Prime Minister underscores importance of record keeping and archiving

-at opening ceremony for National Archives Week 2011
NATIONAL Archives Week 2011 was officially launched by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at the National Archives’ roof garden, under the theme “ Records Management: Ideal tool for greater efficiency and effectiveness within the work environment”.
The National Archives of Guyana, under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, is entrusted with the promotion of national advancement by ensuring that government officials and the general public are kept constantly supplied with information.
To mark National Archives Week, Prime Minister Hinds, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony and members of the National Archives Association Council unveiled a plaque in honour of the National Archives of Guyana’s inscription to the UNESCO World Heritage Register of “Documentary Heritage of the Indian Indentured Labourers”. This nomination is shared with Fiji, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, and was also recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in May 2011 as a group.
Prime Minister Hinds commended Minister Anthony and his ministry for their activities, liveliness and passion for their outstanding efforts in pursuing the archiving of national records, but more specifically to document subjects that are of grave importance to the history of all Guyanese, one such example being the documentary heritage of the Indian indentured labourers.
“It is good for us to understand our history, since it will make it easier for us to understand the concerns, fears and insecurities of each other in society, and with that understanding, each citizen will be better placed to resolve mis-understandings, thereby hastening social cohesion.

Minister Anthony said that the activities slated for the week are part of the extension work that the ministry is involved in, as it believes there is the need to educate more people on record keeping, so that history could be retained.
“ We use the occasion of Archives Week, not only to highlight the importance of archiving, but also to use it as an occasion to educate people and to advocate for better archiving practices, that is why one of the most important things we do during this week is to have a workshop,” Minister Anthony said.
Minister Anthony also alluded to the fact that several things have been done to improve archiving locally. “Today, the National Archives has a much more spacious and modernised building, the processes have been improved, and plans are underway to improve the contents of the records archived, more so to have electronic versions of them.
Inscription of indentureship records and records of the Dutch West Indian Company are two projects Guyana has worked closely with UNESCO to archive, as these periods are significant, not only to Guyana’s history, but also to world history.
At the ceremony also, a records management workshop was held, attended by representatives from the various government and semi-governmental agencies that are responsible for decision-making with respect to the management of records. Participants were enlightened on introduction to functions of national archives, general accessing guidelines for records managers, basic records management terms and principles, basic e-records principles and management.
Other activities slated for National Archives week include an in-house exhibition, launching of a new policy, and a public lecture for secondary school children.

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