THE Progressive Youth Organization, on the occasion of our 60th anniversary, recognizes the countless individuals who have played a part in the struggles of our youth movement over the past six decades, who are too numerous to mention.
The PYO has also served over these years to mould the future leaders of the PPP and our country.
Maintaining such a mass based youth movement was never without its fair share of challenges.
However, the PYO today remains very active and vibrant, as was illustrated in the national road safety campaign on Sunday, September 2, 2012 which saw the participation of hundreds of youth across the coastland in an effort to make our roadways safer.
The PYO has a very proud legacy of fighting for issues important to the constant development of young people at all levels be it locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.
In the beginning, our struggle was for independence from our colonial masters, then against a dictatorship and a struggle for the restoration of democracy, and then for the rebuilding of our nation, after it moved from being one of the most progressive in the region to one of the poorest in the span of 28 years.
Today, Guyana stands once again as one of the most progressive economies in the Caribbean. It is indisputable that never in the history of our nation have so many youth had access to various levels of education, including university and overseas scholarships.
It is indisputable that never in our history have so many families enjoyed the security of owning their own homes and the benefits that this brings, especially our young people.
It is indisputable that never in our history has our economy been this strong, with the proliferation of businesses all around us, constantly creating jobs for our young people.
It is indisputable that never in our history has so many in our nation’s workforce found employment.
It is indisputable that never in our history has media freedom and freedom of expression by our citizens prevailed as they do now.
It is indisputable that our nation’s infrastructure, roads, schools, hospitals, transportation has never been close to what currently exists.
It is indisputable that never in our history have so many Guyanese had access to health care, irrespective of where they live in our country.
It is indisputable that the number of remigrants and tourist arrivals to Guyana has never been as high as they are now.
This list, which could go on almost endlessly, underlines the fact that Guyanese and Guyana as a nation is currently the most progressive it has ever been at any other time in our history.
However, this, by no stretch of the imagination, does not mean there are no challenges, as with any dynamic and rapidly evolving society there will always be constant hurdles.
It is this reality that has fashioned the current focus of the Progressive Youth Organization to safeguard our progress thus far, and work with all like-minded youth to advance our development as a nation in this new era.
On this our 60th anniversary, the PYO issues a clarion call to progressive youth across our nation and further afield, irrespective of race, creed or class, to join us in our effort to assist in nation building and advance the agenda of our young people at all levels of society.
Our email address is: progressiveyouthorganization@gmail.com