PRIME Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has been nominated for the GUSI Peace Prize – a private award given by the GUSI Peace Prize Foundation, based in Manila, Philippines.
The GUSI Peace Prize is given to recognise individuals and organisations who contribute to global peace and progress through a wide variety of fields. The awards ceremonies are held yearly in Manila, Philippines. In addition to the award, the foundation conducts charity and medical outreach programs in different provinces in the Philippines.

In accepting the award, Prime Minister Nagamootoo, in a letter to George Bistis, Chairman America Affairs, Gusi Peace Prize International, said he was deeply honoured that the Gusi Peace Prize Committee has decided to confer him with the prestigious honour. He said the acceptance of the award was communicated verbally to His Excellency, Ambassador Barry Gusi. “It is with sincere humility that I received your confirmation that I was selected as a Gusi Laureate, and that I was invited to attend on November 27, 2019, the Awarding Ceremony in Manila, which has generously given to me the symbolic Golden Key to the City when I visited in 1996 at the invitation of distinguished Filipino journalists,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said.

He however, noted that he would not be able to attend the ceremony. “Parliament is likely to be dissolved towards the end of November for the holding of new elections on March 2, 2020. I am sure that you will understand why I need to be in my country during this demanding period. I nevertheless will hold in high esteem and sincere gratitude the offer by the Committee to confer on me the Gusi Peace Prize which was established by Presidential Proclamation, and founded by His Excellency, Barry Gusi, to continue the work of his distinguished and heroic father, Gemeniano Javier Gusi,” Prime minister said.

He added, “I am impressed by the mission of the Gusi Peace Prize, inter alia, to honour individuals who have given exemplary contributions to global peace and progress, and who champion human rights and maintain governance, democracy, equality, international peace and goodwill. I was pleased to be nominated for this prestigious award by the indefatigable Dr. Jagdish Gandhi, Founder Manager of the City Montessori School, who has been promoting world unity and world peace. As Convenor of the International Conference of Chief Justices of the World, Dr. Gandhi had invited me to the 17th International Conference which I attended in Lucknow, India. I was humbled by his recognition of my modest contribution to the struggle for peace, human rights and democracy. Born on November 30, 1947, I not only joined the anti-colonialist struggle in 1961 for the independence of my country from British rule, but gave solidarity to peoples the world over – from Vietnam, to Southern Africa, and to the Middle East. In our Region, I embrace the hope of our peoples for the Caribbean to be a Zone of Peace, and for Guyana to be a Green State to promote preservation of our Planet Earth from the ravages of climate change.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo noted that as a journalist, as well as a minister under five governments, “I am proud of my record in promoting press freedom, human rights and democracy for which my country, Guyana, stands out as an encouraging model in the western hemisphere, and for which I am nominated for the Gusi Peace Prize. I mentioned the above just to say that your acceptance of my nomination for the Gusi Peace Prize has not been misplaced. I will be in spirit with His Excellency and all participants at the Gusi Awards Ceremony, and I congratulate all the Peace Laureates for receiving their well-deserved Awards,” Mr. Nagamootoo said.