-Teixeira says; hails role of Indigenous people in preserving the environment
MINISTER of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, has said that Guyana’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity should not be used as a weapon of division but as a means to build the nation.
The Minister who was at the time acting as Prime Minister, made these remarks during the recent launch of Guyana’s Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations.
In her address, she stated that, with the observance of Heritage Month, Guyanese must stop to remember that we are blessed as a people to live in a rich multicultural, multiethnic, multireligious and multilinguistic nation.
“Our diversity must not be a weapon of division but our diversity is a way to build a nation,” she remarked.
Against this backdrop, she said that the month is dedicated to all Indigenous people and allows Guyanese to celebrate Amerindian culture, which she underscored is much deeper and wider than just artistic forms, songs, dance and music.
Teixeira highlighted that, for centuries, Indigenous people have been the custodians of the environment and its prime protectors as their sustainable lifestyles over time have helped to maintain Guyana’s forests and keep biodiversity intact.
She went on to add that today there is greater appreciation internationally for the role that Indigenous people have played in protecting the world’s forests while there is also a growing recognition of the importance of the forests themselves.
Consequently, the minister noted that the journey that the country has taken to develop a low-carbon development strategy and use carbon credits to benefit all of the people is the first of its type in the world.
She added that the government is proud to have invested some $4.7 billion back into these Indigenous communities.
“This is an indication of our continued commitment and inclusion of our Indigenous communities in our national development agenda. All Guyanese will benefit from the sustainable transformation of our country,” she remarked.
Against this backdrop, Minister Teixeira indicated that, by harnessing the value of the rainforest through carbon credits, the country was not only protecting its natural heritage but was also setting a precedent for the rest of the world.
She highlighted that the role of Indigenous people in bringing the country to this point is important and as such all Guyanese should recognise their historical stewardship of protecting the environment.
