Former President of the Republic of Guyana, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has

once again been conferred with an honorary doctorate from another prestigious university, making this the fourth so far.
Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central Lancashire last Tuesday in recognition of his global leadership on climate change, low-carbon development, and green growth.
He was presented with the doctorate by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Malcolm Mc Arthur in Preston’s Guildhall.
During a citation read by the University’s Orator, the former president was described as “one of the first Heads-of-State in the world to grasp the seriousness and urgency of climate change”. The citation added, “…almost uniquely in the world, he also saw that developing countries could lead the way to the solutions that the world needs.”
The citation drew attention to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, describing it as “one of the world’s most comprehensive green-growth plans” – and pointed out that “…the scale of ambition is greater than that of even the most progressive developed countries, including the United Kingdom… It is truly a model for the world.”
The University’s citation also drew attention to the words of the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr R.K Pachauri, who said that the former president was “…one of perhaps half a dozen heads of government who truly understands the issue” of global warming”.
During his address, Dr. Jagdeo urged students not to sleepwalk through their lives and to keep a focus on the big issues, that the future of the world requires that they also focus on the big issues and fix the big problems so that they don’t recur”.
And he was talking of his own focus on keeping his eye on the big issues because, fully aware of the risk that global financial crises could happen again, and the ever-extant threat of climate disaster, Dr. Jagdeo premised his leadership of Guyana on development within the paradigm of obviation of these risks as key to development of the country and formulated lasting initiatives that would benefit – not only Guyanese, but the world in general; thus, at the behest of his mentor, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the formulation of the National Development Strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy; as well as The Jagdeo Initiative on Agriculture, and the shining star of all, the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
This does not take into account the many policies and programmes he crafted and charted through the various sectors and sub-sectors of the PPP/C Government under his tenure that has left Guyana on a developmental trajectory pointing ever upwards; hence President Donald Ramotar’s government is based on ‘continuity’.
The Jagans placed their beloved Guyana and Guyanese people into the hands of a young man whose potential for leadership–and great leadership at that-they discerned; and he came through with flying colours.  Through many trials and tribulations, then President Jagdeo eventually placed this country firmly back on track and could legitimately be called the architect of modern Guyana.
He was conferred with honorary doctorates for his initiatives to “…achieve reform of the global financial architecture, and to find ways to combat climate change” by various universities; and surely all the awards and accolades he has received globally over his relatively short lifetime is[an] unprecedented achievement for any other Head-of-State in the annals of history.
This is not glory for Bharrat Jagdeo, the private citizen, but for a son and leader of Guyana; thus, glory redounds to Guyana and the Guyanese people.
Prior to Dr. Jagan’s UN-adopted “New Global Human Order,’ Guyana was (in) famous globally for Jonestown, and had been blacklisted, with Guyanese treated as pariahs by our regional neighbours.
Today a patriotic Guyanese has brought glory worldwide to this country and the accolade of being “…the only shining star in the Caribbean”.
The doomsayers and naysayers who always have negative things to say about Guyana have decried the honours heaped on Dr. Jagdeo and denigrated the various highly prestigious universities that conferred on him such recognition of his contributions; but the University of Central Lancashire is the sixth largest university in the United Kingdom and this latest honour bestowed on Dr. Jagdeo  once more projects Guyana on the world stage with glory and honour.
The honorary doctorate was another example of acknowledgement of the former president’s leadership on low-carbon development. In November, Dr Jagdeo was elected as President of the Global Green Growth Institute, the world’s newest international organisation. He is the Roving Ambassador for the Three Basins, providing hope for ambitious action on the world’s most vital tropical rainforests. He is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Patron and High Level Envoy for Sustainable Development in Forest Countries.
While others are on a continuous campaign to belittle the image of Guyana, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, patriotic son of Guyana’s soil, has continually brought glory to his homeland.