New party should invite people to suggest a name
Stabroek News
January 30, 2004
Dear Editor,
I totally agree with the suggestion that the new political party should consider changing its label to one that omits all references to race. The label All Races Congress seems best suited for a Non Governmental/Non Political Organization dedicated to identifying and breaking down the barriers which divide us as a people. Would that there was such an organization in Guyana today meeting regularly and addressing the issues of race in a transparent and non partisan fashion.
There is little doubt that the organizers behind the new political entity chose its descriptive label with the best of intentions. In a country where all the major political parties pander to the visceral prejudices of their ethnic constituents, it was important for them to demonstrate to the people that they were not going down that road. Still, the inclusion of "race" in their identifying description seems to conflict with the very ideals and purpose of their formation, and in a sense conveys the impression of like pandering.
One suggested manner in which they could go about selecting a name for their party would be to organize a competition among the public for that purpose. The process would be simple, and the involvement of the populace in the naming of the party would do wonders in terms of publicity and building up name recognition. The involvement of the populace in such a process would demonstrate more than the words "all races", that this was a political party founded on true democratic values, and not on backroom politicking scenarios.
Yours faithfully,
Keith R Williams