Dear Editor,
“They can kill my body but they cannot kill my dream.” That was the poignant assertion by Ms Malala Yousafzai, the iconic teenager who defied her countrymen to the point of risking her own life in the pursuit of her dream for universal ‘Girls’ education.’ Her firm and persistent resolve in her active campaigns as a human rights advocate in the face of entrenched opposition from diehards in her country earned her the respect of the world and, among other acclamations, the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Malala’s courageous actions and profound statements such as the one above resonate with similar ones associated with ‘change agents’ in the past, as well as many in our contemporary world. However, this week’s senseless shooting spree in Paris aimed at curtailing freedom of expression reminds us of the fact that our world still has many other obstacles to overcome.
Right here in Guyana we are not insulated from the machinations of powerful forces that appear hell-bent on destroying the foundations of freedom and thwarting the dreams of decent, law-abiding, forward-looking and progressive citizens. Witness, for example, the widespread indulgence in illegal, inexplicable enrichment, covert attempts to silence the free expression of thought and to curtail legitimate actions aimed at preventing further drifts away from the fundamental freedoms associated with a truly democratic society.
Clearly, all Guyanese need to be aware of overt and insidious attempts to further erode our inalienable rights and to take advantage of all current and future opportunities to safeguard our freedoms in order that our dreams for a better life can be realized.
Yours faithfully,
Nowrang Persaud
