–with aspiring young Linden politicians

POLITICS can be a very scary arena for youths especially to enter, given all the negativity associated with it, all because some politicians have a liking for playing dirty.
A good politician, however, is not necessarily the man who says the river is dirty, but the man who gets up and cleans up the river. And this has been the attitude of scores of youths that have decided to enter politics and are creating change within their communities by way of the political office they happen to hold, an office that should not be used to tear down but to build up; not to divide and rule, but to unite through social cohesion; not to make unrealistic promises, but to work hand-in-hand with the people to achieve their goals.

While there has been a noticeable change these days in youth involvement in politics across Guyana, it is particularly evident in the mining town of Linden, where political groups with young membership are working round-the-clock, consolidating with their constituents so as to empower and create change within communities.

The Amelia’s Ward arm of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is one such group that has been involved in various community projects, the aim of which is to empower youths and consolidate the larger community. Vice-Chairman of that group, Michael Hercules sat down with the Guyana Chronicle recently to highlight the many community projects the group has been involved in, which is also their way of giving back.

The group has been collaborating with other community groups to provide the needed help in agriculture, environmental beautification and protection projects, as well as entrepreneurial ventures. During the holidays, the group would participate in various distribution activities. An aspiring politician, Hercules said he was inspired by some politicians of yesteryear that also used their youth to serve selflessly; men like Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. But it was President David Granger, however, who would incite him to not just admire but to act. “What made me get into politics was during 2014 after listening to President Granger, who was the Leader of the Opposition at that time. He was speaking about social cohesion and regionalism. I thought to myself, there and then, that I want to be a part of a progressive movement; one that was all-inclusive; one that speaks to our national motto,” Hercules said.

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
Now that he’s taken the leap and entered politics, he sees it as an experience of a lifetime, and is encouraging other youths not to be worried about politics, but when they do decide to get involved, it must be to put the interest of the people above self and Party.
Yanick Graham is another executive member of the PNCR group and member of the

Amelia’s Ward’s ‘Think Green’ Steering Committee and the youngest municipal councillor, and he also spoke positively of being a politician, and how gratifying it is to give selfless service. “I saw that there was a need for helping the people, especially in community development, and really think I can create a major difference in assisting persons… We are servants of the people,” he said. Though Graham has a family and a full-time job, he spends countless hours doing community-related projects, all in an effort to afford the good life to every Guyanese. One of Think Green’s major projects is the launch of its data collection project in Amelia’s Ward.

According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) press release, the group’s committee chairman, Lawrence Simon explained that the project is a data-collection campaign. The mission is to establish an information bank, especially of the youth, so that they can be contacted in the event there are job and scholarship openings, or training opportunities.

Another active political youth group is the youth arm of the Alliance for Change (AFC) party called ‘Youths for Change (YFC)’ which has also attracted a growing membership in Region 10 through youth and community engagements.

Executive member of the group, Devin Sears, has an interesting take on the subject of youths becoming involved in politics, as he sees it as a way of providing one with the opportunity of having a voice for the voiceless.

Said he: “Being a young politician has afforded me the chance to have my voice heard as it relates to issues affecting my beloved country, instead of sitting passively on the sidelines. It has also made me a more humble person, and has developed within me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diverse cultures of my country.”
YFC has been involved in youth empowerment programmes, marches, training sessions, clean-up campaigns, donations etc.

To quote the ever-popular American poet and civil rights activist, the late Maya Angelou, “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” These young politicians have all shown that they are about walking the walk and not talking the talk; by demonstrating what politics should be and not what it is perceived to be.