Dear Editor

TO say that I’m puzzled about the purpose of the Guyana Peace Council’s August 20 panel discussion on VS Naipaul, is to put it mildly. The very name of the entity explicitly demarcates its role to work towards peace in Guyana. So how does a panel discussion on Naipaul contribute to peace in Guyana? How about panel discussions and other endeavours relating to robbery with violence, road rage and accidents, suicide, various forms of abuse, murder suicide/femicide, alcoholism, increasing drug use, lack of employment opportunities (which is violence against the unemployed), flooding which has become regular and extensive (and which is violence against the citizenry, especially farmers) and myriad other issues that affect peace in Guyana.

I challenge the Guyana Peace Council to ground with Guyanese from all walks of life across Guyana by partnering in vigils, helping to organise vigils nationwide and using the opportunity to let the nation know how they plan to address the various manifestations of violence that directly impact people’s lives on a daily basis and thereby bring about peace. The response to this challenge would clearly indicate whether they are really about peace or the Guyana Peace Council is a misnomer and a cover for something totally unrelated to peace, as exemplified by the panel discussion on Naipaul.

Regards
Annan Boodram