Of goodwill and reconciliation
OUR lead letter [please note: link provided by LOSP web site] today talks about the need for unconditional love for Guyana by the leaders and about hope for goodwill and reconciliation. And on Wednesday evening, there was a reconciliation rally held by the Guyana Council of Churches in the compound of Parliament Buildings. There was a large turnout and among those there were President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Sam Hinds and Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green. The importance of the event is that it took place. Organising it was a recognition by the Guyana Council of Churches that steps have to be taken to heal divisions created in the society. And civic society has a critical role in such endeavours. Civic society has shown its worth in such national situations several times before and should be in the forefront again. Old fears are clearly rising again with talk of elections in the air, largely because of the bitter experiences of the extent to which some leaders went to get their own way after the December 1997 general elections. The concerns are understandable and are real. Most of those who saw what happened in the streets of Georgetown up to around this time last year would not want to live through such an episode again. And genuine leaders in all sectors have to work hard to ensure there are ironclad mechanisms to try to block any attempt at a repeat. The reconciliation calls would have special meaning for the Christian community, particularly as they observe this holy period with the promise of hope at its centre. But all Guyanese must be painfully aware of how difficult it is to forge reconciliation when some leaders persist in attempts at dividing them. And they, including organised civic society, will have to be on guard to detect such attempts and to speak out and condemn them. The responsibility cannot be only on leaders, who in most cases see the greater good as only their self-interest. " We must demand of our leaders that the interest of Guyana must come first, that we need leadership that would enkindle in our hearts and minds Love, Unity, Respect and Understanding for each other", the letter writer urges. But there must be more than demands if leaders do not place the interest of Guyana first and abide by the rules. Getting real reconciliation will not be easy if those who should be guiding the way persist in the old ways. Organising reconciliation rallies is a good start but much more will be required to keep certain leaders in line. As the letter writer notes, "We must demand of them, that to achieve prosperity we have to reconcile our differences and build new bridges for all." 
|