Stabroek News
August 15, 2001

Guyana's Rights of Children (ROC) will be the only organisation from the Caribbean to mount an exhibition at this year's World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in South Africa.

ROC will be represented by a six-person delegation which will participate in the Youth Summit and the NGO Forum at the Conference scheduled for August 26 - September 7 in Durban.

In preparation for WCAR, ROC put together a Commitment on Race targeting the areas that the organisation would like to see improved upon in Guyana.

"We commit ourselves to develop a society in which people of all races and cultures feel secure to live, work and build their future," stated Michelle Kalamadeen, member of the delegation, reading from the Commitment at a press conference in the Guyana Human Rights Association HQ, Georgetown, yesterday.

Among the criteria established by ROC to achieve this goal are:

* Providing all Guyanese with opportunities to appreciate diversity as a gift rather than a threat.

* Realising that interchange and dialogue between our various peoples offer the best prospect for realising the human family's call to unity.

* Recruiting other young people in the struggle to eradicate racism and promote diversity.

* Ensuring that our own families nurture values which foster multi-racial friendships and encourage the exploration of the multi-cultural richness of our society.

* Assuming leadership in the fight to eliminate discriminatory behaviour.

* Advocating for the faithful implementation of laws and policies which ensure equal opportunities for all ethnic communities.

* Demanding a balanced treatment of diversity in the media by unbiased and respectful portrayal of all ethnic groups in Guyana.

"ROC is attending the Conference with three aims in mind," remarked delegation member, Anna Florendo. "Firstly, to demonstrate some of the positive responses to racism which ROC has promoted here in Guyana; secondly, sharing experiences with other organisations and, thirdly, learning about other methods of promoting racial diversity as an asset."

"ROC's activities are based on the belief that everyday forms of racial behaviour are fuelled by politicians at election times, leading to racial violence," stated Nalini Smith, another member of the delegation heading to Africa this month. "ROC's response to this is to develop activities which provide opportunities for everyone to make commitments to avoid racial behaviour."

Such activities in recent weeks have included a workshop on the theme "Race and Children" attended by over 40 young people from various youth groups and the "Hands On Harmony" billboard campaign which is now spreading the message to the East Coast villages in addition to the capital.

"Our campaign has been making a difference," said the only male member of the delegation, Adler Bynoe. He indicated that "once every individual can commit themselves to a code of behaviour" the changes would be swift.

ROC's code of behaviour - Seven Steps to One Love - was circulated in the form of 80,000 bookmarks during election time whilst numerous organisations have participated in the 'Race-Free Zone' Pledge. Pledgers currently include the cabinet, ministries, schools, businesses and religious organisations.

"We need support from all Guyanese," Kalamadeen remarked. "We have seen letters to the press talking about racial harmony so the message is really spreading, but we have to be determined enough to eradicate the problem."

ROC was formed in November 1999 and currently has 15 active members with an estimated total group membership of 30.