Dear Editor,
I Am Guyana Solutions Tank held its public forum on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 in the conference room of the National Library.
The topic discussed was ‘Building Trust and Reconciling Differences are Pre-requisites for the Future Development of Guyana.’ Presentations were made on ‘Factors which led to the Loss/Absence of Trust among the Plural Population and Guyanese society – Politics, Ethnicity, Religion, Family, Societal Structures, Traditions and Education’ and ‘Possible Solutions for Building and Promoting Trust and Reconciling Differences in Guyana -Truth Commission, Local Governance, Multiculturalism, the Rule of Law.’ These presentations were delivered by Mr Vincent Alexander and Justice Donald Trotman, respectively.
While the attendance was small, the discussion was rich. The following are suggestions which emanated from the forum as possible solutions for the promotion of healing and reconciliation in Guyana:
The need for a national conversation on who we are as a people in a multicultural society.
Greater examination of the relevance and importance of establishing a Truth Commission.
Greater promotion of shared-governance for better management and leadership of Guyana.
A shift in the conceptualization, designing and implementation of public policy to focus specifically on promoting healing and reconciling differences in Guyana.
Re-thinking and re-organizing the role of public, private and civil society institutions, in an effort to make them more strategic and specific in promoting healing and reconciling differences in Guyana.
That educational institutions, particularly the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) be used as primary institutions for shaping the thinking and behaviour of young people on national healing and reconciling differences.
Considerations should be given to the establishment of an institution of Inter-cultural Studies, perhaps similar to the ‘College of the Europe.’ (The College of the Europe is an independent university/institute of postgraduate European studies that was established after the integration of Europe to promote a spirit of solidarity and mutual understanding between all the nations of Western Europe, and to provide training to individuals who will uphold these values. It was founded by leading European figures: Salvador de Madariaga – a Spanish diplomat, Winston Churchill – a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Paul Henri Spaak – a Prime Minister of Belgium and Alcide De Gasperi – an Italian statesman and politician who was also the Prime Minister of eight successive coalition governments in Italy.)
The expected outcomes of the I Am Guyana Solutions Tank forums are: (1) more informed leaders, managers, professionals and citizenry to contribute to finding solutions to Guyana’s development challenges, and (2) a more problem-solving culture in Guyana at the individual, institutional, community and societal levels.
Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas
Managing Director
Global Perspective Inc
