By Gibron Rahim

EMANCIPATION is once again upon us. It is a time to remember the pain, suffering and death that was endured under the brutal and inhuman system of slavery. However, it is also a time to celebrate freedom and all the accomplishments that have been made since that dark time in human history. Every year for the last 25 years, at Emancipation, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) has held its Emancipation Festival to commemorate the occasion. This August 1, in which the Festival enters its 26th year, will be no exception.

The Pepperpot Magazine spoke with Aisha Haynes, ACDA’s Emancipation Coordinator, to gain some insights into this year’s Festival and the attractions that attendees can expect. “Innovatively Engineering the Guyana We Want To Live In” is ACDA’s theme for Emancipation 2019 while the subtheme is “Moving Together to develop Guyana into a Green State”.

The Festival, while the highlight of ACDA’s Emancipation celebrations, is not the only event that has been crafted by ACDA to commemorate this year’s Emancipation. Haynes noted that the Emancipation Spelling Bee Competition has already started with the preliminary round having been held on July 21. The contestants were Grade Four to Grade Six students though Haynes noted there were a few younger students who also participated and did quite well. “We’re going to have a bonus round in the National Park [on August 1] where they get a chance to get extra points towards the finals which happen in September,” she said.

Haynes noted that the bazaar on Main Street has also started. The bazaar began on July 22 and lasts until July 31 from 10:00hrs to around 16:30hrs. The bazaar features vendors selling all sorts of goods that celebrate African culture. The bazaar also features different attractions, such as drumming and arts and crafts, on different days. This past weekend featured movie screenings and a folk games day at ACDA’s Akwaaba Centre. The films featured were “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, “One Love” and “Shottas”.

The film “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, which is based on a true story, is related to both Malawi, the country that ACDA has chosen to honour at this year’s Emancipation Festival, and this year’s theme. The concept, Haynes said, is all tied into using innovation locally to build a Guyana we all want to live in. “If we have challenges in Guyana, we have to start thinking of creative ways and how we can use the resources we have and our culture and our experience to create things that work for us,” she explained.

The theme and the film chosen also tie into the goals for ACDA’s COLAACO School. Haynes pointed out that the school has partnered to be a STEMGuyana school. She noted that the school is working to develop full STEM programming where young people get the opportunity to develop specific skills in those fields. “We have to start thinking of different ways, not only specifically targeting oil, but how do we in Guyana make our lives better here?”

As a traditional part of the Emancipation Festival, ACDA in collaboration with ANSA McAl will hold the Chief Cook Up Competition in the National Park on August 1. Haynes noted that registration for the competition closes off on Monday, July 29 with the distribution of goods and other necessary items for the competition taking place. A cash prize of $100 000 is up for grabs, in addition to a catering contract with ANSA McAl for the best cook up in each category.

There will also be an African Best Dressed Competition in collaboration with Digicel where the winners will collect prizes for showcasing their best African wear. In addition, Haynes related that Makeda is also offering a special Emancipation bonus in addition to the prizes Digicel is offering.

Admission into the National Park for the Emancipation Festival on August 1 will cost $800 with the gates being opened from 10:00hrs. Admission after 17:00hrs will cost $1500. Headlining the event will be Ky-Mani Marley, son of Bob Marley. There will also be a Nigerian performing group and a Nigerian Afrobeat singer. Local performers and bands, including Charmaine Blackman, and amateur performers will also be adding their talents to the festivities.

Haynes pointed out that events sometimes neglect to include activities for children. She related that the Emancipation Festival’s Children’s Centre will include activities such as face painting, bouncy castles and drumming. “It’s really a full activity centre for your kids to take part in,” Haynes emphasised. She added, “Depending on what you like, there’s literally something for everybody to just take part in and enjoy the day.”

The Emancipation Festival is a significant event. “It’s bringing attention and celebration to a very critical time in world history,” Haynes related. She noted that Emancipation is significant for all people. “All people who believe in equality and fairness, justice, peace, humanity [and] unity would use this as an example,” she said and added that it serves as a reminder that we should never allow such atrocities to happen in our history and culture ever again. “No matter what your background, no matter what your race, no matter what your religion, everyone can stand united and agree that slavery is something that should never be allowed to happen in our history.”