Garnering the components of development beyond the familiar is a challenge of courage

I HAVE written several articles over the past years on the subject of expanding the ability to earn that would involve considered sections of the masses that may have been taken for granted before. ‘We’, in this context ‘Guyanese’, have not come to terms with the methodology of how development can be accelerated from community to community, based on needs and the possible interest development of what always is a diverse collection of humanity and talents.

But this can only happen on the basis of gathering the expertise of said local talents that are demonstrating, by independent efforts, the skill to fill simple import niches that are good enough, with adjustments here and there that can be a sufficient parallel choice.

We haven’t yet moved away from the structures of colonialism. Tucking emotions away, we have to realise, through clinical observation, what the ‘Aces’ were that the colonisers, apart from weapons and mental and physical brutality, invested against us. What more did they throw on the table? One answer would be products that exceeded in durability against anything else that stood on the shelf in competition. Even among themselves, that competition was, and still is, evident.

In Guyana as well as in most other post-colonial States, the drive to explore the borders of potential within is viewed from a distance. The ‘Guild’ structures were never formed; no authority has existed to impose or even encourage, at any level, that local enthusiasm across social and political fences towards in-house standards that can also be exported towards creating a niche within any strata of economic representation that is of ‘Guyanese’.

Both Jamaica and Trinidad have transcended tourism with their Reggae music, Calypso, and Steel Band ‘brands’ and do benefit their populations and national image. But more than that, they do have product lines on our shelves that can hold up to scrutiny, however, we must extend beyond our traditional group of standard export quality business, in our case, owned by Guyanese. This is important to recognise as follows: Some years ago, I had a client who wanted an ‘ad’ placed in a Jamaican newspaper.

To make the payment, I was instructed to send the money to Canada, but I then realised that the papers were not locally owned. As far as I knew, the local papers, though in one case had received a hefty grant from a foreign nation that would have come with stipulations, were all local, though they, too, have their stories.

NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING
Foreign investment is not a negative thing in a small country, if local ownership is based on national stipulations that are conceptualised towards necessary levels of protection. This means that the local laws must provide all necessary standard provisions in expectation of what may be high-handedly asserted by a more astute investor, if such preventions are not available. Taking into consideration that the roots of business is profit, the origins of profit can be centered on ‘greed’ like the origins of colonisation.

I’ve learnt years ago that no Art-based production can be sensibly registered in Guyana, with the intention that it makes it safe from local or external piracy or plagiarism. Thus, many of us are forced to use the Library of Congress, though this does not frighten the more aggressive of creative thieves. But it can benefit you in the long-run, if they make money and you can attract a good lawyer. One of the areas of developing any product line rests with expanding the awareness of the fact that quality control is a crucial ingredient that, if not enforced, your product can have a very short life on the market, whether it’s a baseball cap, clothes hanger, pillowcase or wooden in-and-out tray.

Recently, a friend came home from England for a holiday. He works with a company that tests the durability of new products; let’s say doors. They place products under rigid tests to verify what they can endure. This is the kind of product production we’re up against; we’re not there yet.

Our agri-produce have had bad reports over pesticides and the current dangerous use of ‘artificial ripening’ that is also causing tensions locally towards our own farm products. We have a far way to go, and may need laws to bring some people in line. With respect to the colonising First World, our relationship is far from over. For instance, in Art, support tools for commercial usage that are dependable, our choices are German, English and American products, Swiss drawing pencils etc.

But when the talent is homegrown and can compete, earn standard income, we then are building bridges, if at the end of the day, others can be inspired in any of the areas mentioned, then the citizenry will become better composed, and with their own negotiating finance, enough to explore new local products. Then and only then we’re on our way.

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