PRIME Minister Samuels Hinds, who joined the representatives of the three Guianas for the culmination of the Inter-Guiana Cultural Festival in Suriname, said Guyana now has the task and challenge of replicating and taking the festival to greater heights. The Inter-Guiana Cultural festival, a four-day display of the artistic talents of the Guianas in Suriname, culminated with a day of craft and culinary exhibition, set against the backdrop of tuneful musical performances, at the Palm Garden, on August 29.
In commemoration of the inaugural festival and in celebration of the theme of the festival, “Togetherness” a sculpture of the same name was also unveiled.
The sculpture is a symbolic representation of a man and a woman in an embrace.
Guyana looks forward to hosting the ‘second coming together of the people of the arts,’ Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said.
“We are happy to be part of this festival, as it allows for more contact among the three Guianas,” he said.
“I’m glad to see that Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are developing more and more contacts,” he said. When people come together in more and more numbers, they feel they can achieve more.”
Prime Minister Hinds urged the countries to follow the pattern of their former colonial masters who came together in the European Union.
“Come together as well, so we can achieve more,” he urged.
Surinamese Minister of Education, Raymond Sapoen, advised the Guyanese delegation to nurture the seed handed over as a symbolic nurturing of the festival, so that come next year, there will be growth in terms of the festival.
This growth will allow for deeper friendship and brotherhood among the countries, he said.
The artistes must be thanked for what they did and what they still have to do in the coming years with regards to the festival, he said.
“The artistes and culture people, they are spearheading this process of integration of the three Guianas,” Sapoen said.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Tourism Manniram Prashad, and Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran were among the many Guyanese officials at the closing of the festival. (GINA)