Dear Editor,
Guyana is a beautiful country inhabited by beautiful people, however that does not negate the fact that we have mountainous issues. What I have noticed is that we continuously fail to confront these mountains for varying reasons. Instead we talk around the issues, cast blame and somewhere along the line we expect things to materialize by virtue of our mere utterances or expectations.
The youth make up on average 60% of our populace and have the unenviable task of dealing with these mountainous issues. Not only are we the ones who turn a blind eye to the issues as if we cannot confront them, but we are also the ones who contribute to making the issues mountainous.
We’ve set up elite organizations that require CVs and other stringent application processes inclusive of interviews for the simple a task of being a volunteer, automatically saying to a large demographic you are not qualified to be here. What’s even worse is that our programming does not facilitate the development of the demographic we shun; instead we give handouts and provide few solutions. How can one justify giving one hundred dollars to a homeless person when what he really needs is a roof above his head.
We have failed to be a strong single or united advocate, settling for the status of being the silent majority. Individually we are strong and may voice our concerns and disapproval, but together we are stronger and our voice could never go unnoticed. Many of us are muzzled and in some cases spew hate and cause strife because of party affiliation; but to what end? To maintain a divide or to keep a job? We must come to the understanding that our very decisions impact the lives of others, and we need to determine if the impact is negative or positive.
We as youth must learn to celebrate, support and encourage each other; we must create the environment that we want to live in and not be dependent on politicians to do it. We must forge relationships beyond the racial spectrum and be exemplary in the eyes of those who are coming after us. We are more powerful than we can imagine. We are the movers and shakers of this nation, the engine of growth and development. We can break cycles, even though racism, violence and crime among our youth will probably exist long after we are gone. History could show that we were the ones who grabbed the bull by the horns and made strides that have never been made before. For the love of our people and the love of our dear motherland we the youth need to save our own generation and pave the way for generations to come. Let’s confront these mountainous issues now.
Yours faithfully,
Clayon F Halley
