What does living a good life in Guyana mean today?
This was the question considered by human rights activists and members of civil society at the “Living Good 2” panel discussion hosted on August 19 at Herdmanston Lodge, in Georgetown.
The panel discussion was organized by the University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Program (U-RAP), which had hosted a similar event in August 2019.
Although the panelists are working for change in different areas, common themes and ideas emerged during their discussion.
Immaculata Casimero, a Wapichan activist from Aishalton, said Indigenous people have faced many challenges that were made worse due to COVID-19. Casmiero said poor access to health and other essential services have hindered the indigenous community. She said the community has faced a higher degree of social and economic marginalization because of these issues and this prevents indigenous persons in her community from living a dignified life. “A dignified life is having the right, for me as a Wapichanan woman, the right to practice my culture, to practice the languages, the religion and Indigenous beliefs and customs in our communities,” she said. “We must have rights to access education and health, but these must also respect Indigenous knowledge of health, traditional medicine and education from our worldview.” Casimero said that in order for a good and dignified life to be achieved in the communities that balance is needed and one culture cannot dominate. She then lamented domestic violence that is meted out to Indigenous women she has been working with and called some of these cases “sickening.” Some of these women are now elders in the indigenous communities and still suffer from the trauma of violence in their communities, she said. It is her goal to help alleviate this problem so women can live a dignified life. “Having a dignified life is a life that is peaceful, a healthy environment, and the holistic well-being of Indigenous people must be serene. We like peace,” She said. “Indigenous voices must be listened to. The government, different civil society organizations must listen to the voices of Indigenous society. Because we are crying out looking at the situation as it relates to mining in the different territories. We must be listened to. Our voices must mean something. The rights of Indigenous must be respected and must be recognized.”
Christine Samwaroo, founder of The Breadfruit Collective, an organization that focuses on intersectionality between environmental and feminist activism, said, “being inclusive and believing that addressing gender-based violence and protecting the environment is positively linked to a safe, sustainable planet.” She said living good gives her insight to understand the urgency of “climate crisis and feeling eco-anxiety” while healing from her own “generational trauma.” Samwaroo said despite this she feels fortunate to live “even on a broken planet” because it has continued to provide her with all of her needs and loved ones. She said the work is for the long haul and recognized that she must cater for her mental health. She explained that hoping for betterment for the environment and women will not make her the most liked but the work is necessary and it is okay to not be liked.
Wintress White, a member of Red Thread spoke from the lens of grassroots Guyanese. White said civil society and the government usually spend their energies and resources discussing domestic violence, but “economic violence” is often left out of the conversation. “We now have a lot of money, oil rich Guyana and here is what we seeing: house rent, sky high; cost of living, sky high; a pound of ochro in the market; $300. A pound of fish, banga mary which used to be the cheapest fish, three for $1000. A pound of pepper…$800 a pound!” White questioned the minimum wage of $60,000. “The stark reality is, you have a family of six and the rent is $48,000. Now everybody got to find space, so some sleeping on cupboard top, some sleeping under the table, every space in that house…that is not healthy!” White lamented. “Many people don’t want to hear about poor people living a good life. They think that poor people shouldn’t live a good life. What is a good life for us? We want all the good things. We ain’t asking for it. It’s ours! Because the economy of Guyana belongs to us. It ain’t belongs to one sector [rich] of people. It belongs to all of us. And a thing that people like to do is seh, a giving yuh this. Nooo! You not giving me nothing. Is not yours in the first place.” She continued, “Our idea of good living is that we want money that could afford us to pay our house rent in peace and [we]don’t have to worry in the night about how we paying rent. We want money that when we shop in the market, we don’t have to look back and seh we [pocket] geh pick. We want money so that we could visit doctors and not have to wait 10 hours at Georgetown Public Hospital to only hear, we don’t have that medication. We want money to educate our children to make sure our children get a proper education. And last, not least, our health and wellness. We want to go on vacation too. We want to throw up our foot and close our eyes and enjoy luxuries. We want to be able to relax. We want to live a good life also; free from stress, so in order to do that, give us the money.”
Twinkle Paul, a transgender woman and an undergraduate student in law and society at John Jay College, said living good is “a journey to self-determination.” Paul, who is also the strategic advisor to Guyana Trans United said living good is also overcoming obstacles that work against persons who are transgender. Paul said many issues has continued to plague the community, such as discrimination, housing and unemployment.” Often times we here that many different sectors are booming, like the oil sector and tourism sector, but there are no spaces for transgender women in these sectors, Paul said. Participation in these sectors is needed. There is also the problem with education because many transgender women are being kicked out of their homes and bullied at school. Paul said living good is to live a life that is unhindered and citizens are taken care of.
Christopher Martin France, a public health professional, considered living good through the lens of mental health and LGBT+ advocacy. He said members of the LGBTQ+ community are more at risk for depression and depressive episodes can be extensive. They also face other barriers, such as lack of familial support due to sexuality or gender expression. He also said that discrimination from society compounds the mental health of LGBTQ+ persons. LGBTQ+ persons are also prone to multiple suicide attempts and it is even worse amongst transgender persons, according to France. Transgender persons are also discriminated by the workforce and it is difficult for them to find jobs, France said. It is important for therapists and health professionals to understand these nuances to help LGBTQ+ persons, he said. “For me, when I think of living good, yes mental health services and resources are available in Guyana but are they truly accessible when they are not sensitive to these nuances. A mental health professional who is unaware of the things I just mentioned is no good to someone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. One who is unwilling to learn those things, they’re even worse and so you have to address accessibility.” France said finances can also hamper LGBTQ+ persons accessibility to available services. Paid services can be expensive and members of the community might not be able to afford that service and even if the service is free, sometimes transportation to visit a mental health professional can also be an obstacle due to finances, he explained. “So, for me, when I think of living good, especially in the context of Guyana, where we talk on and on and on about oil and gas…the oil money. We are on the brink of exponential economic growth and development. How does the LGBTQ+ community and our mental health factor into that, what is being done? What are the conversations being had around mental health services for the general population yes, but specifically for us?”
General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis viewed living a good life as being achievable by activating provisions of our constitution that protect Guyanese rights and allows for an inclusionary democracy. He said there are laws in our constitution that protect Guyanese and secure them to live a good life, but those laws are “dead at their hearts unless they are activated by people.” Lewis said in order for progress to be made civil society must work together, especially minority groups. “The things we are asking for as a people cannot be achieved unless we hold hands to have them done,” he said. “I am making my intervention by looking at the United Nations universal declaration. Article 19 says everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference or to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media. That’s what it says. But all of us sit down and allow those who we have put in privileged positions to lord it over us that we need to ask for things that they would like us to ask for.” Lewis contended that persons would say that Guyana’s constitution is bad, but it is not the constitution which is bad, but the persons who are placed in power to activate it. “It says [Article 13] the principle objective of the political system of the state is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organizations in the management and decision making processes of the state with particular emphasis on decision making that directly affect their well-being…we don’t do it.” Lewis said, “We elect politicians and after we elect them to office, what we do? We said because we vote for them and they are in the executive we will defend their lawlessness and everything.” Lewis said if we want to create a just society and live a good life we must hold politicians accountable. He said we can talk about all of our laws but we need politicians who respect these laws.
The next speaker, Ria Mohammed-Davidson, a lawyer from Trinidad and Tobago, agreed that laws are needed but recognised that laws are not enough for a dignified and just society.
Mohammed-Davidson said for her living good means using her legal training to make equal rights and justice a reality. She said concepts like equality, and freedom from discrimination are often in legislation but too often this is not the reality and many people continue to live marginalised lives. This creates a disconnect with laws in law books and the laws we see in action, according to Mohammed-Davidson.
Mohammed-Davidson, an ally of persons’ with disabilities said there are legal protections for persons with dis-abilities but persons with disabilities have continued to be excluded from society. “They are existing in that constant state of otherness where they are not included and they’re viewed as objects of pity or charity and not as human beings with human rights,” Mohammed-Davidson said. “Legislation and litigation are not magic wands. And I know that is difficult because we spend all of our time and we’re trained to think that we can use law to solve problems, but what I would like to suggest is to make human rights real and concrete and to make a difference in the society of the persons that we all belong to we have to undertake a series of four interrelated and interconnected activities.” Mohammed-Davidson said legislation is important because it ensures the laws recognise, protect and make rights enforceable. Education gives the public insight about their rights and gives citizens power to defend themselves. Advocacy is also important and when these laws are broken people are held accountable. And through advocacy, cultural and social change occurs. “All marginalised communities have a common experience of exclusion and otherness and what we need to do is figure out ways for all of those communities to come together and harness their energies and resources to push for social change,” said Mohammed-Davidson. Finally, she said collaboration is key for these communities to work together to push for social change. “I know that is not an easy task, but I refuse to believe that it’s impossible. One of my favourite sayings is that everything seems impossible until it is done,” Mohammed-Davidson exclaimed.
