– Region Three residents share their views
Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Bishop Juan Edghill, Tuesday, met with residents of Region Three, (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), in the Regional Democratic Council’s Boardroom, to determine the effectiveness of the Commission.
At the beginning of the discussions, Bishop Edghill emphasised that the meeting was aimed at gathering feedback from the residents concerning their views about the impact of the entity in addressing race issues, from its beginning in 2003 to the present.
Residents said that they are satisfied with the work of the Commission, though there are still some issues that need to be addressed.

One resident stated that there should be a change in the way Guyanese refer to themselves as Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese. He emphasised that they should all refer to themselves as Guyanese, and look at what they have in common instead of the differences.
Another resident added that the ERC alone cannot address the issue of race, but the various communities, political parties, the business community and religious organisations can work on it together.
Other Region Three residents commended the Commission for its previous meetings and film festivals, which had an impact on the youths and children in the region; however it was indicated that more needs to be done at the level of the school system.
It was highlighted that the required change can be gained through children who have been demonstrating acceptance and appreciation of each other’s ethnic group.
Other concerns discussed included discrimination at work places, house lot distribution, and budget allocations.
The meeting concluded with the participants breaking into small groups to have further discussions to assess the ERC’s past work, the skills and capacity needed to strengthen the Commission, and what programmes/strategies should be used to take the Commission forward.
Tuesday’s meeting is the final public assessment following a series of others held around the country.
So far, the Commission has held meetings with representatives of the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Private Sector, Women, Labour and Youth Constituencies, with a total of 58 organisations consulted.
Additional consultations will be held with representatives from the various people groups and regions to establish the Commission’s 2010 work plan.
The purpose of the ERC is to promote ethnic harmony and in its efforts to continue to do so, the Commission will continue to engage private and public institutions in discussions. (GINA)