IN an effort to strengthen societies and foster social cohesion, President David Granger said the new coalition Government will dismantle artificial walls of mistrust and division, which have been erected to create separateness among Guyanese.Addressing yesterday’s opening of the historic social cohesion round-table discussions at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre, President Granger made a stirring appeal for unity among Guyanese while outlining a 5-point plan to build a strong and cohesive society.

Addressing groups from a wide cross-section in society as well as members of the international community at the discussions themed ‘Social cohesion for lasting peace and unity’, the President said his Administration will be placing attention on reducing extreme poverty; eliminating gender and geographic inequalities; fostering greater participation of political parties in national development; creating opportunities for fair employment and safety in the hinterland; and ensuring equal access to education.

Contending that he is bringing a square deal to the round-table discussion, the Head of State said Guyanese need to take strident steps to stop social erosion, and ensure effective participation and representation in all strata of society.
The goal, President Granger said, is to end exclusion and marginalisation and build trust among the various groups and instill a sense of belonging in all.
He said Guyana, a country with land space larger than England, and with bountiful resources and beautiful people, need not be poor and divided.
On that score, he stressed the need for cooperative relations among all members of society, be it the indigenous groups, political parties and communities, pointing out that this is necessary as “society has been scarred by violence, which has left a lingering level of distrust with the potential for fresh disorder”.

RESTORE TRUST

He noted that while monuments have been erected for victims of violence, more has to be done to repair that damage and restore trust.

There is no need to build more monuments, he said, but create the group to build moral communities.

He told the gathering that more has to be done to fight extreme poverty.

“Far too many Guyanese are extremely poor which means that they do not have enough to buy basic food on a daily basis. There can be no social cohesion in an economy characterised by huge gaps and a wide income disparity between a very few rich people…and the poor. Extreme poverty can be reduced and eventually eliminated. We want to contribute our human resources on the task of developing our country for the good of our people,” the President said.

He added: “Poverty undermines families; it can destroy a household…that is why it is so important to eliminate extreme poverty.”

Elaborating on the need to end gender and geographic inequalities, the President observed that while “we speak of one nation, in economic terms, we are two countries” – one on the coastland and the other the vast hinterland regions.

“Everyone, everywhere, deserves a good life. The disparity in development and income between the coastland and the hinterland must be reduced and removed, the gender gap must be closed to ensure that girls and boys are given equal opportunities to be educated and employed. Cohesiveness cannot be nurtured in an unequal environment,” the President said, pointing out that all will benefit from equal rights, access to education, health and greater opportunities for the disadvantaged since a more equal society will bring about a more inclusive society.
POLITICAL INCLUSIVITY
In all of this, the President noted that attention will be given to ensure greater political inclusion, at the level of all parties, through regional, general, regular municipal and Local Government elections.

“We need elections to create a system of inclusionary democracy by promoting the participation of citizens and by including their organisations in decision-making. We are committed to that objective. We believe that the creation of an inclusive political system is the foundation for national unity,” President Granger said.
Reiterating that he will be a President for all of Guyana, Granger said the Administration cannot ignore the interest of the 49 per cent of the population who did not vote for it in the last elections.
“Political inclusivity will allow us to combine our efforts with those of others and to accelerate the task of national development. It will help us to reduce and possibly avoid violent conflicts. My recent meeting with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss how we can take the process of national unity forward is a step in this direction,” President Granger told the gathering.
Businesses, civil society, non-governmental organisations, trade unions will be involved in the process, and fair employment laws to ensure the safety of miners.
JOBS

“Providing jobs for our people is a matter of national priority. We must provide opportunities for the thousands of people who leave school every year but are unable to find jobs…without jobs, they will not be able to escape from the cycle of poverty,” he said, pointing out that equal access to education will provide greater opportunity for upward mobility, bridging the gap between the well off and the disadvantaged and helping to end poverty.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally said the discussion seeks to bring to life and make the national motto ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’ a reality.
Acknowledging that there will be groups with divergent views, she said the task at hand will not be a straightforward one, but it will feed into efforts to craft a national strategy on social cohesion which will take into account the identity of all the people of Guyana, regardless of their class, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Before the formal programme, the gathering at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre was entertained by a captivating cultural presentation, celebrating unity and the identities of the six peoples of Guyana in the form of songs, dances, drumming and a skit. (Tajeram Mohabir)