Guyana Chronicle
March 29, 2001

RIGHTS of Children (ROC), a non-governmental organisation conducting activities to promote racial harmony in Guyana for the past year-and-a-half, is again calling for young people not to be separated by racial tensions.

The ROC, in a statement this week, said its campaign came about because young people felt that racial tensions were causing them to lose friendships with others of different races.

According to the ROC, it has "especially aimed to ensure that this elections period is not used to separate us".

It added that it is at this time Guyanese should remember they are all Guyanese.

"We were not born in Africa, India, China or Portugal, but in Guyana. So let's be proud of who we are, `Guyanese'," the body stated.

It urged everyone who had signed its Race-Free Zone Pledges (political parties, media houses, churches, youth and sports clubs and businesses, among others) and those who made their personal commitment to racial harmony by putting their handprints on ROC billboards, to remember and live up to their pledges.

The ROC noted that one of its recent activities was a bookmark that outlines seven simple steps towards one love that everyone should adopt throughout their entire lives and especially during this period.

The steps are:

** do not assume anything about a person because of race

** speak the same opinions to all people

** accept no racial remarks in your presence

** respect differences of opinions

** spread no rumours nor distort stories

** avoid no one because of race

** assist any victim of racial harassment

The ROC also noted that young people are the future of this country and their desires must be taken into account.

It called for adults and all political parties to listen to what young people desire - to be educated, find jobs and to enjoy the richness and diversity that this beautiful country has to offer, free from negative factors, such as fear and racial insecurity.