“Independence was not the work of one person or one party. It was the product of a movement of the Caribbean people. It was a process that took place

“We, the Guyanese people are all of immigrants stock. Our forebears, at different periods of history, came from many lands to constitute what is in our own way, our

“In all these matters your willingness to cooperate has been of paramount importance. In many ways it’s your ambition, your experience and your consistent labour which will eventually decide

“While, for others, Independence might mean the symbolic changing of a flag and an anthem, for Guyanese it has been a rejection of the colonial past, the assertion of

“We are at the cusp of great development which my Government intends to see benefits all Guyanese. We must mobilise our best human resources here and in the diaspora

“Democracy is indispensable for sustained social and economic development. Without it, we would be unable to achieve the great aspiration captured in the motto of our nation, of being

“We have to encourage and enhance at all levels of this society, a national conversation as to how we relate to one another and how, in relating positively to

“It takes two hands to clap, and cooperation is by no means a one-way process and our desire for compromise should not be confused with either weakness, fears and

“The travail of the Guyanese people is a saga of courage and defiance, of sacrifices and eventual rejoicing. We came through hard times, but came through we did. “Let

AS Guyanese, we often hear stories of our national heroes, courageous strong men and women who fought so that we could today celebrate Guyana as an independent nation. Names