– urges development of ‘soft skills’ in face of untold wealth ahead

GUYANESE were urged to cultivate the spirit of unity as there is an exciting future ahead.
The encouragement came from Guyana’s Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Ten-Pow, who expressed his personal excitement at what’s in store for Guyana in the near future, in terms of people and infrastructural development. He was alluding to the significant benefits that will be derived from oil revenues, and suggested that the only way all that wealth can do us any good as a country, is if we the people grasp it as a united front.

“We know we have an exciting future ahead of us; let us look forward together in unity,” he saaid. “We have the prize ahead of us; it’s within our grasp, and the only thing that can make us not reach to where we are going is disunity; polarisation and fragmentation that we need to fight against,” he urged.

Ambassador Ten-Pow spoke about the prospect of linking the hinterland with the coast through infrastructural connections, as in that way, every citizen, irrespective of where they reside, will benefit from equal opportunities.”I know that in a few years, there would be no hinterland and coastland in Guyana, because we would be all connected with a network of road and railways so this concept of I’m from the hinterland, will not apply anymore,” he posited.

Ten Pow alluded to the 15 sustainable development goals that were adopted by the United Nations in 2015, but specifically spoke on human development. So, while infrastructural development is welcome, human development should also be prioritised. He urged, especially the youths, to develop themselves to also benefit from the oil industry and other dependent industries. He urged them to shun the rhetoric that youths are leaders of tomorrow.

“When you think of youths… they are leaders today, but there are many areas in which you need to take responsibility… You have to mobilise;, address the problems that you know are all around you.” One important way youths should take responsibility is by being educated, as the lack of education signals social ills such as poverty, increase in crime, high unemployment ratio. Ten-Pow described it as a vicious cycle that can have significant impacts on the future of our country, if not addressed now. Not only should youths focus on academics and technical education, but soft skills should not be neglected.

“Soft skills; the ability to communicate. Team work; creativity, imagination, interaction with people. These are some of the things we tend to neglect, so I urge you to focus on some of these things in a very holistic way,” he said.