President Ali urges Guyanese to be beacons of positivity, unity

Nov 09, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – In a world grappling with conflicts and uncertainties, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali implored every Guyanese to be beacons of positivity, unity, and unwavering support for their nation and its people.

The president was delivering the keynote address on Tuesday evening, at the opening ceremony of the five-day One Guyana Diwali Jalsa at the Corriverton Recreational Park in Region Six.

Diwali, celebrated by Hindus worldwide, symbolises the victory of light over darkness and the human capacity to triumph. The Head-of-State urged individuals to embody this spirit, becoming beacons of hope. “Today, we live in a world that is marked with immense darkness…But what do we do under such circumstances? Under such circumstances as a nation, we must re-energise ourselves, we must brighten our individual light to create a collective brightness that will make the changes that are positive for our country and our people,” the Head-of-State underscored.

President Irfaan Ali and his family were joined by other government officials at the programme

President Ali affirmed his administration’s commitment to fostering unity and harmony among Guyana’s diverse people, ensuring that the One Guyana Diwali Jalsa remains a platform for families to celebrate together. “This event goes beyond the lighting of diyas, it goes to the foundation, the value system, the principles through which we celebrate Diwali and one of those things that we want to do as a country and as a people is to celebrate together. The only way we can do this is if we bring community life to everything we do and this is one of the greatness of these initiatives,” President Ali expressed.

He also reminded the nation to pray for the global community where the absence of peace is affecting the lives of many including women and children. Additionally, under the One Guyana mantra, every community across Guyana is undergoing massive transformation owing to government investments, complemented by the private sector, President Ali highlighted. However, he noted that it is important for Guyanese to work in unity to enjoy the prosperity that is being sought. “That comes from individual family and collective action through which we become each other’s keeper and through which we support each other,” he underlined.

A section of the large gathering at the opening ceremony of the five-day One Guyana Diwali Jalsa at the Corriverton Recreational Park in Region Six

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh shared similar sentiments and expressed that Guyana’s remarkable diversity and unity should not be taken for granted. “We owe an obligation to ourselves and the generations before us and indeed the generations that will come after us, never to take this beautiful harmony and unity that we enjoy in Guyana for granted and never to allow anybody to focus on differences and division,” the senior minister asserted. The Diwali Jalsa is the first event of its kind and was organised by the First Lady’s Office, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Among those present at the opening ceremony were First Lady, Arya Ali, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag, members of the diplomatic corps, and regional officials.(DPI)

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Arya Ali, First Lady, Minister of Public Service, Minister of Tourism, Oneidge Walrond, Sonia Parag

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