ICONIC natural landmarks dot this country from coast to coast, including the Kaieteur Falls, Roraima Mountain, and such places as the local tourist destination, Fort Island, and lesser known ones like the rubber trees at Mabaruma which short-sighted local officials wanted to slash and burn, and then there are the common man-made landmarks that define populated communities across the coast, such as the major market centres, Stabroek, Bourda, New Amsterdam, Anna Regina, Parika, Port Mourant, and Charity and Corriverton, along with the recreational evening liming spot, the Kingston seawall. As the nation ramps up new development and launches mega projects across the land, these iconic community historic centres cannot be forgotten and left behind, but must come into focus for upgrade, improved design, and futuristic development.
These public spaces and market centres bring Guyanese together in a sweet spot of community togetherness, and on display one could see the exemplary Guyanese multiculturalism at work in all its resplendent colourful liveliness, a multi-ethnic people who, over their 55 years of Independence from colonial rule, learned to co-exist in peace, progress and prosperity, overcoming challenges and obstacles and odds, beating every roadblock that shows up, to today stand on the threshold of not only monumental socioeconomic development, but greatness on the 21st century world stage as the legendary Guyanese nation.
Folks who ferment a blind viewpoint that this nation suffers from deep racism fail to walk the path of Guyanese every day as they rub shoulders on the street, a people living with loud laughter and tremendous mirth and easy cooperation. Though not at all a paradise or a society without aberrations and imperfections and short-comings, it seems that it is only at the abstract levels of the society, like among those who dwell within some narrow academia walls, or slow-witted politicians, or old out-worn former leaders who see the world in black and white, only these launch a negative tirade of division and schisms in the body politic upon the society’s soul. Thankfully, today they are fading fast. So the Guyanese nation advances, leaving behind such narrow-minded people to fend for their own short-comings, and hopefully one day they would catch up with the progressive movement of the nation.
Such progressive movements must include the old iconic centres, which have served this country well over the past five-plus decades. Were the markets to see a new visionary make-over into modern establishments that, while still serving their market purposes for which they evolved, present an aesthetic, artistic, ambitious set of local landmarks to their communities, how inspired and motivated people would be across the country.
Is there any reason why the Stabroek Market could not be made-over, with a second story that becomes a mall as glitzy as the Giftland Mall? Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, indicated that this market and the wharf aback of it would be upgraded and enhanced. Such plans do well to include futuristic design and a vision for a world class Georgetown recreation centre.
The Splashmins transformation of an ordinary creek on the Linden highway into what is today a an aesthetic national recreation icon, and the development that turned Mainstay Lake into an aqua resort of international appeal, and the rolling out of several eco-tourism spots and resorts in Bartica and other places, these showcase the amazing possibilities for Guyanese to transform their ordinary places into brilliant new visionary projects.
How could the markets become digital hotbeds? How could these spaces tap into the new global society whereby innovation and digital online enterprises and ecommerce play a major role in their operation? As planners and visionaries roll out the new Guyana, looking at the status quo to see how new thinking could be applied to old iconic spaces and places where Guyanese have come to rely on for their cultural, social and economic well-being would contribute greatly to the country’s rapid rise.
In the private sector, such creativity, to come up with brilliant ideas and initiatives and design concepts, to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, is a natural playbook. Hence, it would be fruitful for GO-Invest and other catalyst organisations to brainstorm and mind-map constantly for new ideas and new thinking and new visions, and to network with national private sector bodies, to see how new projects could transform the old, ordinary side of Guyana, into spanking new visionary projects that bring value and uplift to local communities.
Government is rolling out new communities with new housing schemes, and transforming virgin land into thriving futuristic spaces. In this scenario, the old, common areas could do with some local development attention.
Such attention, though, lies within the realm of local leaders, mostly within regional and municipal Government and organisations like the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and other such outlying rural bodies.
Guyanese cannot leave such thinking only to Central Government or the big private sector players. Locally, every person could dream up new ways of transforming their community, of doing their bit to help the country move into the future, and at the same time build personal enterprises.
Were this country to see a major movement and new thinking within regional and municipal administrations, working with their local private sector operators, and other stakeholders, to transform their public markets into futuristic new spaces that still accommodate their market purposes, but also be upgraded and uplifted into new purposes, what a wonderful contribution to local life it would be all across the country.
Government is showing what could be accomplished when big thinking is applied to the job of how Guyanese see their country. In President Ali’s speeches, Guyanese hear a constant flow of visionary and ambitious thinking, and this is replicated among all the Ministers. Such a mindset on the local front across every village and town and the city would generate a Guyana that hums with excited prospects, seeing the converting of the ordinary iconic landmarks into something of extraordinary Guyanese accomplishment.
