Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

The frustrations of the young in Guyana

Jul 05, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
A 25 year-old with a degree in agronomy was shot to death yesterday as he attempted to rob Republic Bank’s Water Street Branch. What a tragedy that our young people, even those with tertiary qualifications, are resorting to this type of activity. 70% of Guyana’s population is made up of persons 35 years and younger and it is no secret that feelings of hopelessness and despair are increasingly engulfing our youth. We have one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world.
What an indictment of this country and its leaders, past and present. In May 2015, President Granger and Prime Minister Nagamootoo deliberately misled the young people of Guyana when they campaigned on the promise of jobs for youths. Their campaign poster actually read “Youths – it’s time to vote for jobs”. Only two months after being elected, President Granger made the following statement, “There is no magic wand. The government cannot provide jobs…”
This is only true if you follow the failed neo-liberal, capitalist model of economic development. In a country as underdeveloped and broken as Guyana, the government must reject this model, must meaningfully engage in the economy, leading the charge to provide development and jobs.
There is surely something terribly wrong when a country with the potential to be the breadbasket for South America and the Caribbean is not only full of hungry people, but is also now a place where young people with agronomy degrees are robbing banks.
Crime amongst our youth will continue to rise, especially in an environment where they are deprived of opportunity and where they are constantly witnessing double standards, hypocrisy and the outright criminal activity of those at the highest echelons of this society. Their so-called role models – past and present government ministers, senior state functionaries and leading members of the private sector have provided our young people with nothing but countless examples of theft on a grand scale and skullduggery. What a tragic state of affairs we find ourselves embroiled in.
In the words of Martin Carter: “All are involved, all are consumed”. None of us can escape responsibility for this state of affairs. The sins of a society are the sum total of the sins of all of its people. Frantz Fanon said it best in The Wretched of the Earth: “The collective struggle presupposes collective responsibility at the base and collegiate responsibility at the top. Yes; everybody will have to be compromised in the fight for the common good. No one has clean hands; there are no innocents and no onlookers. We all have dirty hands; we are all soiling them in the swamps of our country and in the terrifying emptiness of our brains. Every onlooker is either a coward or a traitor.” (unquote)
Gerald A. Perreira
Leader
Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

 

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

UDFA Year-End Futsal Tournament kicks off December 15

UDFA Year-End Futsal Tournament kicks off December 15

Dec 04, 2024

-$1M up for grabs in 15-team tournament Kaieteur Sports- The Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Futsal Year-End Tournament 2024/2025 was officially launched on Monday at the Retrieve Hard...
Read More
Jaker, Taijul and Rana script Bangladesh’s first win in West Indies since 2009

Jaker, Taijul and Rana script Bangladesh’s...

Dec 04, 2024

Trophy Stall and Superbet on board with Kashif and Shanghai Futsal tourney

Trophy Stall and Superbet on board with Kashif...

Dec 04, 2024

Jai Hind Jaguars trounce North Soesdyke Masters to claim O50s title

Jai Hind Jaguars trounce North Soesdyke Masters...

Dec 04, 2024

BMC invites clubs/teams to register for the 2025 BMC O40s Tournament

BMC invites clubs/teams to register for the 2025...

Dec 04, 2024

ASK-G holds successful Karate Grading Examinations

ASK-G holds successful Karate Grading

Dec 04, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

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]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]