Arrival Day Messages – 2024

May 05, 2024 Holiday Greetings, News

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ERC ARRIVAL DAY MESSAGE 2024 

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) extends greetings to all Guyanese on Arrival Day 2024.   This observance commemorates the historical and extensive indentureship period that began in 1834. May 5 also marks the anniversary of the arrival of our East Indian ancestors who reached these shores on this day in 1838, while on May 3, 1835, the first batch of Portuguese arrived.

The first batch of Chinese arrived in 1853 and some of our African ancestors also came as indentured servants.  Together, we now celebrate our heritage as one people bestowed with the diversity embodied by Arrival Day.   Central to Arrival Day is the enduring contributions made by our forebears, whose resilience, perseverance and untold sacrifices have shaped the fabric of our nation and contributed to our unique mosaic of cultures.

As we commemorate Arrival  Day,  the  ERC  reaffirms  its  commitment  to  fostering  harmony, understanding, and respect among all ethnic groups in Guyana. We recognise the importance of embracing our diversity as  a source of  strength  and unity, and we call upon all  Guyanese to promote tolerance, inclusivity, and mutual respect in our communities.

Let us honour the sacrifices and contributions of our ancestors by building a more just, equitable, and inclusive society for future generations. Together, let us celebrate our shared heritage and continue to work towards a brighter, more harmonious future for all.

Happy Arrival Day!

Ethnic Relations Commission

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GAWU Arrival Day message 2024

Our rich cultural tapestry is one of the features that sets Guyana apart from many of its contemporaries. As a people, we take great pride in our diversity and the coexistence of our several cultural groupings. It is against this background that the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) extends best wishes to all Guyanese, both at home and further afield, on the occasion of Arrival Day. This important observance is another reminder of what makes Guyana special and what plays a role in our renowned hospitality and welcoming spirit.

While Arrival Day – May 05 – though largely associated with the arrival of East Indians, the day reminds us of all indentured immigrants brought to our land. Our research advises us that outside of the East Indians, the Madeiran Portuguese came in May 1835, the Chinese in 1853, as well as a few other ethnicities during that phase of colonialism. We are aware that the colonialists also brought labourers from Malta, Ireland, Germany and England.

Arrival Day also reminds us of the reasons for the indentureship system. The then immigrants who replaced the emancipated slaves were made to toil in the fields of the sugar plantations to enrich the foreign owners of the plantations. Indentured labourers and their families were forced to exist in inhumane and atrocious conditions. And, like their compatriots, they were forced to engage in several struggles, which gave us several martyrs, in order to bring about small improvements and meagre benefits in their lives and work conditions.

As we observe Arrival Day, the GAWU is constrained to remind us that our unique culture has a common thread in the sugar industry. It is that historical industry which bounds a great lot of our people. We are reminded that it is the very industry on which modern Guyana is built through the labour of many of our people. As Arrival Day is once again commemorated, we remain saddened over the affairs of this important industry. At this time, a legacy of mismanagement has invoked severe setbacks and undue pains. We recognise and appreciate efforts to breathe new life into the industry, as we consider significant interventions to move further along the road of turnaround. Critically, given the linkages between Arrival Day and sugar, we urge the need to strengthen the current management with skilled and capable personnel. We believe this would be an appropriate tribute to those who toiled in the fields and factories and on whose contributions today we proudly stand.

As we celebrate Arrival Day, the GAWU urges all Guyanese to spare a moment to reflect on how far we have come as a people, the challenges we overcame, and the successes we have recorded. At this time, when we ought to be looking to reach new and higher plateaus, we see concerted efforts that will very likely reverse much of the progress we have made and rightly can take pride in. Let us resist such efforts and get back on the development track.

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU)

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• ancestors, Central, East Indian, Guyanese, Portuguese

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