By Vishani Ragobeer

DR Peta Ann Baker of the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Jamaica, said an “excavation” is needed to combat Guyana’s culture of silence.She made the remark at the inaugural Professional Social Work Practitioners and Educators Conference held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre which began on July 20 and concluded yesterday.
Dr Baker, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, said from her previous visits to Guyana and from the presentations that highlight recent unfortunate events here, “there is a silence I find… I’m almost tempted to call it a culture of silence.”
The sociologist believed that it is embedded deep in the roots of Guyana, and asked the gathering, “Doesn’t some of that silence has [sic] to be excavated?
The conference sought to regularise social work practices and improve the quality of work delivered in Guyana.
The academic pleaded with the 200-plus social workers at the conference to “excavate the processes that have silenced you” and to do away with the silence found in this “self-censorship.”
Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) Executive Director Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, who also addressed the forum, said services should be provided to persons simply because they are people.
Dr Baker, while agreeing with the comment, said social service policies were “created for persons who are not considered persons.”
University of Guyana (UG) Faculty of Social Science Senior Lecturer Barbara Thomas- Holder said the culture of silence is real.
She related that at one time she was investigating a matter and while conversing with the affected persons, they were hesitant to speak out.
Thomas-Holder also pointed out that those who did speak out were cautioned by the other affected persons not to do so.
“You advocate on behalf of others so that they may be changed,” the Senior Lecturer said, and questioned, “Why is it so difficult for us to advocate on ourselves?”
Both Dr Baker and Thomas-Holder drove home the point that suffering in silence is unhealthy, and should not be encouraged.