Childlink and the Justice Institute of Guyana are calling on the Guyana Police Force to ensure that all music is kept below 85 decibels during the Mashramani celebrations. According to a press release from the Child Rights Alliance and Justice Institute Guyana, at 85 decibels, noise induced hearing loss begins, and this noise has a disproportionate impact on children whose bodies are still growing and developing.
The NGO’s are also concerned that the lyrics of the music being played at Mashramani promote violence and sexual licence, the release said.
As such, they are calling on DJs and musicians to not play this kind of music.
In addition, according to the release, the NGOs are deeply concerned about the public drunkenness that has become a feature of Mashramani. It stated that children should not be brought up in an atmosphere which suggests that being drunk is either desirable or normal behaviour.
The release quoted the Rights of the Child Convention, which states that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection…”
The groups further appealed to all parents to “ensure that their children do not suffer the embarrassment of an intoxicated mother or father”.
