THIS month, September, is significant in a number of important ways. Two major events of national significance are being celebrated this month: Amerindian Heritage Month and Education Month. And as if these two celebrations are not enough, there is also the Caribbean Premier League Cricket Carnival at the National Stadium, Providence, which will certainly add to the air of festivity in this beautiful land of ours.

These activities, although seemingly discrete, are in fact dialectically interconnected and interwoven in the socio-economic and cultural fabric of the Guyanese people. There is, for instance, a close correlation between education and Amerindian development as there is between education and national development. And who could fail to recognise the nexus between education and sports — cricket in particular — and their impact on the cultural and intellectual development of the Guyanese people and for that matter, the society as a whole.

The fact is that the economic and cultural landscape in Guyana is undergoing fundamental structural changes due in part to the impact of oil and gas on the domestic economy, but also to the visionary leadership of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C administration. All sectors of the economy, including the social sectors are benefitting from increased budgetary allocations, thanks to revenues from oil. This is particularly so for education and health which are the foundational pillars of societal development.

In all of this, our indigenous people are not being left behind. President Ali, during an address at the National Stadium in celebration of Amerindian Heritage, gave assurance that Amerindians will not be left out of the country’s development but rather play an integral role in taking the country forward.

“I assure every member of our indigenous community that we stand strongly with you in ensuring that creating a pathway to prosperity will include you, every one of you, every single family, every single region in our indigenous community. Whether it’s the riverine area, whether it’s on the hill or in the valleys, we will find you, we will work with you and we will move you together as we build a country of prosperity for every single family,” President Ali said.

This is one of the main distinguishing characteristic of the PPP/C administration, namely a pro-active and a people-oriented development philosophy, one which puts people at the centre of all policies and programmes implemented by the government. Indeed, there is no part of the country that has not been positively impacted by the policies and programmes of the PPP/C administration. This is especially true of the Amerindian and hinterland communities where the quality of life has been positively impacted by the several policy interventions aimed at the full empowerment of Amerindian people. The longevity rate of the Guyanese people in general and our hinterland people in particular have increased significantly and Amerindians are now the fastest growing segment of the population according to the latest population census.

The PPP/C administration, to its credit, has always taken a holistic and multi-dimensional approach to development. The hosting of a Cricket Carnival to coincide with the CPL finals and semi-finals is a great boost to the tourism sector which, apart from the fun and frolic generated by the games, will also put Guyana on the international cricket stage. As ‘the biggest party in town’, the games this year will take on an additional layer of excitement as the country for the first time in the history of the CPL will host both the finals and the semi-finals.

In the true spirit of the games, the flag of Guyana will fly high and with it the expectations and aspirations of the Guyanese people. Guyana, without doubt, is on the move to higher levels of achievement both from a cultural and economic standpoint. The ‘One Guyana’ vision envisioned by President Ali is already looming large on the Guyanese horizon.