THE new Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry will be conducting an encompassing situational analysis of the state of affairs of Indigenous people, and will be using this to thereafter embark on a set of strategic objectives. The accomplishment of these will chart the course for the elimination of inadequacies that affect descendants of Guyana’s first people.  According to Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, this should facilitate the movement of Indigenous people of Guyana away from being dependent on “hand-outs and towards self reliance and economic independence.”
The new Ministry sees education as being pivotal to this long- term process, and the Bina Hill Institute, at Annai, Region 9, is an excellent project on which to build.
“We see this institute as similar in a sense to the Critchlow Labour College,” he said, while addressing, the National Assembly on Thursday, on President David Granger’s ceremonial address on June 10, 2015 when the 11th Parliament was convened.
The Ministry will also be seeking to remove political affairs from governance of village affairs, Minister Allicock said. He noted that this is in keeping with the President’s vision and charge of making Guyana a united nation. “We see our work as a ministry, as pivotal to the relations of the vision of our President in making Guyana one nation,” he said.
He pledged that the Ministry will root out “the fears planted in the heart and minds” of the Indigenous people by politicians of yesterday.”
The ministry is committed to improving the capacity of the Indigenous people to lead themselves, and in this regard, it has embarked on the process of auditing village records and holding elections which will be accomplished by July 22. “Already villages are prepared for these activities which will position them for internal governance over the next three years.”
Following the village elections, the Ministry will hold the National Toshaos’ Conference (NTC). Minister Allicock said that the Ministry expects that this forum will focus primarily on Indigenous people’s rights and resources.  A document is being prepared and will be the main subject of discussions at the NTC. He noted that the preparation of this document puts the Ministry on par with the President’s 100-day plan.
The Ministry will be seeking to implement several programmes and policies to eradicate poverty in communities.   The goal is to bring relief in a “deliberate, measurable and sustainable manner” that will ensure that the hinterland come up to par with the coastland.
Interventions will be specific to sustainable environmental development and will target women and children on the premise that, “Women are our village economists, while the young people are our next generation of leaders.”
There will be partnership with several non-government organisations that will bring to the villages benefits in areas such as sustainable utilisation, management of natural resources, conceptualisation and management of micro-projects, skills training, life skills, sports and culture, as well as infrastructure improvement.
The Minister also spoke of the Ministry’s intention of continuing the development and recording of the Indigenous languages, of its plan to store for posterity the “valuable Indigenous cultural records” and its intentions to showcase the talents of the Indigenous people, “every day of the year.”
The Minister explained that the Ministry’s programmes are being crafted to develop and promote the rich Indigenous heritage and to marry it with other aspects of Guyanese culture. (GINA)