President Ali conferred with Legacy Award for leadership and vision in New York

Apr 21, 2024 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

President Dr. Irfaan Ali was on Friday last conferred with the Legacy Award Class of 2024 at the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies’ Annual Awards Gala in New York

Waterfalls Magazine – President Dr. Irfaan Ali was on Friday last conferred with the Legacy Award Class of 2024 at the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI)’s 27th Annual Awards Gala in New York.

At the gala, the Head-of-State was lauded for his leadership, vision,” commitment to nation building” and as a “champion” for regional cooperation by Guyanese-born American actress, CCH Pounder.

In his acceptance speech, the President said he is indebted to the people of Guyana, “whose resilience and generosity of spirit have inspired me to dedicate myself to a career in public service.”

The Head-of-State spoke of the enormous impact of colonisation on the region and reiterated the call for reparatory justice. He commended the efforts of the University of the West Indies in promoting this agenda.

As the region continues its healing journey from the repercussions of colonisation, President Ali stressed that investing in and utilising homegrown resources are essential for fostering shared development.

“We must value more what we are. We must value more what we produce, and we must value and utilise what we own. Our culture is an integral part of the societies that we are building,” the Guyanese leader opined.

President Ali during his acceptance speech at the AFUWI’s 25th Annual Awards Gala in New York

The region is already charting its development trajectory through collaboration in the realms of food and climate security.

President Ali reminded the audience that despite being the smallest carbon emitter, the Caribbean is excessively affected by climate change.

“Our commitment to energy security, climate security, and food security can be celebrated, but we are the worst affected. The commitment of the world is not motivating,” he lamented.

He reiterated Guyana’s dedication to fulfilling its regional and global responsibilities, emphasising that “the prosperity of Guyana, must and will lead to the prosperity of the region”.

He recalled that Guyana raised some GY$ $72.5 million in support of the people of Palestine, and said this reflects the country and the region’s moral standing to be on the right side of history.

“We will continue to do more of this, especially for the people of Haiti. We cannot find ourselves at a forum like this, and ignore the realities of the people of Haiti. We must never allow any circumstance or changing conditions to change the way we approach situations regionally and globally,” the Guyanese leader underscored.

The Gala is AFUWI’s main fundraising event that benefits approximately 50 deserving students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) every year. A World Bank 2020 report reveals that the Caribbean region has the lowest enrollment rate for higher education in the hemisphere, with less than 25% compared to the North American average of nearly 60% and the Latin American average of 52%.

This significant difference highlights the crucial role AFUWI plays in supporting the bright minds of the Caribbean and the urgent need to help them achieve their academic goals.

Over the last decade, approximately 600 tuition scholarships have been awarded from the gala proceeds in addition to fostering relationships with other leading institutions. The need for support notably increased in the wake of the global pandemic, doubling the calls from students facing dire financial circumstances; many often having to choose between necessities and tuition. AFUWI is grateful to its donor network for their outstanding ongoing support and is dedicated to meeting this exigent need.