Stabroek News
April 23, 2001

Guyana definitely has a race problem and people are trying to ignore it hoping that it will go away but it must be tackled in the hearts of minds of people to be eradicated, Secretary of the West Demerara Committee for Peace and Democracy, Roy Paul says.

Speaking at a Peace Rally held under the theme `Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me' at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling yesterday morning, Paul said that the newly-established committee intends to work not only for peace but to eradicate the injustices which may have occurred and which may result in violence.

The rally was held because of the uneasiness in the society and the fear and distrust some people now have for each other following the general elections held over a month ago, the committee's Chairman, Harriram Khusial said at the rally which included representatives of the Baha'i faith, Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Children in particular, he said, have sensed this fear and distrust and are now asking questions seeking answers about their future,

In the main address, Paul said that "the organisation's vision is to look into injustices, perceived or real, within the community and address them. We feel that if these can be resolved then peace can be maintained. The idea is not to just preach peace... We want to do something real, active, positive. This is just the launching pad for the committee."

The committee, he said feels that every community can do something towards promoting peace in the country. "Therefore", he said, "we have taken a non-political stance in this issue. It is not only a static peace we are concerned about."

Contrary to the feeling by some that Guyana does not have a race problem, Paul said that "there is definitely a racial problem in Guyana."

He feels that politicians are the cause of the racial division. "They (the politicians) cannot function in a vacuum. They are appealing to the people's perception of what is going on. Therefore they know that people have racial feelings and whether it is down there or whatever, they appeal to it. It exists in some way. If we put our heads down in the sand and we say there is no racial problem then we will not tackle it".

Saying that the Peace Rally was the start to eradicating the race problem, Paul said that "we have to tackle it in people's hearts and their minds".

The committee, he said has no political aspirations. It will just play the role of a watchdog committee that could help ease an otherwise tense situation "in each of our little communities".

He said the committee is going through an experimental stage and hopes that if successful its achievement could be emulated countrywide. Similar committees, he said could "actually look at what is going on in the country in things like contracts for roads and other projects; to ensure that each community benefits. We can be the voice to say this is what should be happening and that kind of thing so that peace will result eventually."

Accountant Kay Low-Koon prefaced her brief remarks with a poem written by a 13-year-old student Chandanie Roopchand which tells of loving each other irrespective of race. Low Koon based her message on "being Guyanese" and people not seeing themselves as Afro-Guyanese or Indo-Guyanese because she said that in Guyana there are people who are of neither race or are a mixture of both or more races.

She said "we must co-exist but we have to put our nationality as Guyanese first and foremost. Once we can see ourselves as Guyanese most of this racial tendency which we tend to exhibit will just die away."