By Dr Brian O’Toole
Reviewer: Professor Roy McConkey, Ulster University, United Kingdom

HERE is a book to make Guyana proud. Brian O’Toole has made Guyana his adopted home and his 40 years living there has resulted in a remarkable story: a story of how ordinary folk can conquer adversity and create a better life for themselves and their fellow citizens. Such change requires leadership, but not of the kind commonly found in business, politics or even schools. Rather, the book describes a different kind of leadership espoused by O’Toole and his associates.

The focus is on leaders whose primary aim is to help communities to help themselves. Not directing, managing, telling and cajoling people what to do but listening, supporting, guiding and encouraging ordinary men and women to make the changes they want to make. Throughout the book, many practical examples are given of how this style of leadership was put into practice in all regions of Guyana. The success stories recounted here, testify to the effectiveness of this approach, although Brian O’Toole would rightly give the credit to the Guyanese people because they were ones who made the difference.

The word ‘educational’ in the title is another clue to the uniqueness of this book. The book is not just about leadership in education – although impressive examples are given of this – it is about leadership that educates. We still have much to learn about how best to help people acquire new knowledge and skills; especially men and women living in urban townships and rural villages who have limited opportunities for learning. This book provides many examples of educational initiatives focused on disability, early child development, literacy, health promotion and social problems. The approaches used contrast markedly with those found in most schools and colleges. The learning was based around practical applications of knowledge, the provision of culturally appropriate resource materials — such as locally produced video programmes – and training local people to become trainers of others in their communities. The educational leadership promoted in Guyana brings to life Nelson Mandela’s assertion that “education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”.

There is another dimension to the leadership described in this book that is worth highlighting: namely, it is rooted in moral principles and values. Brian came to Guyana with strong personal convictions and he makes no apology for basing his work on them — nor should he. Over the 40 and more years he has spent in the country he calls home, these values have been confirmed and strengthened through sharing his life and faith with the many thousands of people who have been involved in the programmes you will read about in this book.

It has been my privilege to visit Guyana many times in the past 20 years and experience at first-hand the various projects that Brian has instigated. Now a wider readership can share in his adventures and discover for themselves, Guyana’s greatest richness — its people.