THE profile of Guyana’s historical records has gained international recognition with the recent inscription by UNESCO on the Memory of the World Register for its documentary heritage of the Indian indentured labourers. Guyana has now joined Bulgaria, Fiji, Ireland, Japan, Mongolia, Morocco, Panama, Suriname, Switzerland and Tunisia which, for the first time, have been inscribed on the Memory of the World Register.
Our country indeed has some unique records, and this is so because our colonial past is integrally linked to slavery and indentureship.
According to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, “We have some very unique records, and this is not the first project that Guyana has been involved in. We were involved in the Inscription of the Indentureship records and the records of the Dutch West India Company.”
One of the good things that happened in recent years with respect to archival records is that we have a modern National Archives, which would ensure the preservation of historical documents.
Dr Anthony noted: “We have moved from a place where our records were poorly kept to this building. We felt that this building would have adequate space, but we have already run out of space, and we are thinking about expansion of the facility to house the growing numbers of records.”
The minister further revealed that efforts are currently being made to expand the existing collection of archival materials and records, and this would include sourcing from other countries, including the U.K.
With respect to having adequate space to house an increasing number of materials, it is good to see that the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry has adopted a proactive approach, because, too often in this country, a reactive/non-preventative approach is preferred; which causes problems to multiply and become more complicated, hence more difficult to resolve.
Preserving a nation’s history is of paramount importance, because it is the only means by which future generations could know of the past and therefore, have a better understanding of present day events.
In this regard, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds made a very apt observation when he said that the preservation of our history is imperative if we, as a nation, are to understand the intrinsic differences inherent in each of us to “become one in Guyana.”
In his letter to his friend Hugh Taylor, former US President Thomas Jefferson stressed the importance of preserving documents relating to the history of the United States. Jefferson wrote: “It is the duty of every good citizen to use all the opportunities which occur to him for preserving documents relating to the history of our country.”
A country’s history is a national treasure, and therefore, Mr. Jefferson was so right when he called for every citizen to help preserve it. This exhortation is also applicable to our country.