As the season of rejoicing and renewal draws to a close, amidst rituals of repetition – whether of the spiritual or the spirituous kind – thoughts naturally turn to the New Year ahead and what it has to offer. But maybe we should also be thinking of what we have to offer, along the lines of President John F Kennedy’s famous proclamation, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Even as many of us draw up our wish lists and make our New Year’s resolutions – hopefully based on a balanced assessment of the past year, which would almost inevitably involve a mixture of thanksgiving and regret – we should, of course, think of where we are collectively and where we would like to be as a nation one year hence.
Year after year, for too long perhaps, we wake up on January 1 – clear-headed or somewhat the worse for wear, it matters not – with hope in our hearts and, in spite of the relentless grind of our daily existence and the deep-rooted knowledge that good times do not last forever, we renew our commitment to our loved ones, recalibrate our sights on the targets we have set ourselves, and step into the New Year armed with little more than that most irrational but indispensable of human traits, optimism.
Without optimism, we cannot dare to hope that things will get better; it would be futile to harbour dreams of individual self-improvement, happy or happier times for our family and friends, and the frustratingly elusive holy grail of national progress. Now, in the wake of the game-changing 2015 general election, at least just over half the population are daring to dream of a brighter future, even as most of the rest wait with bated breath and a recalcitrant minority (we hope that they are a minority) of naysayers wish only for failure so that they might score political points at the expense of the collective good.
In last Sunday’s editorial (A few New Year wishes), we touched on some of the concerns of the nation whilst recognising the challenges to governance posed by ethno-political polarisation and systemic weaknesses. Obviously, these are not going to be wished away overnight, but a strong resolve is needed to summon the political will and develop the capacity to implement tough and necessary decisions.
At least, there is no shortage of commentators who are aware of the problems facing the government and the country as a whole. In this newspaper alone, we take our role as a member of the Fourth Estate very seriously, especially in our editorials, and our columnists keep up a steady stream of analysis and generally good advice on matters of public interest. In addition, we provide an open forum for numerous letter writers and bloggers to air their views so that people might, if we might paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, be the change they wish to see in Guyana. Indeed, just on Wednesday, we were particularly struck by a letter from Ms Yvonne Sam, full of common sense advice for all of us, foremost of which was the cautionary message that “every individual must start taking responsibility for their behaviour and choices”.
Happily, there seems to be a growing sense that we all have a role to play as citizens in holding the government accountable and participating in basic democratic processes. In this respect, it is good that the long overdue local government elections will be held this year, as a fundamental constitutional right is restored to the people. This is a necessary step towards improved governance and a strengthened democracy through the building of citizen participation in the political process from the bottom up, as opposed to outdated notions of top-down rule that perpetuates patronage, inefficiency, corruption and tribalism.
The theme of renewal, so prevalent at this time of the year, must therefore be wholeheartedly embraced as an integral element of good governance and the government must be ever open to engagement, fresh thinking and new ideas. And as we approach the celebration of our historic 50th anniversary of Independence, we can do no worse than recommit ourselves to being the best we can be at the same time that we strive to realise the potential of this place we call home.
Happy New Year, Guyana!
