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Guyana: A Proposal
Dear Editor,
At a conference, I met an economist. In her travels, she said she visited communities where they expected to find people living in dire poverty but found people who were healthy, had adequate food and were happy.
These people did not have an abundance of wealth and material things but were satisfied with what they had. In short, wealth or more money does not lead to a better society, and this phenomenon needs to be examined and understood as we lay the parameters to receive our unexpected windfall.
This windfall is the potential revenue Guyana will have received from the oil leases.
And even though Guyana is yet to receive any tangible payment, a dark cloud of discontentment is spreading over the land that portends a tragedy in the making. I am not a voice of doom, for I still see Guyana, land of El Dorado, becoming the magnificent providence if we refrain from immediate gratification and focus on a future that will not only benefit Guyanese but the entire world. I have a simple proposal.
First, we need to recognize that Guyana’s ultimate wealth is not its oil but our forest. If we preserve our forest, the world will be a better place and will be grateful to us for its preservation. We cannot do this on our own, and we need countries that are committed to preserving the rainforest to help us so that they can help the world.
For this, I am suggesting the following:
· A moratorium on any ventures into remaining forest of Guyana
· The government should seek countries that are committed to the preservation of our forest and willing to compensate Guyana with payments that Guyana should invest in the world market for future generations
· As compensation, these countries will be given “free” land for agriculture and manufacture
· Guyana should engage the World Wildlife Fund and other organizations for them to study the feasibility of Guyana being a sanctuary for endangered species such as the elephants and rhinoceros in our savannahs and gorillas in our highland
· These countries, if they agree to the land deal, should create jobs for Guyanese and refugees displaced through famine and war
· These land deals for manufacture and agriculture need to serve areas with high population density and high unemployment
· The sugar industry should not be sold but given to countries that are committed to preserving our forest with the only condition that they provide jobs for Guyanese and build and maintain the infrastructure of these areas
In closing, I go to my refrain. Many of us are expecting handouts from our government, but we must first look at Guyana and what Guyana needs instead of only trying to satisfy our wants. We must commit to building schools and the infrastructure. We must train our teachers to teach the next generation who will be our successors; we must bridge the racial divide and work on stomping out the systemic corruption to build a Guyanese nation.
We must learn and teach each other how to respect one another. This respect must begin with our politicians shifting their focus from self-serving power and hubris to selflessness and service for Guyana and its people.
Stanley Niamatali
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