THE United States (U.S.), through ‘U.S. Spots’, is trying to exemplify its commitment to the tenet of democracy that every citizen should have access to information freely.

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Brent Hardt, outlined the policy yesterday when he officially declared open the first of two ‘U.S. Spots’ in Guyana at the National Library in Georgetown.
Advocating the desire to have greater access to information about the U.S., the envoy was joined by Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Library, Mr. Petamber Persaud and Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Education, Ms. Genevieve Blackman, among others.
Another ‘U.S. Spot’ will be opened at the University of Guyana (UG) today.
Hardt said the dedicated section of the National Library for the resource centre will provide “a welcoming environment where people can learn more about the United States.”
Previously, the same information was available within the precincts of the U.S. Embassy, in Kingston, another part of Georgetown.
But, because of the stringent rules governing access within the embassy environs, it was decided to make it more readily accessible, resulting in the collaboration with the National Library.

PURSUING STUDIES
Ambassador Hardt also used the opportunity to point out that “significantly the spot will offer resources to assist young people in pursuing studies in the United States.”
He reminded that there are several thousand different colleges and universities in the U.S.
“We are eager to welcome Guyanese students to universities in the United States,” the delegate assured, reminding of the recently launched ‘100,000 Strong’ initiative.
Spearheaded by recently re-elected President Barack Obama, Hardt explained that the programme looks to foster a 100,000 students exchange programme across the Americas.
Those at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were informed that, through it, a global citizenry can be created.
“Once we have that connection where people study in each other’s country, that connection is more valuable than can be achieved through many of the other programmes that we can do as diplomats,” he stated.
He said the U.S. Spot will not be abandoned: “We would like to use this as a launching pad for several other events.”
Ambassador Hardt said, in future, the embassy will be looking to put in place more electronic-based resources, such as e-books and make greater use of multimedia.
Persaud, expressing his appreciation  to the U.S., recalled that more than 100 years ago, it was another American Ambassador, Mr. Anthony Carnegie, who provided the initial  funding for the National Library.
“We are standing on hallowed ground…over a 100 years old,” he said, acknowledging that this was “just another stage in our relationship.”
Blackman, thanking the Ambassador, said, in future, it would be nice to see ‘Guyana Spots’ located in U.S. embassies or locations.