President David Granger last night said that the Republic is committed to eliminating extreme poverty and eradicating inequalities.
He also said it is committed to expanding the space for cultural diversity and enhancing the sense of national belonging.
The President addressed the Nation last night at the Flag Raising Ceremony held at D’Urban Park to commemorate Guyana’s 47th anniversary as a Republic.
In remarks released by the Ministry of the Presidency, Granger paid tribute to the Nation’s fore-parents who were brought to these shores, either as enslaved workers or indentured labourers, to toil on the plantations, and of their struggles-their resistance, revolts and riots- which helped to make their descendants a free people and to make this country a free state.
The president noted that the establishment of the Co-operative Republic on 23rd February, 1970 intensified the efforts to unite the peoples into a plural nation and aspired to ensure that they would live together in harmony, free from racial and religious conflict.
The president acknowledged the significance this year of the 100th anniversary of the ‘Abolition’ of Indian indentureship and the opportunity for the Nation to celebrate the contributions of the Indian community.
Their cultural offerings of devotional festivals, colourful dress, vivacious dance, two world religions- Hinduism and Islam; their indelible mark in the various agriculture industries of cattle, coconut, fishing, rice and sugar, and their visible impact on national life – the arts, business, diplomacy, education, engineering, industry, jewellery, law, media, medicine, politics, the public service and trade unionism.
The President said that Republic is becoming a more socially cohesive country, one that: “… works towards the well-being of all its members, fights exclusion and marginalisation, creates a sense of belonging [and] promotes trust…”
He said that Guyana’s various cultural threads have been interwoven into the tapestry of nationhood.
“We celebrate, today, our republicanism and our pluralism. We have achieved unity by our diversity”, he declared.
