All party support for race relations film push
By Ruel Johnson
Guyana Chronicle
August 18, 2004
THE government and the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) are backing a film drive by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to improve race relations.
The commission launched its national film festival at a gala ceremony at the Umana Yana in Georgetown on Monday evening with the government and the PNCR endorsing the initiative.
In his presentation at the event, President Bharrat Jagdeo said he supports the work of the ERC and is particularly pleased at the initiative of the film festival.
He said that with the festival, the ERC is fulfilling its mandate of educating the nation about conflict.
He noted that while the commission is working hard to heal the wounds of division, others are working daily to create them.
He reminded the ERC commissioners that their mandate does not only include education about racism and conflict, but that the commission also has the power to sanction those who create divisive wounds in the society.
President Jagdeo said that while people tend to focus on the negative aspects of the society, they ignore the fact that post-Independence Guyana has had no major ethnic conflagration.
He contrasted this with the situation in more developed countries, like the U.S., where there have been race riots and inter-ethnic violence.
The President said that Guyana is among the few countries whose constitution explicitly caters for specific rights commissions, namely, the ERC; the Human Rights Commission; the Children’s Rights Commission; the Indigenous Rights Commission; and the Gender Equality Commission.
While congratulating the ERC on organising the film festival, he hoped that there will be progress soon on forming the other four rights commissions.
Mr Jagdeo said the establishment of the commissions was a positive sign, and highlighted the fact that the members have to be approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament, i.e., by partisan agreement.
In his presentation, standing in for Leader of the Opposition and the PNCR, Mr Robert Corbin, PNCR Executive Member Deryck Bernard apologised for Mr Corbin's absence, stating that the PNCR Leader had given him very specific instructions as to what to say.
Mr Bernard said the PNCR has strongly supported the ERC from its conception to the present, citing the commission’s function as a body tasked with the job of bringing people together.
He said that while every development is seen in economic terms, it is the cohesiveness of different types of people in a particular country which represents true progress.
"The building of a nation," said Bernard, "is something which takes patience, courage and a large degree of inventiveness."
He said that it was important to understand the role of various media - including film - in promoting cultural understanding.
He added that it was important that the film festival included feedback at the grassroots level, since he felt that national initiatives are usually undertaken in a "top-down" approach.
The National Film Festival, hosted under the theme "We difrent...is awrite.", is aimed at introducing Guyanese across the country to various types of conflict around the world through the screening of several films, while stimulating discussion on both these conflicts and our own.
After each screening, trained facilitators will engage the audience in talking about the films and their personal reactions towards the messages given.
At the launching, the audience was treated to the screening of three films: Dance Can do all That; Dinner of Two; and Just a Little Red Dot.
The three films are among several due to be shown at some 45 venues around the country.
The event is being sponsored by the Washington-based organisation Search for Common Ground along with the multi-donor, multi UN-agency Social Cohesion Programme.
In addition to the launching, the commission held a preliminary screening of two films for the media on Friday at the Emba Sea Hotel in Georgetown.