ON the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s attainment of Independence the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) joins with the rest of Guyana in celebrating this historic milestone in the process of nationhood.We believe that the period of what has been designated our Golden Jubilee must be as much a period of reflection as a period of celebration. Indeed, there is much to reflect upon as we, as a nation, contemplate the journey that we have experienced over half a century of independence. It would be more than worthwhile for us to measure, for example, the extent of our accomplishments as a nation, whether those be in the field of the economy, culture, intellectual development or nation-building, that is the creation of a cohesive society.

Whatever else we do we must not forget to face honestly and frankly our accomplishments as much as our disappointments and perhaps more importantly to use the sum total of our experiences as a rudder with which to guide our path in the future.

What we, hopefully, would have learnt over those years is that real independence, real nation-building transcends the symbols and slogans that we create. What is clear is that the inspiration that will take us forward can only be derived from the setting of clear and worthwhile goals and the relentless pursuit of those goals.
For those of us who have been blessed with the experience of witnessing half a century of independence, our mission is to determine the legacy that we will leave behind and work towards the realization of that legacy.

Nor should we seek to evade our collective overarching responsibility to continue to reach for that noble if still unrealized goal of a Guyana united across differences, reflected in our national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.  That, in the view of the Guyana Public Service Union, is the most important mission of all and one which, we believe, is yet to be realized.

On this note the President, Executive Council and Members of the Guyana Public Service Union wish to extend our congratulations to the nation on this momentous occasion. Happy 50th Independence Anniversary.