Changing national image
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
February 25, 2007
GUYANESE wind up Mashramani celebrations this weekend with the nation on an unstoppable journey to social cohesion and economic recovery that must be very frustrating to the political saboteurs, specialists in negativity and prophets of gloom and doom.
It is a journey that cannot escape objective assessment either by Guyana's CARICOM partners or the resident diplomatic community in reviewing and comparing the social and economic indices of governance by the PPP/C over the past dozen years.
Not even the more strident of opponents and critics of the government should ignore the admirable changing physical landscape with the multiplicity of government and private sector-initiated business and social services facilities that are among the signposts of progress.
Guyanese across the political divide are increasingly displaying determination to overcome old racial and social prejudices, despite the ongoing attempts by elements who continue to misuse the media and certain forums to sow seeds of division and distort our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural history.
In the process, a motley collection of arm chair intellectuals and social commentators, too heavily laden with their bottled up racial/cultural bitterness, must be forgiven, if not ignored, as Guyana inexorably moves forward, in unity, to correct the distorted images from which it has for far too long suffered, even among member countries of the Caribbean Community.
For sure, there remains various socio-political and economic ills, some quite challenging, yet to be overcome, and requiring much more of a collective effort across party lines, Yet, except for those who refuse to see and learn, Guyana is on a new path with destiny, a brighter future.
Hopefully, it will bring an end to the misconceptions, the silly jokes and prejudices, the wrong image about this country and its people that even those in CARICOM and beyond, who should know better, have allowed to linger.
Yes, Guyana continues to be affected by incidences of poverty, serious crime, as well as corruption in both the public and private sectors. The battle must continue to be waged against them with greater passion and more systematically.
But which CARICOM state or nation of the international community is without these problems?
Indeed, which of them does not have to cope with allegations, however unjustified, of discrimination of one sort or another, or about the independence and competence of even primary institutions?
Raising such questions is not an attempt to rationalise lingering social, economic and political problems yet to be resolved.
Rather to confront the realities of our national/regional environment that the political saboteurs and generators of social and political prejudices simply wish to ignore, driven by a propensity for the negative and a sad distaste for what's positive for Guyana and its people.