–telecoms minister urges as Inter-faith Harmony Week opens

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Minister Cathy Hughes sees Guyana as a treasure trove of intercommunion togetherness; a place where lifelong friendships have been forged in spite of attempts at ethnic division.
The minister made this telling observation at the opening on Thursday of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) of Guyana’s annual Prayer Breakfast to usher in the United Nations-led Inter=faith Harmony Week 2018.

A topic with which she is more than at home, given her forte as a communicator, Minister Hughes said all society really wants to do is to live together, and to do so in peace with their friends, their neighbours and their colleagues.

“Striving together,” she said, “all our people can hold such positives for a better and more inclusive society where there is a better sense of compassion.”
As she went on to explain, in an interconnected world that is trying to find its way, advances in technology offer a leap in connectivity into a maturity where ethical and moral expectations are foundations of a just society.

“Confrontation,” she said, “is not a human inclination. What is needed is courage to go beyond ancient prejudices; we must cultivate a moral courage…
“One thing is certain: We need to listen in an unbiased way to what has been handed down; our spiritual heritage, to allow those common threads to shine.”

She explained that for the common good of the spiritual and material wellbeing, diversity can be channelled into oneness, which can result in a better understanding in which all humans share, rather than using their differences for promoting discord, hence conflict.
“The common values we hold far outweigh the differences we have,” Minister Hughes said, adding:

“We must provide stronger doses of peace and harmony in all our communities. Locally, we are a rich mosaic of races of different beautiful cultures and religions, but not withstanding our diverse backgrounds, we have, with the passage of time and despite our challenges, been able to chart a common course for daily coexistence.

“So much so that at times one is tempted to ask: What are our differences.”
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton couldn’t agree more. He made the point that even though some differences obviously exist in this multiethnic, multicultural society of ours called Guyana, he has always been proud of the fact that Guyanese practice a high level of religious tolerance.

Said he: “I agree fully with President David Granger when he said last year that Guyana is a model of inter-faith harmony.
“And I am confident that if we apply the very tolerance and respect we have for religion to other areas of our lives, then Guyana can become the epitome of peace and love.”
Also weighing in on the twin subject of religious tolerance and respect was IRO Chairman, Reverend Ronald McGarrell, who said that freedom of religion is of such utmost importance, it was vigorously debated at a religious freedom and economic symposium held in Dominica last November.

As UN peace and development officer, Srdan Deric observed, religious leaders normally work tirelessly to ensure their community is not left behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Deric, who resides in Bosnia, said division in his country has led to a bloody civil war which was due to lack of tolerance.

“We are still unable to reach social or economic indicators that we had in 1989, the foundation of progress created sustainability and harmony,” he said, while noting that Guyana’s history shows that harmony has preserved the country, and this should always be an important aspect of the country’s development.