The Cuffy250 Committee would be holding its fifth annual “State of the African Guyanese” Forum, this Sunday, August 20, 2017 at the Critchlow Labour College Auditorium.
The Forum brings together activists, scholars, organisations and the general public to discuss the state of the African Guyanese community and plan broad developmental strategies, the organization said in a release. The theme for this year’s Forum is “Repositioning African Guyanese for Recognition, Justice and Sustainable Development.” It is being held in collaboration with the International Decade of the People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G), a coalition of African Guyanese organizations and individuals which, for the past year, has been working on an African Guyanese “Action Plan.” The impetus for this initiative was a call by President Granger, when he delivered the keynote address at last year’s Forum, on the African Guyanese leadership to honor the United Nations International Decade of the Peoples of African Decent with a plan of action for the community.

Towards this end, the highlight of this year’s Forum is the unveiling of the “African Guyanese Action Plan” which lays out a strategy and agenda for African Guyanese Empowerment for the next decade. The Keynote address would be delivered by President David Granger. Other speakers include Nigel Hughes, Marjorie Mc Caskey, Vincent Alexander, Comica Johnson, Eric Phillips, Esther Gittens, Dr. Norman Ng a Qui and Dr. Simpson da Silva.

The Forum starts at 9am. Registration is $300. For more information call 231 7888 or 614 9562. Cuffy250 was founded by a group of Guyanese in the USA and Guyana who came together in 2013 to observe the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Revolt, led by Cuffy, against the slave system. It is an organization dedicated to encouraging socio-economic and cultural revitalization within the African Guyanese community and the fostering of ethnic and racial equality in Guyana. In this regard, Cuffy250 is also committed to the reversal of ethnic domination of all kinds and from all quarters. Hence part of its mission is to encourage self-empowerment and self-respect among African Guyanese as a prerequisite for respecting all ethnic groups and as a defence against domination.