I write you with a message that is one for all Guyanese. Today our nation will once again have the opportunity to voice its opinion on which group of persons it sees best suited to take the leadership of our country. While the big contest is over who will be president and form the cabinet of ministers, equally important are the people who are expected to be the voice of the masses and represent us all at the national forum which in fact has greater powers than the president and cabinet, and is only weakened in purpose when one party holds a majority of seats and its members vote as a block rather than representing the diversity of views they hold as individuals and as representatives of particular groups (women, youth, indigenous peoples, geographical regions, business etc.) In this I refer to the parliament.
I mentioned publicly some time back that some things have changed, but other things have not changed at all.
Less than 24 hours before voting begins and tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Stress levels are peaking but anxiety and fear over how the process will flow and what will happen when the results are announced.
I am calling on you, my family, my friends, my colleagues in work, my brothers and sisters of this dear land, I am asking you all to be PeaceMakers – today, tomorrow and the days to come. I know you all do not share my religious convictions but, you understand that when I make references I could only do so accurately from the text I am familiar with.
In the passage we refer to as the beatitudes, there is a verse which says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’
There are some simple, practical things that we can do to make peace in our land during this time.
1. If you are part of the ~95% of Guyanese who indicated at the last census that you have some sort of religious faith, then spend time praying – alone, with family with those of like faith. Again a reference to the text that I am most familiar with; ‘the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’
2. VOTE! Ensure you go out and let your voice be heard. Don’t be scared or think that it will not matter. There was a time when I did not vote because I did not like the options presented, but I look at it now and think that these are all the options we have. If we cannot vote on our primary criteria, we should find non-compromising secondary criteria to make a choice.
3. As you go out during the day, if you do not have a set uniform you must wear or if you do not have strong affiliations with a political party which dictates otherwise, wear a white top or all white as a symbol of peace.
4. Encourage those you have contact with to be peacemakers.
5. Be watchful and vigilant, and actively thwart anything that will disturb the peace. Let your voice be heard calling for peace if-ever or wherever there is unrest of any kind.
6. Get some patriotic music and play it from your homes and cars. Change your ringtone for the day to a national song or to the national anthem. Instead of flying a political flag on your car or home, fly the Golden Arrowhead.
7. If you are the leader of a religious congregation with a building of its own, keep your doors open for the day.
Let it be a place for prayer for those of your congregation and beyond. Let it be a place of refuge for any who feel they need it.
It is my firm conviction that we can have a peaceful electoral process and move on as a nation: I know my Guyanese sisters and brothers are capable of making this happen. And if I can only use three scriptural references in this communication, I use my final reference to say that I know that ‘faith without works is dead’, so I will be a PeaceMaker, will you join me?
God bless you!
God bless this great land.
Yours faithfully,
C R Bernard
