Laws and policies alone cannot work

Sep 09, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

All of us at Help & Shelter extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry and condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrific, brutal and senseless murders of these two young men.
We stand ready to provide help in psycho-social counseling to the bereaved families and friends of Henry and Isaiah.
We call on those in authority, including the Guyana Police Force, to ensure that those responsible for these heinous murders are swiftly brought to justice and receive full penalties for the crimes they have committed.
We also call on the police and army to observe all protocols for the safety and security of members of the public while carrying out their duties. We understand the pain and anger of the communities affected by this terrible crime but we ask that the safety and security of the disciplined forces and the safety and security of communities and persons using the roads be also observed.
Even as the murder and mutilation of two teenagers is shocking in its brutality and as we mourn with the families and communities of Joel and Isaiah, we would like to suggest that one way to honour them is to ensure that such acts never happen again. We respectfully recommend that every single Guyanese, every Guyanese community, every public and private institution from the OP, OPM and ministries to private sector businesses both small and large, FBOs, NGOs & CSOs collectively condemn, advocate against and institutionalize enforceable policies and guidelines to address violence in all its forms and discriminations based on ethnicity, sex, geography, social and economic status, religion and sexual orientation.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects and measures continue to put an enormous strain on the lives of the majority of Guyanese and as a result, interpersonal violence is escalating steeply. While we recognize the government measures announced to ease the financial burden of COVID-19, we call on those in authority and all sectors of society to ensure that confidence-building measures are immediately put into effect, including educational messages from a wide cross-section of society about violence and all forms of discrimination. Laws and policies alone cannot work. We need to be able to reach out across the divides of ethnicity, gender, politics economic and social status, geography and governance to ensure respectful dialogue and actions even as we disagree. We call on the leaders of all political parties and regions to take action now to ensure peace, safety and security in affected West Coast Berbice communities and inclusivity and respect for Guyana’s diversity at all levels throughout Guyana, and to lead by example so that Guyana can make progress towards One People, One Nation, One Destiny.

Yours faithfully,
Danuta Radzik
Josephine Whitehead
Colin Marks
Pamela Nauth
Linda Hustler
Gaitrie Shivsankar
For Help & Shelter

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