Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 14, 2015 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
Over the past three years I have been doing research on Social Change in Guyana. I have been primarily examining factors that would influence social change in the country. Two areas which are being examined are social capital and reconciliation.
I think critical to our survival, development and sustainability, is building strong social capital. This is basically how the institutions, groups, networks and people in the society work together and get along. It is really about the norms and kinds of relationships we have as individuals, within our institutions and the society.
Also important, is the quality of those relationships. Our history has shown clearly that strong social capital is critical to our political, economic and social advancement; hence we have to put a high development and economic value on it. The building of strong social capital has to be strategically interwoven into our development strategy as a country.
Now that the Elections season is over, we need to zero-in on a reconciliation process. Reconciliation is critical to building strong social capital in Guyana. A fundamental aspect of this process will be to promote and encourage more bridging, in addition to bonding. One of the things that was very obvious in the campaigning for the elections was the promotion of bonding among various groups.
While conversations on our Africanness and our Indianness are very important for developing a greater understanding and appreciation of self and one’s ethnic group, one is also forced to engage in and become involved in the process to develop a better understanding and appreciation for our Guyaneseness. Further, we are still under another kind of pressure, and that is, to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of our humanness.
In the reconciliation process, having conversations about our Africanness and Indianness is not enough; time and space has given us no other choice but to become more creative in developing and engaging in conversations on our Guyaneseness.
Time and space has locked us into this piece of area of land called Guyana and this planet, called Earth. In the Guyana context, we are confined to live here with all of the races. Further, we are restricted to traverse and exist on planet earth and there is not much that we can do about that either. Thus, let us focus our energies and resources on what we are in control of; and that is, to develop strategies and programnes and possibly policies that will assist us to live and dwell together in Guyana.
As a part of the research, on the aspect of reconciliation, I am examining race and ethnicity, socialization, religion, and motivations to a lesser extent. While religion is a part of socialization, I am finding that in the Guyana context, it plays a pivotal role in influencing perceptions and behavior. The focus here is more on the fundamental principles of the religion as against the practice of the religion.
Everything we do, is done either out of the emotion of love or the emotion of fear, the question here is, whether our race, ethnicity, religion and socialization is stimulating more of the emotion of love or fear in us?
I find that your newspapers have become an excellent medium for debates and discussions on topics of national interest, particularly the letter column.
On the topic of reconciliation, I am examining the letters from your writers and to some extent the responses from some of the bloggers and commentators. I am examining three aspects, their race, socialization and religion. I must note that it is more practical to focus on the writers since it is difficult to determine whether many of the bloggers and commentators are Guyanese, and they also use aliases.
One aspect I am examining is, for example, in the Guyana context, we have a Freddie Kissoon and a Christopher Ram, two East Indian Guyanese involved in rights-based matters in the Courts, and they are the advocates in these instances, for the rights of black Guyanese.
What these two East Indian persons are doing is what black civil rights activists do in countries like the United States. Hence, I am investigating, their race, (well they are East Indians), religion and socialization and to what extent these factors might have influenced their perspective and behaviour towards race. The reason I have singled out these two persons, is because perhaps these are two of the few cases of this nature which have gone to the level of the Courts in Guyana. The question here is what does this say about the dynamics of race, or emerging dynamics of race, in the Guyanese society? I am still exploring this.
Nevertheless, what I am finding is that specific considerations of race, religion and socialization, are critical to our reconciliation process.
On the point of socialization, I am finding that associations are important to the reconciliation process and to developing, maintaining and sustaining a more cohesive and inclusive society. In this context, some associations promote more bonding, while others promote more bridging, as such a vital aspect of having a more cohesive and inclusive society in Guyana, will be for a greater role to be played by organizations such as Rotary, Lions, Rotaract, Jaycees, Scouts, Girl Guides and similar organizations.
These organizations promote more bridging as against organizations that are focused on a particular religious group, race or ethnicity that will promote more bonding. The point to note here is that while bonding is important, more opportunities need to be created for greater bridging in our society. Associations also assist in building and sustaining strong social capital.
Hence, as a part of the longer term development strategy for Guyana, there must be a greater emphasis on encouraging and expanding the kinds of bridging associations mentioned above. Further, the reconciliation process and more so the evolution of a more cohesive and inclusive society, would require us to specifically address issues of race and ethnicity, religion and socialization.
We have to allow the creative genius in us to come alive as we forge towards one people, one nation, one destiny.
Audreyanna Thomas
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 20, 2024
– Elton Dharry and Dexter Marques to headline tonight’s card Kaieteur Sports – The Everest Cricket Club pavilion crackled with tension yesterday as the Guyana Boxing Board hosted its...Kaieteur News – Once a habit has been drilled into you, it returns almost automatically when you return to the setting... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]