Promoting racial harmony should be an everyday event -Rights of Children group By Miranda La Rose Stabroek News January 29, 2001 Racial harmony should not just be plugged at election time but every day as the country is in dire need of it to go forward. This was one of the views put forward by speakers at the Rights of Children's (ROC) third 'One Love ROC-A-Thon' rally held at the Burnham Basketball Court yesterday. Some one hundred young people walked through the streets of the city chanting messages of racial harmony. The young people moved off from the Bank of Guyana into Avenue of the Republic then to Regent Street, Camp Street, Lamaha Street and finally Carmichael Street where they assembled. 'Avoid no one because of race. Talking race is out of place. No fear/speak clear. No race/out of place. Get together/let's unite. Race is out, love is in. Get together, let's all join." were some of the slogans chanted by the young people. The youths also shared out a colourful bookmarker promoting 'Peace, Love, Unity and Racial Harmony.' The marker outlined seven steps through which the country can become a better place. These are: assume nothing about a person because of race; speak the same opinions to all people; accept no racial remarks in one's presence; respect differences of opinion; spread no rumours or distort stories; avoid no one because of race; and assist any victim of racial harassment. 'One Love': This was the theme of the Rights of Children's (ROC) third ROC-A-Thon which took place yesterday. Some one hundred young people from various organisations walked through the city of Georgetown chanting appeals for racial harmony. (Lawrence Fanfair photo) ROC feels by adopting this code of conduct "for ourselves, we render more difficult the task of those who would divide us." It also feels that such behaviour challenges the political parties and the media to adopt the same standards and take their own codes of conduct seriously. "Let's move forward in One Love with One Heart for one people, one nation and one destiny," the marker stated. Adler Bynoe, a speaker at the rally, said that the group wants all the organisations that signed the ROC Race-Free-Zone pledge to recommit themselves to promoting racial harmony. He encouraged the youths not to become part of the racial problems but rather be part of the solution. Another speaker pointed out that Guyanese have different heritages that were left to them by their foreparents but that in no way make them different but brings them together. "Racial disharmony has hurt our country and will continue to hurt our country if we as young people don't do some about it," asserted Graham Hickson one of the many speakers. He noted that it is at election time the country is tested to the maximum and told those gathered that they could make a difference by singing 'One Love," in the footsteps of the great Jamaican reggae singer, Bob Marley. "We need it and need it badly too. As human beings we have the capacity to love, we are truly loving," he said. Some of the youth groups that were part of the event were: the Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC), President's College, St Mary's Orphanage, the Brickdam Cathedral Youth Group, the Hinterland Catholic Group and the Girl Guides. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today