Dear Editor,
Over the past weeks, there have been sincere outpourings of generosity, kindness and an excellent demonstration of true goodwill by all Guyanese towards children, shut-ins, the sick, the poor and the needy. These acts of kindness are synonymous with the time of the year as we celebrate Christmas. Whether it was throwing parties for the children, feeding the hungry, making donations to the poor and shut-ins, giving children gifts and toys; or just a simple act of love, the spirit of giving and sharing has been excellently demonstrated by individuals, groups, organizations and the general public. These simple acts are profound examples of Guyanese responding to the call to humanity; stirred by the message of Christmas to act for the benefit of their fellow men and women, boys and girls.
But these humanitarian acts should not only be visible during this time alone. Feeding the hungry; remembering the poor; showering children with goodies and love; making donations; and responding to the call to show humanitarianism should penetrate our hearts thus allowing us to always be demonstrative and responsive to the needs of our brothers and sisters.
The message of Christmas, therefore, is one that can and should last in our hearts all year round; one that should inspire us to be sympathetic to the needs of those in need every day, not only at Christmastime. Envisioned as a result of this attitude, would definitely be a better Guyana for all.
Humanity is crying out to be heard. We hear the wailing and lamentations every day, especially when we open the newspapers; the carnage on the roadways; women continuing to be murdered; children being abused; neighbours in conflict; politicians at war. If we Guyanese start to think a little less about ourselves and much more about the person sitting or standing next to us, then the true message of Christmas would be unveiled for all to see.
This is a time, too, when we look back at the past year and examine our lives, our goals, see where we made mistakes; ponder upon the times we failed; and peer ahead to the future—to the new year. The past year in our beloved Guyana was one of mixed fortunes. Inasmuch as things could have been done better, one cannot truly and honestly deny that successes have been recorded in numerous areas, including health, security, and agriculture and in the area with which I am most familiar, education. Importantly, the Ministry of Education continues to provide the children of Guyana with quality access to education, given the constraints, challenges and immense difficulties that present themselves. Worth mentioning are the numerous nursery schools that have been commissioned over the past year, giving the young ones the basic kindergarten formal education—perhaps one of the best models of nursery education that can be offered anywhere near this country. And I can attest to the fact that the nation’s premier tertiary institution has delivered nearly 2,000 graduates into the workforce this past November. Yes, one can question whether the jobs are there, however, it is a good start that so many young people have the formal qualifications for the ever competitive market out there, qualifications on which they can build.
However, areas which demand improvement in the coming year include our police force. Our police officers, though many of them are trying their best, should implement better strategies to interface with the public. Agencies such as municipal bodies, NDCs, health, education and security institutions, as well as Regional administrations need to talk more with each other and communicate, coordinate and discuss
priorities. Communication, an art that we are slowly losing, is the key to building healthy relationships; inter- agency communication would, in the end, benefit members of the community, thus we would be building a better Guyana, where all voices could be heard and every opinion valued.
Nationally, the actions of our national law-making body, continue to be a disappointing spectacle, mainly due to the non-compromising opposition coalition that seems not to be letting up and reluctant to—let me rephrase—refusing to put Guyana first. What this has resulted in during the past twelve months is political paranoia and rhetoric, insulting the intelligence of Guyanese who want to see their country move forward, and downright selfishness. Surely this attitude must cease immediately. Guyanese must demand their voices be heard and this band of politicians who oppose every policy brought forth by the government without any sane thought, get out of their systems this power drunk attitude forthwith, lest our country head into the gutter.
The government is not without blame, too, and must take stock of its shortcomings and failings. It should foster better communication methods with the political opposition in the promotion of dialogue and meaningful consultations; and practice the basic tenets of inclusivity and partnership. Again, communication is the key to a better understanding among ourselves, especially among our politicians. One set of politicians must not hold this nation to ransom from continued growth and development, and shatter the dreams of Guyanese who dream that dream of a better—the best Guyana. Yes, government has tried all mechanisms of inclusivity and dialogue, and perhaps the new year might see the need for a decision once and for all, to let Guyanese exercise their franchise once again. It’s hard to tell what might happen.
These are the present challenges before us today as we celebrate another Christmas. Let us rejoice, celebrate, have fun, eat, drink and be merry today, for tomorrow the gigantic task of nation- building stands ever before us.
I wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and joyous Christmas 2013.
Today is a day when we stop the ‘busyness’ that has overtaken us over the past year and take stock of our lives and ourselves; where we spend time with our dear ones; rekindle relationships and friendships; give a warm hug or embrace; where we call that long-lost friend from whom we did not hear for months or years; where we humble ourselves to say we are sorry and resolve to do better in the future. This is what the celebration of Christmas today should motivate us towards.
Let peace and success reign all across this land. Merry Christmas Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran
