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Ministry of Social Cohesion wraps up training sessions in Region Two
The Ministry of Social Cohesion recently concluded its three-week training and sensitization session in Region Two. The final sensitization session which was hosted yesterday at the WD’s Mall, Charity, attracted more than 100 stakeholders.
Attendees at Saturday’s sensitization session included Government officials, members of the civil society, business and indigenous communities, youth, religious and other special organisations.
Coordinator of the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Miss Sharon Patterson, explained that the central focus of the Ministry is to work to enhance social interaction, integration and harmony within and across the various groups in Guyanese society.
Miss Paterson added, “A key aspect of the Ministry’s 2017 work programme is a series of training and sensitization sessions on Social Cohesion. The aim is to provide an understanding of Social Cohesion and assist stakeholders to understand their roles in enabling the process.”
Over the past three weeks the Ministry had been working feverishly, in spreading its sensitization on Cohesion from Supenaam to Charity. The ministry also extended its networking system to riverine communities in the Pomeroon, and to indigenous communities along the Coast.
In the process, some 41 Secondary School students and teachers benefited from a recent session of Training and Diversity Education. Patterson said that the show of interest in Region Two over the past three weeks is commendable.
As the session unfolded on Saturday, the issue of suicide surfaced. Religious leaders underlined the fact that Region Two still has the highest rate of suicide in Guyana, making it the biggest social issue in the Region.
Leaders of the Christian faith suggested that a center be setup to tackle suicide. One Pastor added, “With the centre we will be able to meet persons in various areas who are affected by suicide. Schools can be targeted so as to sensitize and enforce counselling sessions with affected youths”.
Suicide affects people of every ethnic group. As such, the fight against suicide is the best way to promote Cohesion since it is everyone’s interest. Residents also made an appeal to the Ministry for a Cultural Centre to be setup in the Region.
Many believe that as Essequibians, they have been robbed of the opportunity, to have their culture freely expressed.
Miss Patterson assured stakeholders that the Minister will be consulted on the matter of setting up a Cultural Centre in the Region. Patterson explained that the Ministry is relatively young.
She added, “Social Cohesion is a process, if you are looking for immediate results you are not gonna see it. We have to wait to see behaviour change before we can measure our effectiveness.”
[Romario Blair]
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