Ethnic reference in CWC Guyana brochure is marketing strategy
-Rohee
Stabroek News
February 1, 2007
The reference to ethnicity in the description of the Guyana stadium in the ICC CWC West Indies 2007 brochure was done by the marketing department of the organisers of the event, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee said.
Responding to remarks made about the description by PNCR-1G MP Aubrey Norton during the debate on the Pre-Clearance (ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007) Bill in parliament yesterday, Rohee said that while he never saw the brochure, he was advised that it was a strategy the ICC CWC West Indies Inc was using in an attempt to market CWC 2007. Norton said that in this period when everyone in a cricketing nation should be united and the advocacy should be that of nationhood up creeps the issue of ethnicity - a matter which, he felt should have been dealt with urgently. He said that while Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and other states described their venue and made no reference to ethnicity Guyana's stated: "With Guyana's distinct Indian heritage you are sure to experience the fusion of West Indian and East Indian culture."
He said the Guyana government as a national government should "eschew this thing which is not good for the nation" and should have taken action to have it "obviated" from the brochure.
Rohee said that when the Local Organising Committee became aware of the issue the ICC CWC West Indies Inc was immediately contacted. "They had requested in no uncertain terms" that the matter be corrected, he said, adding that "this was indeed the case."
The brochures have been in circulation since the first phase of public ticketing began in May last year.
Yesterday Stabroek News contacted Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc Chris Dehring on the issue, which was highlighted by a letter writer to the Stabroek News and City Mayor Hamilton Green. Green also wrote a letter to Dehring calling for a public apology or an explanation for what he considered an offensive statement related to Guyana in the brochure.
Dehring told this newspaper that he had only received the letter yesterday and was going to respond to the mayor. (Miranda La Rose)