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The new ERC

Mar 23, 2023 Editorial

Kaieteur News – It is encouraging that Guyana now has an Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in place after the absence of one for several years. We extend a hand of goodwill to all 10 members of the new ERC, and wish them a tenure of courageous, wise, balanced, and principled service to this nation.

We need most urgently a functioning ERC, one that is unbiased and devoted to doing its part as a crucial oversight body in Guyana.

Our racial divisions are probably at the worst that they have ever been.  The struggle for power has bruised us badly, contributed heavily to Guyanese battering Guyanese, be it the two major ethnicities at each other’s throats, or both at one time or another against our first citizens.  The arrival of great natural resource gifts has only widened the divisions, intensified the competition for the upper hand, the supremacy that instils sentiments of dominance and defeated.  In fact, the competition for a rich slice of Guyana’s resource pie can be more accurately termed an all-out battle, a scramble, a pushing and shoving by the races to get the biggest share.  Because of growing awareness of what control of these lavish resource gifts mean, there were those ugly, draining fights for power in the last elections. We have damaged ourselves badly, and the thinking is whether we can still be repaired.  That is, if we are even open to the healing and reconciling now so necessary in Guyana.

This is a little of the environment that the 10-member ERC must wrestle with, face squarely.  The environment is ultrasensitive, and ever vigilant for slurs and schemes and slashes that hint of the racial, or the demeaning, anything that puts down one person or one group.  What was never intended does not matter; what matters is how what was said or written is interpreted, and what is then made of it.  Like we said earlier, this country is in a dark place, one that gives the chills.

It is helpful that the ERC has among its members those who are steeped in some of the great religious denominations.  We take this position, because their teachings and mantras are about what takes the initiative and touch deeply enough to begin the process of mending, one ravaged cell at a time, one hurting person at a time.  The citizens of Guyana could use some of that, a lot of this mending and healing of which we speak.  The great prophets who graced this world with their presences were always about the inspiring vision of what is brotherly, respectful, embracing.  It is an asset that there are others in the new ERC group that are from different walks of Guyanese life, of which we single out a veteran trade unionist.  His membership of workers in various sectors had to have been of the cross-sections of the Guyanese demographic, which gave him an eyewitness seat to their troubles, worries, and anguish. This is to his advantage, should make him an asset to the deliberations of the disputes and divisive issues that would be routine in the ERC’s work.

It is tough work and likely in volumes, with much backlog that built up when there was no ERC.  The new ERC must set standards that are politically neutral, visually blind, and characterized by the sharpest of hearing antennas.  When we have an ERC like this, then it is one that sets a tone, one which none dare to mess with, play games with, or come up with the usual cleverness where race matters are concerned in this shattered, boiling society.  We are at that frightening state where anything and everything are seen as racially tinged, and with many torments, pretended or real, emerging thereafter to prejudice us further.  The ERC has its work cut out for it. We need unity in this country, and never more than like today.  We have the world running to us, and if all we can do is run over each other, then they will run away with our wealth, leaving us pauperized and still demonized by each other.  The ERC has received its mandate, we wish it the best.  It is going to need it, and so do we.

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