ON the occasion of Emancipation Day 2011, the People’s National Congress Reform joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the 173rd anniversary of the freedom of slaves in Guyana and the rest of the English speaking Caribbean. An event as serious and as momentous as this must warrant sober reflection to determine whether the freedom gained at this critical point in our history has been effectively utilised to transform this country into a cohesive and prosperous nation.

There cannot be any doubt that our ancestors from Africa laid an excellent foundation for the development of Guyana. They engaged in the building of the massive infrastructural works which facilitated the creation of the Drainage and Irrigation system, purchased villages which are at the heart of the local Government system, pioneered a number of vital institutions which improved the lives of their communities.

Most important of all, the descendants of African slaves would join hands with other ethnic groups to engage in the grand enterprise of building a strong, self-confident and prosperous nation. In this enterprise it was clear that freedom was a precondition for the shaping of a successful nation. Oppressed and shackled peoples do not build free societies. Such an enterprise based on this understanding led to the accession to Independence and the graduation to Republican status.

It is necessary on this occasion for this nation to take stock of where it stands and what must be done to restore the pride and freedom that our African ancestors bequeathed to us. It is critical that if this nation wishes to overcome our formidable problems that we rekindle the spirit of these ancestors and rededicate ourselves to building a society that is truly free and one in which the talents of all our peoples are marshalled to ensure that the promise of prosperity and real freedom is not perennially deferred.

The PNCR, therefore, urges the Guyanese people to be resilient and not be overcome by challenges which beset us.  Let us take a leaf out of the book of our African ancestors and continue to struggle against injustices and tyranny…so as to maintain our human dignity and freedom and the right to develop this nation in peace and harmony.