IN the last three years, Chambers of Commerce between Guyana and four or five foreign countries have been founded or resuscitated and among the most important of these is the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce. At the end of January, the Suriname-Guyana Chamber elected its Board of Directors, the majority of whom are well-known persons who have interests in both countries. These include Dr Vishnu Doerga, Chairman; Mr Deryk Klaverweide, Vice President; Mr Mark Sookhai,Treasurer; Mr Samuel Glasgow, Secretary with Directors Rogier Simson, Ms Alista Bishop, Mr Sachin Pritipaul (Jr); Mr Jimmy Manna, Ms Charlene Tjon-Sien-Kie, Ms Anuskha Sonai and Ms Gaytri Rampersad with Mr Rahul Lildhar as Chief Executive Officer.

The entire board consists of executives of vibrant companies and are traditional businessmen and women, except for Mr Sam Glasgow, a young, able, practising lawyer who will contribute the peculiar skills and cast of mind of his noble profession.

Like the Corentyne Bridge, the chamber is a welcome addition to the many things that bring Suriname and Guyana closer. Guyana and Suriname were, over the last three centuries, one country longer than there were separate entities. The Dutch founded Guyana while Suriname was founded by the British, and though they had changed hands over the centuries, each imperial power left its stamp on them.

Suriname’s lingua franca, Sranam Tongo, once known as “Talkie-talkie” or Neger Engels, for example, is an English Creole and could easily be understood and spoken by any Guyanese who lives in Suriname for a few months. This came about because the English founded Suriname. Up to the early 19th century, Suriname Dutch was spoken along the Guyana rivers; today, there are still many Dutch words in Guyanese speech.

In 1667, the Dutch, who had owned what is now New York had captured the English colony of Suriname, and at the Treaty of Breda, decided to give New Amsterdam (later New York ) to the English in exchange for Suriname and Suriname remained Dutch from that time. Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice continued to be Dutch until 1815, when the Treaty of Paris surrendered these colonies to the British, who united them and named them British Guiana. Both Guyana and Suriname, therefore, shared many common influences in the formation of their Social, Economic and Cultural life, and this results in Guyana and Suriname being very much in the image of each other.

It would be apposite to elucidate further the theme of Guyana and Suriname being much in each other’s image: the geography of Suriname and Guyana is the same — mountains, rivers, forests, drainage and irrigation problems; their economies used to be based on rice and sugar and then bauxite and today it is oil, but they are both determined to avoid the “Resource Curse” and are striving to keep their economies diversified.

Their histories of slavery and indentureship, though not identical, are similar, and these forces have shaped the ethos and the racial composition of their populations, with their folk cultures being much the same. Though their official languages are English and Dutch, the ordinary Surinamese and Guyanese find it very easy to communicate with each other.

Though Suriname uses the Civil Law and Guyana uses the English Common Law, their legal assumptions are essentially the same; indeed, until 1914, Guyana used the Civil Law and Surinamese lawyers sometimes practised in Guyana. The constitutions of Guyana and Suriname do not differ much from each other, and Guyanese and Surinamese fit very easily into each other’s countries.

Until the first half of the 20th century, thousands of Surinamese emigrated to Guyana, and they were quickly assimilated and in Corentyne, many families lived on both sides of the border. Likewise, from the beginning of Guyana’s economic collapse in the 1960s, it is estimated that between 60,000 to 70,000 Guyanese emigrated to Suriname to escape the hardship in their country and these were received with kindness and full acceptability and quickly integrated into Surinamese society. This is not strange, since Guyanese and Surinamese instinctively recognise their sameness.

Guyana and Suriname could cooperate far more closely than they do today, bringing greater social, economic and political benefits to both territories. Indeed, the time may have arrived for the two territories to form a Confederation within CARICOM, distinct from a Federation. It should be recalled that the West Indies Federation was transformed into CARICOM, a mere economic union. A Confederation is a looser union than a Federation, allowing for greater individuality to accommodate small numbers in either territory who may have reservations regarding a closer union. It will be a creative step if, in the foreign ministries of both countries, an officer or small unit is specially charged with working towards all facets of closer relations.