RENOWNED Guyanese-born international diplomat and icon, Sir Shridath Ramphal, last evening launched his memoir ‘Glimpses of a Global Life’ which provides a detailed outline of his successful life, referencing historical elements which helped in shaping what he described as a life he felt privileged to have live.

The event which was held at the Georgetown Club, was attended by President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (who facilitated hosting of the event), Opposition Leader David Granger, other Members of Parliament and members of the Diplomatic community who sought to share the memorable moment with one of Guyana’s iconic figures.

In brief remarks to the gathering, President Ramotar congratulated Sir Shridath Ramphal on this achievement and outlined the importance and relevance of such materials to Guyana presently.

“The book is not just about Foreign Affairs, the beginning of the book is a fairly concise history of our country and it also shows that we have produced internationalists at a very early period in Guyana’s development,” President Ramotar said, adding that Sir Shridath is one person who would have had an interesting and an important orientation at a very young age.

Having gone through half of the book, the Guyanese Head of State praised the author, describing his writing as “beautiful”, while adding that the basic nature of the content makes it very easy for one to read.

The President further described his experiences, coming into contact with Sir Shridath, mainly through Parliament where he [the President] regarded Sir Shridath Ramphal as a “beautiful orator”, having heard him speak in the House.

Even though the President would have been limited in knowing about the personal life of the author, he explained that through the book, he is now more exposed to Sir Shridath’s personal life. He related that the book is one which records Guyana’s foreign policy and the nation’s struggles which were encountered during that time.

“This memoir gives us an insight on some of the main players and their thinking which to me is invaluable,” President Ramotar told the distinguished gathering.
Sharing the moment with Sir Shridath, who was also former Foreign Affairs Minister of Guyana, was present Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who described him as an “asset” to the Ministry, to the Government of Guyana and the Country as a whole.

Noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was pleased to be a part of such an event which seeks to promote the work of those who lead the Ministry at some point in time for the benefit of this generation and generations to come, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett disclosed that Sir Ramphal’s contributions to Guyana extend beyond the call of duty.

She recalled that subsequent to her assuming the position of Foreign Affairs Minister, Sir Shridath would have paid her several visits to discuss a number of issues for Guyana and for the Foreign Ministry to take a lead on, for national development.

It is to this extent that she sought to garner information on his years of service to the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth, of which he was a very distinguished Secretary General, which he would often “divert” from before returning to the topical issue.
As such, she noted that, ‘Glimpses of a Global Life’ is therefore very much welcomed and appreciated since on a personal level it has provided her with several answers from Sir Shridath Ramphal’s perspective on issues in the earlier days.
These 624 pages, she related to the audience, “provide us with glimpses of a life of service and dedication during Guyana’s infancy.”
Introducing the author himself was award winning writer, Dr Ian McDonald who elaborated on Sir Shridath’s years of experience and achievements in both the academic and international fields.
According to McDonald, Sir Shridath would have played a critical role in some of the greatest struggles for freedom, while he served in many portfolios.
He added that while many writers would focus heavily on successes in their writing, what was interesting to note was that Sir Shridath sought to provide a balanced account by focusing on both the shortcomings in his time and the failures within that period. “There was no part of the book that is short of fascinating,” he assured.

Shifting the spotlight on the icon for the evening saw nothing short of a beautiful orator and a man of academic wealth, when Sir Shridath Ramphal took to the podium to speak on his book.

According to Sir Shridath, who expressed heartfelt appreciation for words which would have been uttered by previous speakers at the event, book launchers are not occasions for authors to speak, but should provide an opportunity for the book to speak.

Explaining that Foreign Ministries worldwide are held close to him, Sir Shridath was quick to add that Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is one which has a special place in his heart and as such, he was grateful for the efforts by the Ministry to facilitate such an occasion.
While he acknowledged many benefactors, he was keen to add that more could have been written but because of limitations and, “the size of the book”, he was constrained. This, however, did not deter him from reading four excerpts from ‘Glimpses of a Global Life’ for his very attentive and appreciative audience.
While the audience would have found some of the accounts of his life very informative and educational, amusement surrounded many experiences which he reflected on.
It was to this extent that Sir Shridath Ramphal ended by disclosing that ‘Glimpses of a Global Life’ record accounts of a life that he felt privileged to have lived.
Born in British Guyana in 1928, Sir Shridath Ramphal served as the second Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1975 to 1990. Prior to this he served as the Foreign Minister of Guyana, from 1972 to 1975. A recipient of numerous awards and honours from several countries, international bodies and academic institutions, including Knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen of England, his involvement with the movement for a West Indies Federation as Assistant Attorney General marked the commencement of a distinctive record of advancing the process of Caribbean development.
In spite of his high international standing and involvement in international affairs, Sir Shridath Ramphal remains loyal and dedicated to the issues of development in the Caribbean homeland and provided yeoman service as Chancellor of the University of The West Indies and the University of Guyana.

(By Ravin Singh

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