…magazine could be a useful educational tool, says Minister Dr Frank Anthony
TELLING the story from an African perspective, while acknowledging the fact that we live, work and play in a multi-ethnic nation, IZWE was launched last Wednesday evening, at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown. At the event, CEO of Corbin Media Group, Simeon Corbin, said the aim of the magazine is to chronicle over 350 years of African presence in Guyana and other parts of the world, in an ongoing series to be published annually.

He described the magazine as a treasure trove of historical facts dating back to the African slave trade, presented in an attractive and reader-friendly format. Referring to the publication attributes, such as a to-the-point style, attractive layout and pictures, Corbin expressed the hope that IZWE  will attract a new generation of readers who are passionate about their heritage, as well as people of other ethnicities who will become interested in learning more about Africans in history.

Corbin noted that the magazine had been a project that was conceived some years ago, and was put on the back burner due to other projects. However, this year being the International Year for People of African Descent made it imperative that the magazine be launched.
He stressed that the Corbin Media Group is not marketing IZWE as a black magazine; the flavour of IZWE is to be positive and upbeat, while working as an enlightenment and empowerment resource for all Guyanese.

Corbin said any Guyanese should be able to stand tall and to announce to the world that he or she is proud of their/ his/her heritage, without fear of being automatically assigned a political party or being labelled anti-government, or a racist, or with the expectation that you will become combative.

Talking about the origin of the name of the publication, Corbin explained that I-Z-W-E (pronounced “is way”) is a Zulu word meaning citizens, people, and ours, in its most common definitions. After discarding other words, IZWE was chosen not only because of its meaning, but also because it is a nice play with the Guyanese way of saying IS WE TING or IS WE OWN.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, said the publication would help to fill a niche that was in existence for some time. As this generation of Guyanese need to understand our history, he posited that the magazine could be used as an educational tool.

He conjectured that the views of persons who did not get involved in the magazine because of their belief that it was somehow contrary to their views, were short-sighted, and immature, going on to note that African history is part of our collective history.

Corbin was also lauded as a patriot by Anthony, who commended him for one of his other publications, the Guyana Entertainment Magazine (GEM). He praised not only the high quality of the magazine but expressed the view that GEM is promoting Guyana in a positive light.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ramesh Dookoo, who in his presentation provided a background of the International Year of People of African Descent, lauded the publication, saying it is something we can all be proud of.

Guests were also entertained with cultural items presented by the Classique Dance Troupe, singer Lisa Punch, and a display of African fashion designed by Anetha Daniels and presented by a large complement of models.