Dear Editor,
It was a dream that one day the Demerara and Berbice Rivers would be bridged. It is a dream that one day an all-weather road will link the coast to Lethem. President Bharrat Jagdeo dreamed that our forests can and must play a critical role in transforming Guyana’s economy while combating climate change, hence the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
The Low Carbon Development Strategy is a wonderful dream. Critics think it may compromise the forest portfolio of Guyanese; that it’s too ambitious and not properly thought through; the figure for forest coverage has been miscalculated; the LCDS is not about Guyana’s future; the Amerindians were not given the opportunity to fully participate; and we can go on and on. Sadly, none has come up with a solid alternative or a better proposal than the LCDS.
On May 24, 2010 the President launched the third draft of the LCDS at the Umana Yana. He emphasized all the critical elements of the strategy, even trying to clarify some inaccuracies by some of the media houses in relation to the Amaila hydro-project’s cost, etc.
At the launching of this third draft, I was a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC) representing the National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF), and was invited to make a presentation.
The LCDS is an excellent example of forward thinking, a bold and robust demonstration of imaginative conceptualization. Somewhere along the way the message of ‘This is your opportunity, take it’ is not being harnessed by the indigenous stakeholders. I am sorry, even if bread is put on the table it cannot be force-fed into open mouths. The LCDS is very clear about what there is for the Amerindians of Guyana. Some have supported the proposal, some have argued against it and I am sure some are undecided about it. I am not worried about the naysayers; I have grown mature enough to accept ‘no’ as an element of my existence, and even then, it helps the process along; naysayers, therefore, are contributors.
I have dreamt that Amerindians could play a leading role in development in Guyana. I have on two occasions mentioned railways for the hinterland in earshot of our President. The first occasion was at the conference centre packed with Amerindian leaders and their officials. I missed the mark entirely then; not an Amerindian leader or official came to laud or shoot down the idea. Subsequently, the President indicated that a railway project may be too expensive to be undertaken by the government. I agree, but, my suggestion was not meant for the government but for the indigenous leaders and their officials to ponder and grasp the opportunities presented by the LCDS.
The government has done much for the indigenous population and they need to understand that harnessing these opportunities from the LCDS, which may be the only such opportunity for Amerindians in centuries to come, will be opportunities well utilized. The future of tomorrow hinges on decisions taken today.
Having high-lighted the slothfulness and lack-lustre attitude on the part of the Amerindians to try to understand and exploit the LCDS and its offerings, I now stand alongside the Minister of Amerindian Affairs who made the same observation in an article, ‘Some Amerindian Communities tardy in accessing help’ when she made reference to the slow responses by Wiruni residents (SN, May 24). Opportunities present themselves only once; rarely in life will you be given the same opportunity, hence the saying, ‘An opportunity lost can never be regained.’
The third draft of the LCDS says that villages will decide themselves how funds are to be allocated, but refers to suggestions received during the 2009 consultation. It goes on to identify some likely funding areas for the Amerindian Low Carbon Development Fund. I am not against addressing these identified development areas, but Amerindians need to take the bull by the horns and make things happen. I have carefully examined the potential development areas for grants. Selected productive areas such as spice-growing, honey, peanut butter production and eco-tourism will need to be examined carefully. I am not sure what Amerindians perceive as food security and agricultural development. We have been surviving off a subsistence style of farming since time immemorial and if we are thinking of developing this sector we need to think of preserving foods and packaging industries. Honey, peanut and spice production will require the same strategy which to my mind is a brilliant strategy. However, one major factor is being overlooked: The need for a reliable, efficient, cheap, LCDS-oriented means of transportation.
I like what I hear from our head of state; words of encouragement to invest, seize opportunities and make life better for everyone.
On Monday 24, I again aired for the second time a railway for the hinterland as a potential project that would help the indigenous people, this time in earshot of the National Toshao’s Council (NTC), private sector, indigenous NGOs, conservation groups and invited guests. Again, I am still dreaming about this as a way forward for the Amerindians.
Amerindian stakeholders are the only stakeholders who will benefit from the state forests as well as their forests if they opt in. Save some of the funds from the Amerindian Development Fund for mini-hydro turbine electrical power systems for small industries. Explore the possibility of constructing a railway system in collaboration with the government from Linden to Lethem to facilitate cheap travel, and the transportation of peanut butter, packaged foods and building materials; encourage tourism; improve communications; enhance education; and enhance health and social services.
You don’t have to deforest; build along the existing roadways and reap Mora which you will use for sleepers in a sustainable way; other local materials also exist along the way.
Guyana has a good relationship with China; ask government about the possibilities, and seek help from other sources. Don’t worry about power; power will be available from the Amaila hydro-project; we will have electrified trains.
Let’s join the developed world and jump into the next century confident that Guyana’s future is safe, Amerindians must strive to be part of history.
Yours faithfully,
Ashton Simon
