Dear Editor,
From 1964 to 1992, we hoped somehow that economic reform would be the panacea for Guyana’s development. From 1992 to now we have focused less on political reform and more on economic reform, opening up our economy and courting local and international investments. Yet today we are arguably in a state of nascent crisis, one that if not arrested and confronted could result in deep issues for Guyana in the long run, especially when our natural resources dry up. In the context of a plural, post-colonial and culturally divided society, I am of the view that this over-emphasis on political and economic reform as most relevant to social progress is a scapegoat for our unmet and under-realized development potential. In fact it reflects a symptom of dependency cultivated during and after colonial rule. This colonial mentality has been inherited by Guyanese and used in the arenas of politics and economics to divide, control and mislead by successive governments.
Political and economic structures are of vital importance and may have been the twin catalysts of social organization and progress in some other societies; it is clear however that the present configuration and function of these structures in Guyana are inadequate and poorly managed. In Guyana we have an equally or more important challenge normally referred to as Guyanese culture, or as some friends would say, ‘Guyaneseness.’ I am speaking about our dominant values, traditions, the local knowledge economy, our collective mentality, cultural identification and the meanings and modes of perception and interaction we draw from these cultural variables. The simple question of what it means to be Guyanese provokes cynical, sometimes comical and not often enough prideful responses from Guyanese at home and abroad. More often than not, we Guyanese are largely perceived throughout the Caribbean and beyond for less than flattering tendencies and associations such as colonial rule, the Jonestown massacre, the fact that we are one of few countries that allowed a foreign-born person to become president of our nation and the current narco era we find ourselves in. Yet others would point out our ‘breadbasket of the
Caribbean era,’ our first democratically held free and fair elections, our internationally renowned artists and intellectuals, and our plentiful natural resources as paramount cultural virtues and influences. It is fair to say that we are somewhere in between these two vantage points; we are also a mixture of the two.
Our over-emphasis on politics and economics has not been accompanied by an emphasis on the role of culture as a driver of development. Culture here refers not just to arts and sports, but also includes our collective mental and knowledge-related capacities. These aspects of culture are visible through values, traditions, communication, customs and ideals. For example, Guyanese can relate to the value of education or the ideal of migrating north. In relation to our development, the importance of education and unhealthy patterns of outward migration are found in their social outcomes or consequences. A highly educated population or one that aspires to be highly educated, depleted by high rates of migration obviously undermines our development and local capabilities. Culture also shows up when we consider the way in which we treat and interact with our natural environment. Do we value our environment as if it is the source of our earthly existence, or do we treat it with disregard? My final example is the relationship between culture and history.
Culture is both a consequence and driver of history and history is a vital element of culture, not only because of recorded events and experiences but more so because of the events we choose to highlight and the messages and values transmitted.
Much of Guyanese history is told in meta-narratives of domination, power/powerlessness, survival and struggle. How mainstream are our heroes and heroines or how romanticized are our aspirations and achievement of independence and sovereignty? These experiences and their accompanying images more often than not are told in matter-of-fact political terms which indicates how we value and learn from them or not. The point of these examples is that culture significantly influences how we see ourselves, our development capacity and potential and how we interpret various life experiences. So we can be blessed with a diverse abundance of
natural resources, yet because we value competition, power and control we may not possess the required capacity and vision to best develop such resources in the best interests of all Guyanese. And because most of our history is recorded in matter-of-fact political tones, the inspiration that could be transmitted through culture is absent or at best minimal. Culture is therefore a significantly vital driver of our development. It not only influences how we organize society (capacity), it also influences the function (development) of our society.
Yours faithfully,
R Small
