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Jun 15, 2011 Letters
Dear Editor,
It is now six months since the declaration and the launching of the International Year of People of African Descent. The UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon stressed that “the international community cannot accept that whole communities are marginalized because of their skin colour.” The Mission of Brazil to the UN said that the celebration of the International Year for Descendants of Africans is “an opportunity to draw attention to the persistent inequalities that still affect this important part of the population.” In essence the objectives of this declared year in 2011 were to strengthen national actions and regional and international cooperation to:
• Ensure that people of African descent fully enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights;
• Advance their integration into all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society; and
• Promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture.
Prior to declaring 2011 as the International Year of People of African Descent The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established by Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68 of 25 April 2002.
Guyana being a multi-ethnic society must pay due recognition to these initiatives especially when these initiatives are relevant to all ethnic groups represented among its citizenry registered or undocumented.
In the six months which have elapsed it appears that the government and the political opposition, the church, the unions and social organizations have fallen asleep and seems to be permitting the widening of the inequalities in our society to take place.
One of the first tasks called for is to study the problems of racial discrimination and exclusion of People of African Descent. The only way for us as a nation, as a multi ethnic society to conclude that there are no inequities among the ethnic groups is by way of sound research.
There is no doubt that our poverty rate is high, however, what is not known is the composition among the different ethnic groups. As a people we need to be able to know where we should and must intervene to ensure interethnic equity whether by giving laptops or the use of other national resources.
Hence one must observe the culture of mendicancy which is in full bloom in Georgetown, our Capital City. One must also observe the increasing homelessness and the destitute and the mentally impaired that rummage the garbage bins for food and roam the city both day and night. When we examine the prisons and the population of the New Opportunity Corps we also find a predominance of citizens of African descent which is disproportionate to the percentage in the general population. This observation therefore requires answers since it must be understood and explained so that the necessary interventions can be made. In other words, it requires immediate research. I would therefore like to recommend that the Social Science Faculty prepare a proposal which should be submitted to the Government for funding and actions to be taken on the findings.
Indeed this is the purpose of the declared International Year of People of African Descent. As a multiethnic country one of our principle goals especially espoused by the Murray campaign was that of Interethnic equity. Unless we address the needs and want of all ethnic groups and ensure that the access and use are indeed equitable by way of a system which measures and evaluates same we cannot be assured of a sustainable developmental approach.
Dr Richard Van West Charles
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