THE African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) yesterday unveiled plans to host its 16th Annual Emancipation Festival 2012 during a launching ceremony held at the Association’s headquarters at Thomas Lands, Georgetown. The mid-morning ceremony, attended by a modest gathering, got off to a spirited start with rich and energetic fingertip drumming by national drumming figure Orlando Primo.
A prayer was also said by Bishop Andrew Irving.
The welcome and opening remarks were given by Mr. Eric Phillips, who signalled that the festival is to be held “exactly three Wednesdays from now” (August 1, 2012), under the theme: ‘Reclaiming our Rights through Unified Purpose’.
This theme, he said, was chosen in recognition of the theme used globally to celebrate last year’s United Nations-designated International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD), namely: ‘People of African Descent; Recognition; Justice and Development’, and pending designation of the years 2013 – 2022 as the UN-decade for People of African Descent.
Meanwhile, in keeping with the association’s annual feature of celebrating an African Guyanese village, in acknowledgement of the greatest post-Emancipation entrepreneurial achievement made by freed men and women, the village of Hopetown, West Coast Berbice, has been duly acclaimed.
Additionally, the African state of Uganda has been named for recognition this year as a country from which many of our ancestors would have been brought to Guyana as slaves during the more than 400 years of ‘dark days of slavery.’
And alluding to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon’s statement on the occasion of the IYPAD last year, Phillips recalled: “The international community has affirmed that the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was an appalling tragedy, not only because of its barbarism, but also because of its magnitude, the organized nature of it, and negation of a sense of humanity of the victims.
“Even today,” he noted, “Africans and people of African descent continue to suffer the consequences of that dark period in world history.”
Phillips noted that slavery was the first ‘nuclear bomb’ to annihilate Africa, African culture, African family structures, African institutions, African commerce, African history, African tribes, and African economic development.
Pathetically, Phillips noted, slavery’s role in Africa’s development replaces light with darkness.
Noting that the theme of this year’s observances also talks directly to all Guyanese, Phillips affirmed: “Guyana is a country with a mixture of races, cultures, religions and ideas. For our country to flourish, we need (to harness) the talents of all our peoples working hand in hand.”
He lamented that Guyana has lost most of her skilled children to foreign lands, and declared that this situation must be reversed before it is too late.
Observing that all segments of the Guyanese society need to participate in the country’s development, Phillips made this passionate plea: “All citizens, including politicians, need to be committed to the fundamental principles of its democratic multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-community, multi-village free-enterprise society.”
He concluded: “We, as Guyanese, need to reclaim our fundamental rights through unified purpose. We need to reclaim political rights, economic rights, social rights and cultural rights.”

EMANCIPATION PROGRAMME
Meanwhile, Elder Jean Baptiste, member of ACDA’s Standing Committee who unveiled the Emancipation Calendar of activities, called on all Guyanese to get involved in the programme. She noted that African Emancipation celebration is not only for African people, or people of African descent.
“Emancipation is worthy to be celebrated by all races in Guyana, because Emancipation made it impossible for other groups that came to Guyana to be made slaves,” the ACDA official said.  She outlined that the Emancipation Act guarantees that everyone else who came to British Guiana to work would never be subjected to the same conditions of African slaves.
Rolling out a plethora of activities, beginning as early as July 18, she highlighted the Emancipation Wash Down to be held in Linden Town; Hopetown Pre-Emancipation Activities from July 21-31; The Big African Cultural Bazaar on Main Street, Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown (outside COURTS). Staged from July 25-31, this activity especially targets Guyanese from the overseas diaspora, coming home for the holidays, and offers ‘Seven Nights of Drumming’; a wide range of African cultural dishes, select African art and craft; tie-and-dyeing, batik and African hair styles among others.
Simultaneously, there will be another seven days of cultural commemoration at DEMICO House Plaza, opposite Stabroek Market.
Other activities in the countdown to Emancipation Day on August 1 include candlelight vigil and march on July 31, starting outside DEMICO House, and ending up at the Square of the Revolution, Television programmes, and on August 1 – The Freedom Race and the Traditional Sunrise Service at the National Park, Thomas Lands, and setting the tone for the traditional ACDA emancipation festival.