Dear Editor,
One could not help but read with pride of the stalwarts identified in your editorial of Wednesday August 10 on the halcyon days of Guyana’s Foreign Service. As it turns out the persons named were contemporaries from amongst whom other companion high flyers were omitted: S. Rudolph Insanally, and somewhat more distantly was E.R. Braithwaite (Edward Ricardo) – see attached summarised profiles.
S. Rudolph Insanally was educated at Queen’s College, Guyana; the University College of the West Indies, London; the University of Paris and the University of Brussels, his main areas of study being Modern Languages and International Relations. He was also the recipient of Fellowships in diplomacy granted by the United Nations and the Government of Canada. Rudolph subsequently taught French and Spanish at Kingston College, Jamaica; Queen’s College, Guyana and at the University of Guyana before starting his diplomatic career, which consisted of the following postings and achievements:
Served as Counsellor at the Guyana Embassy in Washington, USA (1966-1969), in 1970: Appointed chargé d’affaires in Caracas, Venezuela, 1972 – transferred to the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations as Deputy Permanent Representative. Involved in negotiations for the Second Development Decade Strategy. In 1972-1978 he was Ambassador to Venezuela, with concurrent accreditation to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 1978 – Posted as Permanent Representative to the European Economic Community in Brussels. Elected Chairman of the Sugar Sub-Committee of the ACP-EEC negotiations on several occasions; later Chairman of the Trade Sub-Committee for the negotiation of a Protocol to provide for the enlargement of the Community. Appointed Special Rapporteur for the Joint ACP – EEC Assembly on the implementation of the Lomé Convention.
In 1993 Insanally was elected President of the forty-eighth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, became Chairman of the Group of 77 and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the South Summit, (1994 – 2001) served as Chancellor of the University of Guyana and served as Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001 – 2008; and subsequently as Advisor to the President on Foreign Affairs. He was the recipient of the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement (A.A.), The Cacique Crown of Honour (C.C.H.) and The Order of Roraima (O.R.) 1995.
E.R. Braithwaite
As it turns out perhaps the most forgotten would be the most published E.R. Braithwaite (Edward Ricardo). Born 1912 in Guyana. Graduated from Queen’s College, and then City College of New York (1940). Having served in World War II, he attended Cambridge University (1949) where he earned a Master’s Degree, and a Doctorate in Physics. In 1967 he became the first Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations – until 1969, during which period was elected to the presidency of the UN Council for South West Africa. Braithwaite was internationally known for his books, including To Sir With Love the film version of which starred Sidney Poitier, and of which was on record of remarking how much he detested it. Other volumes included Paid Servant; then Honorary White on his stay in South Africa in 1973. At age 100 Braithwaite returned to Guyana in 2012 as patron of the ‘Inter-Guiana Cultural Festival (including French Guiana, Suriname). He was awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour by then President Donald Ramotar. He died in 2016, at age 104.
Sincerely,
E.B. John
