At launch of religious leaders training programme on domestic violence…
AT the launch of the training programme for religious leaders on domestic violence, held yesterday at the National Cultural Centre, President Bharrat Jagdeo expressed his appreciation to Guyana’s religious leaders for their unity and cooperation, especially on initiatives that the Government drives.

This, he said, is difficult to find elsewhere in the world, because of what he terms “the exploitation of religion” that creates bigotry that leads to wars in some of the more developed countries in the world.  He urged the religious leaders to continue “this unique characteristic of Guyana.”

The President spoke of those persons whose religious zeal has made them so narrow-minded that they cannot see the humanity in others and encouraged Guyana’s religious leaders to continue with “this commendable trait.”

Recognising the direct involvement in communities by the religious leaders as being “on the frontlines”, the President said that, although the Party to which he belongs has traditionally worked with people on the ground, a tradition which his Government continues, they depend heavily on the leadership, especially religious leadership at community levels to transform misery, wherever it exists, to hope; diffusing abusive situations; and changing indifference to ambition, which he considers vital.

According to President Jagdeo, this is the reason that Government seeks partnerships within communities, because this is not a task for Government alone, given that the very nature of Government does not easily facilitate a continuum of community interaction on a daily basis, as is possible with the leaders “on the frontline.”

Describing domestic violence as being “very demeaning”, the President said that persons cannot subscribe to the theory of equality of everyone, then treat – particularly women – in an inhumane and abusive way. This, he said, is prevalent in our society and cuts across the divides of race, class, and religion.
Mr. Jagdeo advised that the scourge of abuse has to be addressed across all of these barriers in order that the circumstances are changed.
Referring to the prevalence of gender-based violence in the USA, the president said that abuse is not a third-world phenomenon because a woman is abused in America in every eleven seconds, with thousands being killed every year in incidents of domestic violence.
He made reference to negative reports coming out of the USA on Trafficking in Persons in the Caribbean, but said that every year an estimated 50,000 babies and women are trafficked into the USA as sex slaves.
However, President Jagdeo said that, here in Guyana, it is unacceptable for one child, or one woman, to be abused.
He said, to loud applause, “We have to work at changing this…this is our country, and we have to make a difference here, (and) the only way we are going to do this is if we start to change mindsets. Although domestic violence is something that we must focus on, we have to tackle the broader issue of violence in our wider society…we have to go to the source of violence…what makes our kids sometimes violent.”

President Jagdeo said that, although Government has created many systems and initiated many programmes in an effort to address the dilemma of youths who seem to have no guidance nor direction or purpose, especially children of single parent households, there is need for a societal response.

He listed some of the empowering mechanisms that the Government has instituted to assist single parents, but urged a holistic approach, whereby the entire community, under the stewardship of the religious leaders, can provide the care and guidance necessary for children during their formative years.
The President said that, while neither disparaging nor denigrating single parents, most of whom have done wonderful jobs in bringing up their children, the reality is that in many instances the children are left to fend for themselves while their mothers are busy earning a living to provide their basic needs; and within this framework the President reiterated the need for the entire community under the leadership of its religious heads to ensure that these children do not make wrong choices that would destroy their future.
According to the President, the training programme would not merely focus on domestic violence, but also on alternative choices for women who live in violent situations or under threat, because many women remain in abusive situations as a result of not having a practical alternative choice.

EXPLORE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS

He urged the facilitators of the training programme to explore different pathways and/or programmes to address these burning issues, while expressing the hope that the participants would attempt to inform themselves of Government’s several strategies to create different pathways and opportunities for the vulnerable in society, especially women in abusive situations.
Reiterating the necessity for exploring the root causes of violence and addressing the socialization process that generates the level of violence in the society, the President referred to an initiative driven by the Ministry of Home Affairs, whereby children who have been subjected or exposed to violence are placed in interactive programmes.
Children in these programmes are exposed to positive role models, distinctive to their community role models who are anti-establishment but whom are flashy and spend a lot of money which they have not earned. He urged the religious leaders to provide the positive role models that children could respect and emulate.
President Jagdeo said religious leaders could encourage the involvement of parents in this thrust to transform the lives of Guyana’s children by guiding them on the right pathways, which will positively impact in homes, in communities, and in the society at large.
He made mention of yesteryears, before the economic crisis in the country forced a rat-race for survival, and the high standards once peculiar to Guyanese were submerged in the dire necessity for continued existence and to survive the harsh subsistence Guyanese were forced to endure, alluding to the days when everyone in a community looked out for each other’s children.
Stressing the need for communities to instill a strong sense of morality in children and “balancing economic prosperity with morality”, the President adumbrated some of the expanded opportunities provided Guyanese by Government to better their lives and create wealth for themselves, primary among which is the housing drive, with Government’s intention to enable every Guyanese family to own their own home.
The President opined that all these programmes and achievements are “hollow” if there is no morality in the society and stated that the religious leaders can fill this extremely important gap – addressing the human side of development, which he said that Government, with the best intentions and the best inputs cannot do, citing as an example the night shelter, which he said could best serve the purposes for which it is intended only if communities partner with Government in this initiative.
The ethos of service, said the President, is evident and absolutely common to every religion, and expressed the hope that this reverence for helping people should translate in practical ways, where those who participate in the training programme could expand the network of service to every community, and that their work could be facilitated in an interactive way, across the barriers of organizations and denominations, by heads of mosques, churches and temples. The President pleaded: “…give them access to your mosques, or your temples, or your churches to talk to your congregations…If you do that then maybe you can multiply the benefits of this training programme.”
The President urged religious heads not to confine themselves only to helping members of their own congregations, but to reach across to members of other faiths who need help, because staying within religious edifices without reaching out in the wider community to those in need of help will not be fulfilling the Lord’s purpose.
He referred to systems the Government created and structures that were built to help communities that are not functioning because of negligence and also because members of the community fail to recognize the imperative of partnering with Government to make programmes effective and efficient to the benefit of all.

He urged community leaders to collectively make a stand and pressure the relevant government agencies to be more proactive in getting things done the right way, citing the recent case of Neesa Lalita Gopaul, who fell through the cracks because no-one paid heed to her cries for help.
Stating that little things can make a big difference, the President said in conclusion that small acts of kindness can aggregate to major transformative dynamics in society and that, before one realizes it, we can have a changed society.
Chairing the proceedings was Rev. Kwame Gilbert.  The sessions are being conducted at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street under the guidance of Cecil Mercurius of the Guyana Overseas Religious Leaders Group.