THE heralding of the New Year and a new decade would have been marked in different ways.
Some would have attended the traditional church services while others would have been at home or at parties.
Apart from the merriment and celebrations, it is a time when people reflect on the year gone by and assess their achievements and failures and make projections for the New Year. It is also customary for some to make New Year resolutions with the intention of cutting out bad habits or practices and to become better persons.
Amid the celebrations, however, there were many still suffering from the trauma of various tragedies. Some have close relatives and friends who were murdered or who perished in tragic accidents. Others may have close ones who are seriously ill and bed-ridden or incapacitated and could not experience the joys of the festive season. And there were those less fortunate and under privileged who simply could not have celebrated lavishly or not all.
From a national standpoint, over the past year there were many successes but also several challenges and problems, many of which have been there for quite some time.
On the success side, several important pieces of legislation were passed in the National Assembly, including on domestic violence and sexual offences; there were successful rice crops; the drainage and irrigation system was significantly improved and there was no major flooding; work on the Hope canal has started; the road for the Amaila hydro project has started; housing development continues to be on the move with hundreds of house lots allocated; work on the new technical institutes is ongoing; construction of the synthetic athletics track has begun; the Olympic-standard swimming pool is nearing completion; several new mining exploration agreements have been clinched; a major Inter-American Development Bank loan has been secured for the extension of the four-lane highway on the East Bank Demerara; an agreement between the government and China has been signed for the construction of modern ferries to ply the Essequibo River route; and Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) has been recognised and accepted internationally as a model strategy for others.
However, several challenges and problems continue, including crime, electricity supply, plummeting sugar production, domestic violence, illegal drug business, lawlessness, noise nuisance, a high rate of serious traffic accidents, alcoholism, littering and garbage disposal.
Patriotic Guyanese committed to the future well being of the country should pledge to work in unison and with vigour to help overcome these challenges and problems.
For too long in this country, there has been an attitude of some people seeing problem-solving as the exclusive responsibility of the government.
But, in no country has the government been able to solve or reduce problems without the help of all of its people and non-governmental organisations.
The modern approach to socio-economic development is one of partnership among the government, private sector, non-governmental organisations, the community and individuals.
The problems and challenges of today have become too complex and therefore it is beyond the capacity of governments to deal with them exclusively.
In this regard, it will be good for Guyanese to ponder on the words of the late American President, John. F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”