We believe that social cohesion is the thread that will bind these various groups together.
Guyana, like any other society in the world, is characterised by differences but these need not be antagonistic or violent. Our 350-year colonial experience left scars. Boatloads of humans were trafficked, many involuntarily, from Africa, Asia and Europe, to toil on the plantations with no thought of whether they could, or how they would, live together after their labours.
Riots on the plantations and the ‘Disturbances’ in the immediate pre-Independence period, left race relations in tatters. The state, after Independence, had to take steps to reverse these adversarial relations and to remove the misunderstandings which had led to conflict.
Ethnic polarisation, however, remained an unhappy and unfortunate feature of political organisation and, in turn, spawned social marginalization. These fissures have been compounded by differences based on gender, generation and geography.
Guyana today, still needs to stanch the sort of social erosion that degenerated into civil violence of the ‘Troubles’ in the recent past. We still see how easily the ranting of a few rancorous persons can rekindle racial animosity, a retrograde step which has no place in modern society.
We expressed alarm, on another occasion: “…at the vocal efforts by those persons to promote social division. We warn[ed] that such inflammatory tirades run the risk of degenerating into social instability, of fostering distrust and of fomenting disorder.”
We pointed out that Guyana “…a micro-state of three quarters of a million people, with [ample] land-space…and with bountiful natural resources and beautiful people ― need not be divided.
We can build cooperative relationships at all levels of our society among our religious and ethnic groups, among our political parties and among communities.
Discord, arising out of ethnic, economic, political, religious and other differences ― as we have discovered painfully during the ‘Disturbances’ of 1964 and the ‘Troubles’ of 2002 ― has the potential to spawn hatred. Our nation has been scarred by violence which left a lingering legacy of distrust with the threat of disorder. Monuments have been erected to the victims of violence during the ‘Troubles’ between 2002 and 2008. Memories have not been erased.
We have to work together to repair that damage, restore trust and rebuild the bases of a ‘moral community’ which enable us to trust each other. We are a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country and always will be. This diversity is an asset, not a liability. We are proud to belong to a society of many faiths. We are proud of the mosaic of ethnicities in our country.”
Social cohesion has, as its objective, the weaving of various social, economic and political strands into a community in which everyone enjoys a sense of belonging and in which differences are recognized and respected.
Social cohesion is concerned with enhancing cooperation and collaboration among citizens, civil society, institutions and the state. Social cohesion is aimed at:
– encouraging greater equality and building bridges across the boundaries of class, ethnicity, gender and geography;
– enhancing increased access to public services such as education, health, housing, human safety and social protection; and,
– ensuring goodwill, harmony, peace, security, tolerance and understanding.
Social cohesion is essential for everyone’s existence. The absence of social cohesion will inflict unbearable social and economic costs. We are reminded of the works of the English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, who warned – in his masterpiece ‘Leviathan’ written 366 years ago during the English Civil War – of a state of: “… continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
The quest for order, peace and safety is eternal. Social cohesion is indispensable to human safety and public security.
We proposed, at the first ‘Social Cohesion Roundtable’ in September 2015, a five-point programme to promote a cohesive society. We aimed at:
– eliminating income disparities caused by poverty;
– eradicating the worst forms of inequality, including gaps between the rich and poor and between coastland and hinterland and between rural and urban areas;
– embracing inclusivity at the political and social levels to involve other stakeholders, citizens and the community;
– enhancing social protection and reducing unemployment; and,
– ensuring equal access to education so as to ensure greater equality in opportunity.
We established the Ministry of Social Cohesion with the specific objective of implementing this programme and of promoting greater inclusion. This Ministry is not ornamental. It has an onerous obligation to contribute to building a nation in which “…diversities are embraced, conflicts resolved, networks and collaboration with stakeholders strengthened and decision-making processes result in equal opportunities for all.”
The Ministry has been tasked with the responsibility of promoting good relations among individuals, communities and groups in society. It has a duty to ensure, also, that political and institutional authority is exercised in a manner that promotes equality and inclusivity.
The Ministry’s mandate is to be measured not by the size of its budget but by its accomplishment in harmonizing social relations. Its achievement can be calculated in the economic dividend earned from reducing enmity and harnessing the energy of all of our peoples.
The Ministry’s work will be visible in the form of greater protection to the vulnerable, including the elderly, youth and the poor. Its work is expected to improve popular participation by promoting cooperation over confrontation and by fostering consensual relations among individuals, families, communities and social groups.
It is expected, also, to enhance relations by ensuring the involvement of civil society, the business community, the diaspora, political parties and trade unions in the national decision-making processes.
The Ministry’s task, also, is the effective management of our multicultural diversity. The nation’s multicultural character is an asset, not a liability. Our multicultural tapestry adds to our richness and uniqueness as nation. It is a cause for celebration.
We are fortunate to belong to a country in which the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas coexists with cultures which came from Africa, Asia and Europe. Multiculturalism must not become an impediment to social cohesion. It must not be a source of discord, disunity and division.
We are proud of being part of a society in which a Hindu mandir, a Muslim masjid and a Christian church can coexist in the same community without engendering rancour or riots. We are proud of the fact that Amerindian, Indian and African communities can coexist without degenerating into a state of nature – “of war of all against all.”
We feel a great sense of satisfaction that religious differences do not erupt into violent conflict and race riots. We are pleased by the level of goodwill and understanding which exists among the social groups. We must build on this solid foundation.

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