My all-too-brief visit to Guyana came to an end on New Year’s Day, and I would like to share a Canadian visitor’s impressions of this fascinating country with your readers. I travelled with my Guyanese-born spouse over the Christmas period to see her homeland for the first time, meet family and friends in Georgetown and the Pomeroon River area, and generally gain a sense of the place with the possibility of more extended visits in the future. Before leaving Canada, I had received mixed reviews of Guyana, with some of the more negative comments coming from people of Guyanese extraction now living abroad. These focused mainly on the issues of crime and personal safety, with the clear implication that an obviously non-Guyanese visitor like me might find himself especially targeted and at risk. I am pleased to state that at no time did I feel the least bit vulnerable, whether it was in the midst of the crowds at Stabroek Market or Regent Street, riding the minibuses, or travelling in the interior to visit the Linden area and the majestic Kaietur Falls. On the contrary, I was always received with courtesy, friendliness, and respect from the many ordinary Guyanese people I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with. I plan to bring these impressions back to Canada, perhaps to counteract some of the unfortunate stereotypes to which this wonderful country is sometimes subjected abroad, which can only impact negatively on its considerable and to date relatively untapped touristic potential.

As someone who enjoys travelling and immersing myself in the local milieu of the places I visit, I took the opportunity to read all three daily newspapers – the Chronicle, the Kaieteur News, and the Stabroek News – religiously during my stay. It made a great beginning to my day as I took my morning coffee and pursued a “crash course” on contemporary Guyanese politics, culture, and society. With all their differences in political viewpoint, the three papers provided me with a great deal of information and insight into the issues facing Guyana today, from the Copenhagen summit on climate change to matters of more local concern such as the sugar workers’ dispute. I was particularly impressed with the high level of political commentary in all of the papers, and the remarkable erudition of some of the journalists, whatever their political stripe may be (Freddie Kissoon and Rav Devi are two who come to mind). On more than one occasion I was glad of my university background in philosophy and political science to be able to appreciate some of the more esoteric references to thinkers such as Fanon, Foucault, Hegel, and Kant, among others! It would be difficult for me to point to a similar degree of intellectual sophistication among the journalists who write for the major dailies in Toronto, my home city.

If the statement that one of the tests of a healthy democracy is a thriving, independent mass media then I think it can be concluded that Guyana passes that test with flying colours. As a historian who is familiar with the sometimes troubled history of this country, I was interested to discover how ordinary Guyanese people today are dealing with the issues they have inherited from their past and facing the challenges of the future. It was remarkable to me, for example, to read the extended debates in the press that took place on the anniversary of the still-disputed December 7, 1964 elections that led to the toppling of Dr. Jagan’s PPP government and the rise of Forbes Burnham and the PNC to power. Such a controversy over an election that occurred over four decades ago would be unheard of in Canada, but to me it indicates how deeply the past matters to people in this country as they struggle on the one hand to come to terms with it, and at the same time to move on.

On this point I was touched to read of the passing of Dr. Desrey Fox and Brindley Benn, occurring during my stay and understandably dominating the news. I think that the deaths of these two remarkable Guyanese individuals symbolise the inheritance of the past and the promise of the future for this country. Mr. Ben was one of the last of the generation of great Guyanese political figures who shaped the events of the tumultuous and painful period leading to independence. To me, one of his greatest legacies must surely be the national motto which he originally penned – “One people, one nation, one destiny.” These words definitely represent a challenge for the country to surmount, but on the evidence of what I witnessed, it appears that great progress is being made. Everywhere I went I saw people of different racial backgrounds mixing freely and in friendship, and the sight of mosques, mandirs, and churches in every town along the road from Cheddi Jagan Airport to Georgetown was a clear indication that all creeds are free to worship freely and with mutual respect. And the fact that everyone seems to celebrate Christmas, irrespective of their faith, was remarkable to me as a Canadian, since this is a far less common practice in my country.

The tragic death of Minister Fox is a real loss to Guyana, since she appeared to represent the promise of renewed political leadership in the country. I was fascinated to read of her rise from a humble background in a remote Amerindian village and her great accomplishments as an academic prior to her entry into the nation’s political life. Without a doubt, she will be greatly missed, and I hope that other talented sons and daughters of Guyana, whatever their political colours, may be found to carry on her sadly interrupted work on behalf of this country and its people.

In closing, I would like to express my best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2010 to all the people of Guyana –those I met during my visit, and those I still hope to encounter on future occasions. This country faces some difficult challenges on the road ahead, but which nation doesn’t? Issues such as the impact of climate change and the continuing global recession, and the struggle to raise the living standards of the many Guyanese who still face real economic hardship will definitely test the mettle of those who aspire to positions of political leadership in the year to come. As an outsider who may someday take a more active part in Guyanese life in the future, I intend to follow developments closely from my chilly Canadian vantage point as the New Year unfolds. And I can assure the readers that I will be relying on the online editions of all three newspapers to keep me abreast of events as they occur here in Guyana, and the sometimes heated controversies they generate!
Dr. Peter A. Flaherty