LET me apologise if the tone is an angry one; but I do not apologise for what I am going to say.

Recently, the book ‘Change Makers’ by Rosabeth Ross Kanter fell into my hands. An excerpt from the introductory comment by William S Anderson, Chairman, NCR Corporation, grabbed my attention about Arnold Toynbee in his describing “the rise and fall of nations in terms of challenges and response.”

“A young nation,” he said, “is confronted with a challenge for which it finds a successful response. It then grows and prospers. But as time passes, the nature of the challenge changes. And if a nation continues to make the same, once-successful response to the new challenge, it inevitably suffers a decline and eventual failure.” He was talking about nations, or was it the CARICOM states bordering mighty Venezuela? No! It was about the U.S.A.

Arnold Toynbee, to be precise, was numerically off. We are, however, faced with numerous challenges, not one, to which we now, as a young nation, must find successful apropos responses.

But this excerpt, however, reminds me too much about Guyana and this Venezuelan neighbour of ours, and the current pressing issues of a national nature with which we are faced. However, I am talking specifically today about the border issue.

How true and timely for Guyana that the border issue, among other things, challenges us to respond once again. Past attempts to have Venezuela rescind its claim by accepting the findings of over a century ago once and for all have been thwarted by geopolitical manoeuvrings and the cries of our small nation going practically unheard, or on the hearing-impaired. Now, on the heels of a possible/probable large oil find and the prospect of becoming oil-rich, the ugly giant appears. This must concern all the people of Guyana.

The world and we, also, know what has happened in Georgia and what the giant Soviets did. My political naiveté aside, Venezuela can overrun the Essequibo by military might, though in misplaced justification, and annex it. Essequibian citizens, it is now claimed, can acquire Venezuela birth certificates as citizens of Venezuela. This needs investigation and addressing urgently, as this can cause Essequibians to behave contrary to the heritage or birth rights.

Modern the world is, and a global village as Marshall McLuhan predicted, but ‘Might’ is still practised by some as ‘Right.’
Bullies have to be shamed and embarrassed among the community of nations for them to forego their expansionist ambitions. It works sometimes, but big guns I own and bullying is my game…that’s the Venezuelan argument.

Let’s be candid: Guyana, with its anticipated newfound wealth, does not have the geopolitical pull of a Venezuela, nor the resources to prolong or engage in a legal wrangling over what is ours at the moment; yet we must — and all Guyanese must at this time — demonstrate the loyalty we have to the land of our birth. Political gamesmanship will not do to contend with this “bone in my throat,” as President Granger puts it. Polysyllables and rhetoric of the most highfalutin kind without concerted action by Government and our people cannot force Venezuela foregoing this ridiculous claim to two-thirds of our land, which has been settled over a century ago.

Our resolve to stop this issue from rearing its ugly head again and again must be unequivocal, and the relaxed pacifying positions must be done away with. Our children must be taught to know what is theirs, and we must act now.

I am saying that embedded corruption in Guyana, crime, high unemployment, poor health care, and education decline, just to name a few, require “successful responses.” High on my personal list is greedy Venezuela.

At this time, I am seeking to get us to respond to an ugly future which faces us and our children, should we not, once and for all time, respond and settle with those folk to the west of us. I am not talking appeasement of any kind.

Venezuela is always flexing its military muscles, and this bullying neighbour expects us Guyanese people to cower in fear and desist from whatever activity we undertake to increase or improve our living standards for our peoples.

Let me say this: ‘Settled 116’ needs to be flag-poled on Guyana’s flags and strung along our borders to the west. We should be parading in front of the Venezuelan Embassy daily and all embassies here. We must decorate the sidewalks and walkways with Guyana flags, which must be renewed every year until this matter is ended for all time.

Billboards must be placed throughout our land, and a communications campaign, both local and international, mounted with such ferocity that Venezuela must be aware we are not backing down.

“Not a blade of grass” time has come again. And you, political dissidents, don’t even mention Burnham; this is about us today. Here and now!

Our spirit of nationalism must become impassioned, highlighted and ignited into our youths and those yet to be born. The effrontery of the Venezuelans to terrorize must be met head-on. They remind me of that neighbour who makes it their duty to be offensive, and harass and molest peace-loving ones.

We must campaign with the local daily newspapers, TV stations and radio, and use all means to educate our people, both local and overseas. Educationists must begin classes with the tools to inculcate in the minds of young Guyanese their land heritage, and make it a priority, as the Venezuelans are doing likewise and creating problems now for the future if they do not relinquish this wicked claim and decrees by their leaders.

The Guyanese children must learn that today’s bully can be tomorrow’s enemy with gun in hand, forcing their presence and language upon us.

Some day in the future, a leader from that side of the border — to appease the population for whatever reason for deficiencies they have — may one day go a step further than making a decree. Many a foray onto Guyana’s soil have been made and recorded. The time to act forcibly is now. Patriotic songs to the cause must be sung to rouse the spirit of nationalism. I don’t want to wake up with a Venezuela AK-47 pointing in my face.

The Venezuelan leadership toning down its belligerent decree must not be cause for us to celebrate and tone down our condemnation of their ill-conceived ambition to own two-thirds of Guyana. It should be cause for us to ratchet up the discourse and muster Guyanese to lobby internationally for a permanent and immediate settlement… No, I am wrong… acceptance of the 116-year-old treaty which defined and delineated the boundaries.

My father is 98 years old, and the map of Guyana has always been what it was. When, rather if, I get to that age, I want the map as defined to be the same. And I want my children to grow old with the same expectation.

No country needs to be focusing its energies on a boisterous neighbour armed with up-to-date machines of war and greedy paws. No! We should be seeking people-development and improved standards of living, with laws humanistic in nature and creating democratic institutions throughout our land. That should be our engagement.

Yet Venezuela has given us a challenge today to which we must respond. Our response, with the availability of mass media to transmit truth to the ends of the earth, should be by telling the true story of the expansionist ambitions of Venezuela as she seeks to absorb two-thirds of our small nation. All of our embassy officials must make the case for immediate resolution at each and every forum they attend with urgency, and our cause must be made out as an imperative.

I call on all Guyanese to stand shoulder to shoulder in protest…non-political in their stand…united in the defence of our country…because “We are all in.”

OWEN HUGHES
HR/PR Development Support Communicator