The International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly–Guyana (IDPADA-G) on Sunday concluded its 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM), which saw the gathering of representatives from 48 member organisations, drawn from a wide cross-section of villages and communities around the country.
A press release issued by IDPADA-G said the meeting, held first “in committee” on September 22nd, was finalised at a full sitting of the Assembly last Sunday at the Guyana Industrial Training Centre.
The AGM is the highest decision-making body of IDPADA-G.
According to the release, this year member organisations’ representatives discussed and passed several motions on issues critical to the African Guyanese community and central to achieving the goals of the UN Decade of Recognition, Justice and Development.
It added that included in the discussions and motions passed were matters of national concern, signalling IDPADA-G member organisations’ desire to regain control of ancestral lands and manage their villages through the resuscitation of village councils as provided for in article 72(3) of the Constitution; honour, preserve and pass on the African contributions to Guyanese history by the re-introduction of the teaching of Guyanese history in our schools; protect religious freedom by decriminalising marijuana; and, guard and extend the successes of the Decade and support the UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent by its full implementation in Guyana.
The release explained that the motion on the reintroduction of village councils was preceded by consultative fora at the central and local levels, and the administration of a survey that saw the overwhelming majority of respondents supporting the call for the re-introduction of village councils.
Additionally, the motion on the decriminalisation of marijuana attracted the most attention. “It was however approved by a majority vote, with some caveats such as the need for public education on the intended use of marijuana by the Rastafari community for sacramental and medicinal purposes; and the need for a regulatory regime to ensure that it is used for the intended purpose and by the intended community,” the release said, while noting that the subject had been previously discussed at a forum on October 5th, 2018, from which a petition emanated.
IDPADA-G will present its motions to the relevant government ministries and work towards seeing them realised in a timely manner, the release also said.
