This year Sunday Stabroek brings our readers New Year’s greetings and reflections from some of the heads of the diplomatic missions in Guyana. All were contacted, and the comments of those who responded follow:
Ambassador of Russia and Dean of Diplomatic Corps Nikolay Smirnov
“The celebration of a New Year is a special occasion in all countries and different cultures. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Guyanese a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
“We expect that 2015 will fill our hearts with joy and excitement, generate new hopes and aspirations and create a sense of vitality and elation.”
Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy Bryan Hunt
“On behalf of the people of the United States of America and the entire community at the American Embassy in Georgetown, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Guyana a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.
“As I reflect back on 2014, I am grateful for the many learning opportunities that working on the relationship between our two countries has afforded me. I now better understand the definition of both a “feral blast” and the intricacies of prorogation – thank you to my friends in Guyanese politics for the rapid and unexpected education. I have learned to enjoy Guyanese pepperpot – although I confess that I have yet to determine exactly what cut of meat is used in it. I have learned that while the Rupununi is beautiful it is best to travel there by plane rather than overland – as the bruises that I still have from the 19 hour trip occasionally remind me.
“Overall though, I have learned about the warmth, hospitality, goodwill, creativity, dynamism, and tremendous strength of the Guyanese people. I am confident that it is these characteristics that will continue to move Guyana along the path towards prosperity in 2015, and I and the team at the American Embassy look forward to continuing to partner with you during this journey in the coming year.
“I hope for each of you that you and your family enjoy a peaceful and joyful celebration and start the New Year with fresh energy and continued optimism about the future. Happy Holidays and may you all have a peaceful, prosperous, and happy New Year!”
High Commissioner of Britain Andrew Ayre
“I want to wish all Guyanese, of whatever faith, all the very best for Christmas and for a safe, happy and prosperous 2015. I would also wish you a White Christmas, but there is of course no chance of that here! My time in your fascinating country will soon come to an end, but I will retain many happy memories of the warmth, kindness and friendship proffered by Guyanese from all walks of life.”
Ambassador of Suriname Nisha Kurban-Baboe
“As we look towards the end of this year and the arrival of another New Year, it gives me great pleasure to extend on behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Suriname to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the best wishes to all my fellow Surinamese in Guyana, family, friends, the peoples of Guyana and other relations for a Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year.
“Both Suriname and Guyana, as neighbouring countries, share lots of similarities. More importantly, both our countries have proud cultures. We can learn from each other’s cultures and make contributions to further strengthen our relations and promote mutual understanding and friendship between the Surinamese and Guyanese peoples. We also acknowledge that during this period of the year both Surinamese as Guyanese are travelling back and forth. The way of celebrating Old Year’s Day/New Year’s Eve and the welcoming of a New Year in both countries is very popular and should definitely be experienced. This will contribute to a better understanding of our cultures which will be to the benefit of our peoples as well as our contribution to a better, secure and peaceful world.
“For our Embassy 2014 was a year of satisfaction, remembrance and happiness. And this was only possible with the support of our personal and professional relations, family, friends and the Guyanese people. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all and wish you a healthy, happy, successful and safe 2015. May all your good wishes for the New Year come true.
“May Suriname and Guyana enjoy great progress in 2015.”
Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil Lineu De Paula
The Ambassador wishes a Happy New Year to everyone.
May the season bring joy, peace and togetherness for all Guyanese and the Brazilian community in Guyana.
O Embaixador da República Federativa do Brasil, Lineu De Paula, deseja um Feliz Ano Novo a todos.
Que esta ocasiâo traga alegria, paz e uniâo para todos os guianenses e a comunidade brasileira em Guiana.
High Commissioner of Canada Dr Nicole Giles
“I would like to extend warm, Canadian wishes to all Guyanese for a productive, successful and healthy New Year.
“In 2014, the High Commission of Canada worked tirelessly to deliver concrete results for both Canadians and Guyanese. These positive outcomes were possible because of the strong cooperation between Canada and Guyana, and the talent and energy of the individuals working to advance our shared goals:
- Human rights and equality for all: Canada celebrated World Pride Month in Guyana with an event to raise awareness that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) rights are basic human rights. Retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Madame L’Heureux Dubé led a two-day judges’ training workshop on equality as the foundation for justice, and delivered a public lecture raising awareness of equality issues and encouraging debate.
- Live-streaming Parliament: Through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Canada worked with the National Assembly to live-stream parliamentary proceedings, with the aim of providing access to Guyana’s political process for all Guyanese – from the Rupununi to Leguan.
- People-to-people cooperation in the medical field: The Canada-Guyana Medical Partnerships Coalition (C-GMPC) was launched as an informal grouping of the numerous Canadian-Guyanese not-for-profit organisations that deliver medical outreach programmes in Guyana. The Coalition promotes cooperation amongst Canadian-Guyanese medical outreach groups to ensure coordination, increase efficiencies and promote maximisation of resources. At the inaugural fundraiser and silent auction, over G$3.3 million was raised for Guyana Help the Kids, providing critical equipment for hospitals in Guyana to decrease neonatal and infant mortality.
- Anti-money laundering: Canada provided support to Guyana’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to strengthen Guyana’s AML/CFT regime to combat money laundering.
- Sustainable development for local communities: Canada supported the development of a sports fishing cluster in the Rupununi which will result in employment for Amerindians and increased income for at least 3 communities by increasing the flow of tourists. Canada also supported the development and launch of local economic development projects in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 6, including in agro-processing and improving farming technologies resulting in sustainable economic development at the local level.
- Disaster and climate change mitigation: Canada supported the implementation of disaster management processes in 20 communities across Guyana. This included vulnerability capacity assessments, development of family and community disaster plans, and micro-mitigation projects to give Guyanese the tools they need to manage and respond to disaster and climate change risks.
- Technical and vocational training: Canada supported the launch of the Caricom Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, which will develop the regional certification of technical competencies. This will allow Guyanese to carry their technical qualifications to other Caribbean countries, and for Guyana to attract other, qualified Caribbean skilled workers into Guyana’s market.
- Helping Canadians in Guyana: Registration of Canadians visiting Guyana was doubled. Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) is a free service offered by the Government of Canada that keeps Canadians connected in case of an emergency abroad, such as an earthquake or civil unrest, or an emergency at home. Registration is quick, confidential and simple, and allows us to notify Canadians when there is an emergency in your travel region: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration
- Strengthened security cooperation: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) cooperated with Guyana’s law enforcement services to strengthen regional security, including fraudulent document detection and criminal activity at airport.
- World-class mine: Guyana Goldfields began construction of a world-class mine at the Aurora site. This will be the largest gold mine in Guyana’s history, with commercial production commencing mid-2015. Canada and Guyana worked together to launch the updated version of the Mining Toolkit, which provides a guide to best practices in mining to promote strong Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Cutting-edge agriculture: Canada and Guyana began a new area of cooperation in the dairy sector. Canadian innovative, cutting-edge technologies and experiences are being shared with Guyana to promote the sustainable development of Guyana’s dairy sector.
- 21st century diplomacy: Canada launched its social media platform for Guyana, enabling us to reach a broader audience and share information with Canadians and Guyanese alike. Follow us on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/CanadainGuyanaandSuriname (English) and https://www.facebook.com/CanadaauGuyanaetauSuriname (French) and Twitter https://twitter.com/CanAmbGuyana (English), https://twitter.com/AmbCanGuyana (French) and the High Commissioner’s personal Twitter account https://twitter.com/nicolecgiles
“It has been both an exhausting and exhilarating year for Canada in Guyana. In 2015, the High Commission of Canada will continue to implement Canada’s Strategy for Engagement in the Americas. Our Strategy has 3 goals: increase Canadian and hemispheric economic opportunity; address insecurity and advance freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law; and foster lasting relationships. At home, in Canada, we are busily preparing to host the 17th Pan American and 5th Parapan American Games in Toronto in July 10-26 and August 7-15, 2015. We look forward to welcoming 250,000 participants and visitors from 41 countries and territories in the hemisphere – including, we hope, many Guyanese competitors and visitors!
“As we welcome in the New Year, with all its promise and expectation, it is my hope that we can build on the successes of 2014 and continue to deliver results for Canadians and Guyanese in 2015. My New Year’s pledge is that the High Commission team will continue to strive to make positive changes in the communities that we serve and the partnerships that we build. It is our duty as human beings to leave the world a better place than we found it. The entire team at the High Commission looks forward to continuing to work with our local partners in achieving this – together.
“Bonne année et bonne santé!”
