RACE relations in Guyana are generally good. Despite our diversity, we are a peaceful and cohesive society. The Guyanese people live in a state of cordiality and harmony; we do not dislike each other because of how we look. This is why any attempt to divide our people along racial or ethnic lines must be condemned by all those who cherish the ideals of a peaceful and harmonious Guyana. The fact of the matter is that no individual is born with racial instincts and predispositions.  To a large extent, racial prejudice is a learned behavioural trait. It follows, therefore, that what is learnt can also be unlearnt, provided, of course, that there is an open mind and a willingness to embrace the facts in an objective and unbiased manner. We only need to observe our children at school to have a better understanding of this truth. They learn and play together, completely oblivious of each other’s race or ethnicity.

It is precisely out of this thinking that President Dr. Irfaan Ali has initiated the ‘One Guyana’ project, which has as its principal objective the bringing together of all Guyanese, regardless of race, ethnicity, colour, class or political affiliation under one overarching Guyanese umbrella. We have had our political moments in the past, when attempts were made to manipulate our diversity for narrow political ends. The experiences of the early 1960s still continue to linger in our collective memory. Thankfully, we have gone past that painful episode in our history, and we have become wiser and much more matured politically. Guyanese have learnt from the lessons of the past, and are becoming less tolerant of the divide-and-rule tactics employed by our erstwhile colonial masters to divide us.

The truth is that people in Guyana are much more discerning, and are better able to see behind the political smokescreen created by those who are trying to use race and ethnicity to foster their own political ends. This was precisely the case recently when a grouping of opposition politicians sought to sell a wrong and misleading narrative of political and racial discrimination in Guyana at a Brooklyn rally. This attempt to ‘externalise’ a false and misleading narrative by the APNU+AFC coalition has not gone unnoticed by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration. Both President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and Prime Minister Mark Phillips, in separate statements, have debunked the allegations, and chided the main opposition party for their reckless actions aimed at undermining democracy, and sowing the seeds of division in the country.

In similar vein, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira has penned a letter to members of the United States Congress and other international partners to correct a number of lies and misinformation being peddled by the political opposition. As Minister Teixeira noted in her letter to the Congressmen, it is both hypocritical and mischievous for the APNU+AFC coalition to accuse the current administration of wrongdoings for which the coalition was guilty of during its term in office. She highlighted the numerous acts of political and racial discrimination meted out to persons perceived to members and supporters of the PPP when it assumed power in May 2015. The fact of the matter is that the PPP/C administration has always been even handed in the way it treated with the Guyanese people. This is manifested in its housing policy, access to education and healthcare delivery, and a host of other policy measures implemented by the State.

Whatever else can be said about the current PPP/C administration, it has always embraced a policy of inclusive and participatory governance. As a political party, it is the largest multi-ethnic party, with significant support from all segments of the population. This is not to suggest that the need to continue the search for a more inclusive and participatory form of governance is over. Governance in an ethnically diverse country is not without its challenges, and Guyana is no different in this regard. What matters in the final analysis are the measures taken not only to create a level playing field for all, but for citizens to feel that they are actively involved in the process of economic and social transformation. It is in this context that the ‘One Guyana’ platform initiated by President Ali has to be seen. Guyana is a secular State, and there is no place for ethnocentric or myopic forms of behaviour or expressions. All Guyanese, regardless of race or politics, have a role to play in national development, and must be the true beneficiaries of our patrimony.