GUYANESE resident in the United States have commenced planning for an elaborate celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s Independence, in May 2016. Guyana gained Independence from Great Britain on May 26, 1966.

A Commemoration Planning Committee has been constituted, and Mr Rickford Burke has been named Coordinator of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations in New York.

A release has said that President David Granger will be invited to attend the festivities.

The initial meeting of the Committee was held on July 29 at Guyana’s Consulate in New York.
Guyana’s Consul General, Mr. Brentnold Evans, and the Committee brainstormed a series of activities and assessed the financial resources necessary to stage such a huge celebration in the diaspora.

The team agreed to one week of activities, beginning shortly after conclusion of celebrations in Guyana.

Burke said his team is planning a spectacular celebration of which Guyanese will be especially proud. He said that celebration will showcase Guyana’s rich culture and history, and emphasised that “This will be a unified, bipartisan endeavour. Everyone, regardless of political, religious or social creed, will be invited and encouraged to participate. Guyana belongs to all of us; we must therefore fully embrace each other as well as our unique Guyanese identity and come together to celebrate this historic milestone in the journey of our nation.

“Our aim is to be uncompromisingly inclusive. Hence the Planning Committee will be drastically expanded to represent all facets of the Guyanese society. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be reaching out to various Guyanese-American communities in the metropolitan New York area and beyond, to include persons who can bring to bear targeted resources, expertise, and skill-sets to make this a truly momentous celebration,” Burke asserted.