Washington-based NGO to give evidence at Rodney CoI

May 01, 2014 News

A prominent Washington-based group has signaled its intention to make deposition before the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry that is currently conducting hearings in Guyana.

According to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA), it has also prepared and released a biography of Dr. Rodney to forward to its readers, “particularly the younger generation who have limited knowledge” of the historian/politician.

“COHA is proud to make a contribution to the Rodney Commission of Inquiry’s initiative to help educate others concerning the life and work of this great figure. At the very least, the citizens of Guyana are entitled to a full disclosure of what is known about Rodney’s murder and what steps are being undertaken to pursue justice for this great figure of the region,” said COHA’s Director, Larry Birns.

COHA was founded in 1975 to “promote the common interests of the Western hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the inter-American relationship, as well as encourage the formulation of rational and constructive U.S. policies towards Latin America.”

The body works with a large number of unpaid research associates (undergraduate and graduate interns) and a small core of professional research fellows to improve hemispheric relations and advance the public good.

The CoI that is currently conducting its hearings at the High Court compound, Avenue of the Republic, was appointed in February by President Donald Ramotar to examine the circumstances that led to the 1980 death of Rodney.

The Commission, which started the public hearings on Monday, comprises three international jurists…Chairman, Barbadian Queen’s Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham; Guyana-born, Trinidad-based Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam and Jamaican Queen’s Counsel, Jacquelene Samuels-Brown.

Already called to give evidence was the Police’s Crime Chief; the elder brother of Dr. Rodney; activist, Karen de Souza and Reverend Reuben Gilbert, a close friend.

After completing primary school, Rodney won an open exhibition scholarship to Queens College where he excelled academically, athletically, and as a member of the school’s debate team.

Because of his criticism and advocacy for the working poor, the Jamaican government declared Rodney persona non grata on October 15, 1968, banning him from returning to Jamaica. This sparked riots which claimed the lives of several people and caused millions of dollars in damage, ultimately becoming known as the notorious Rodney Riots.

According to COHA, Rodney returned to Guyana in 1974 with the intention of accepting a position at the University of Guyana, but the People’s National Congress government prevented his appointment. As a result, he joined the Working People’s Party, which effectively functioned as a credible opposition party.

The NGO said that Dr. Rodney left behind a lasting impact on Pan-African politics. “He is, perhaps, best known for his book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, in which he describes an Africa that was consciously exploited by European imperialists, directly leading to its current underdevelopment.”