THE ONGOING furor over the “constitutional right of overseas Guyanese to vote” seems to have clouded everyone’s minds to the bigger and most important question at large: What can Guyana do to attract, engage and assimilate the superior skills, expertise and financial resource of the Guyanese Diaspora in order to help accelerate the development of the economy, improve the wellbeing of the people, and restore that lost pride of being citizens of a great nation.
So far, most have been obsessed with beating up on our overseas-based brothers, sisters and even their families, name callings ranging from deserters, to traitors, cut-and -runners, non-tax-payers, job robbers, and absentee controllers of the government.  The general mindset seems to be ‘good riddance’. Given this scenario, why would the Guyanese Diaspora want to help, much less vote?
Tragically, while we are in denial of appreciation and real value of our Diaspora, other developing nations of the world have recognized their tremendous potential and are already benefiting from it. Research has shown that over recent years, Africa’s growth and development has been bolstered by the African Diaspora, not only by way of remittances, but  through transnational networks, they have built up social, economic and political bridges, channeling wealth, information, innovative ideas, intellectual capacities, world skills, superior expertise and creative business practices” largely from America, Europe and Asia.
Such contributions of the Diaspora to the homeland is not unique to the African experience. I respectfully invite Guyana’s politicians, intellectuals and those would-be presidents  to open-mindedly analyze  countries like China, Japan, Italy, Australia, the Phillipines, Bangladesh and more recently India and learn from the positive attitude and appreciative treatment of their overseas based citizenry  in trying to harness  the unlimited potential and resources of their individual Diasporas.
There is no question that Guyana is in a dire situation. Borrowing from the line of the PPP Thunder of April 1950, the current situation can be summarized thus: “After scores of years of PNC and PPP misrule, of trials and errors, of constitutional experimentation, the Republic is in great peril. Our people continue to exist on the borderline of poverty and insecurity and there seems to be no genuine and sincere effort by Guyanese of all races and classes championing the cause of the people and presenting a constructive policy and program to guide us out of our present abyss of apathy, frustration and poverty.”
It is my belief that our Diaspora is Guyana’s last best hope for change and a new direction. Voting? Maybe not! The people and the leadership have shown that they are not mature enough for it at this time. But make no mistake! Embracing, engaging and harnessing the resources of the Diaspora  will define Guyana as a nation committed to the best interest of the people.
It is time to stop lamenting on the ‘brain-drain’, and cursing those who have left the country for whatever reason. Instead, let us consolidate our collective energies into figuring out how best to tap into this great new national asset, ie., the Diaspora, or if you may, overseas-based Guyanese.