This week’s column is one of those where I try to step back and reconcile my thoughts and feelings, with what I write in this space. In this column, I have the freedom of thinking (even imagining) about what is possible, but I believe I also have the responsibility of encouraging at least one person to do so too. Only then, I believe, can we ever hope to realise our ever-evolving vision of a better Guyana.

A few weeks ago, my editor suggested that I include my email address at the end of these columns so that persons could have a way of contacting me and perhaps, engaging me on whatever it is I write about. Then, I couldn’t imagine the alacrity readers would have for the option of engaging with me and within a few weeks, my inbox became filled with rich conversations. Of all the columns I’ve written, my attempts at navigating race relations have seemed to be the ones that attract greater attention and engagement.

This past week, however, a Professor, whose work I wrote about, reached out to me after someone sent him my column. Many of the scholars who study and write about Guyana are people who I admire, because of their efforts to try to understand my country, and because they use what they have found to propose solutions for a better Guyana. I’ve always wondered, though, do academics ever feel frustrated knowing that their solutions could create a better Guyana, but there is a lethargic approach to implementing these?

I used this opportunity to ask the Professor this, and he replied: “The ideas are meant to help with thinking about what is possible.”

So, we have a new government now and I read the news and I try to see what policy direction this new government hopes to take- particularly in the sectors I am interested in. I want to see how much of what is possible we hope to achieve.

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr has been one of the more active ministers since the inauguration. He has been meeting stakeholders and attempting to garner an understanding of what his role over the next few years entails. No doubt, this is commendable. I see his vested interest in Sports and I hope this translates to a greater focus on Sports Development, not only through upgrading sport facilities but also in focusing on developing existing and novel Sports programmes which can provide opportunities for Guyanese to hone their skills and make careers for themselves. There are many, many more Chantoba Brights in our population, I’m sure.

On the flip side, I await the Minister’s engagement through his youth portfolio. It is all good and well to talk about youth development and giving opportunities to youth, during the election period, but now, I would hope that he also focuses on skills training and job readiness for youth, and ensuring that Guyana becomes a more inclusive place for young people- particularly in business, and in politics and decision-making. The National Youth Policy has been languishing for some time now, and that too needs some attention.

My final thought on the work of Minister Ramson (and yes, I do have a vested interest in his portfolio) is the agenda of ‘National Healing’ floated by President Irfaan Ali. Again, I will say, this agenda is a noble and much-needed one, particularly when you consider the fractured, plural society we live in. However, there has been little to no indication of how this will be facilitated, or even what timeline is in place. We no longer have the social cohesion ministry, which I don’t have any qualms with, but imagine that this agenda should fall under the purview of Minister Ramson given that he has responsibility for Culture too. The events over the past few months emphasise the need for national healing, through grassroots engagement- not using a top-down approach.

Speaking about the events of the past few months, constitutional reform remains any tenet that requires dire attention. Senior Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (and a Guyanese!), Arif Bulkan has drawn attention to the hybrid constitutional architecture that Guyana possesses (a fusion of the inherited Westminster system and that of a Republic) which allows for an authoritarian-like government (articulated in his paper “Constitutional Architecture and the Production of Authoritarianism, 2019).

Additionally, due to the historical pro-ethnic voting in Guyana and the ‘Winner-takes-all’ electoral system, places Guyana in a governance conundrum. Constitutional reform, which continues to be something clamoured for year after year, needs to be seriously engaged in. Mr. Bulkan contends that the reforms needed “… requires changes not only to the existing electoral system but also to the processes for selection of the wider bureaucracy and perhaps even the judiciary.” I imagine that reform could also help National Healing, as it has been accepted that the ethnic insecurities underpin our pro-ethnic voting tradition.

I could keep writing about my thoughts of what’s possible, at least over the next five years, but I’m already over my word limit. However, the few things I’ve briefly touched on remain those areas I think about quite a bit, nowadays.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com