Essequibians on July 26th 2019 participated in discussions over the ways in which Guyana’s oil and gas sector would impact society.
This opportunity was made possible through a public consultation referred to as an Open Space hosted by Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) along with the Guyana Human Rights Association and Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. A release from PFG said that the ‘Open Space’ initiative, held at the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), Anna Regina, aimed at generating national consensus among ordinary Guyanese on how the “mega-revenues” expected from the country’s oil and gas sector can best deliver for all Guyanese.
The release said that it was the fifth in a series of eight initiatives which are set to be conducted in Corentyne, Lethem and Upper Mazaruni in the coming months.
The PFG team to Essequibo was headed by Benita Davis on behalf of the three sponsoring organizations. A supporting team of twelve volunteers comprised of members from the University of Guyana Geographical Society, staff from ETI and youths from Anna Regina, also attended.
Apart from ordinary people educating themselves about the consequences of oil and gas, Davis said, the event is also a valuable learning opportunity for many of the volunteers from Anna Regina.
The longer-term goal of the initiative, she explained, is to revive a collective belief among Guyanese that things could be different.
The release said that groups engaged in discussions that were centred on developments they would like to see in the community and across the country coming from oil and gas revenues. This included the future development of Essequibo’s economy and job availability for graduates, among other items. The top three priorities for Anna Regina generated by the event are:
Development of technical and agricultural training
Improved healthcare system
Creation of laws and policies specific to the Oil and Gas sector
The First Phase of this project will end with the final Open Space event scheduled for Berbice in late August. The Second Phase, the release said, consists of compiling the main conclusions into a consensus document.
