PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, during a recent visit to the United States, reassured Guyanese that they have an integral role to play in the country’s development and in the building of a stronger Guyana.

It is an established fact that the Guyanese diaspora in North America, more specifically in the state of New York, is among the largest in the world on a per capita basis.
One only has to traverse certain sections of the Liberty/Richmond Hill, Brooklyn and the Bronx to witness the enormous impact Guyanese are making on the economic and cultural development of those communities.

Many left the shores of Guyana literally empty-handed during the dark days of PNC-R authoritarian rule, but have today established themselves in business, trade, commerce and in the professions.

It is precisely that entrepreneurial spirit and the determination and will to succeed under difficult circumstances that Guyana needs at this period in its development, one that is characterised by unprecedented economic growth and development.

As noted by President Ali during his recent visit, the diaspora is an important part of building a stronger Guyana and an important part of building prosperity in every home.
According to President Ali, “This opportunity gives us a point of honest reflection; it gives you an opportunity to measure those leaders by their narrative[s], measure these so-called leaders by what exactly is their selfish desire.”

The above remarks by the President were made against the backdrop of renewed attempts by the Caribbean-Guyana Institute for Democracy (C-GID) to sow seeds of division in the Guyanese community in the United States, mainly along ethnic and political lines.

That entity has never concealed its dislike for the PPP/C administration and can be seen as an extension of the PNC/APNU, which continues to peddle its false and misleading narrative of being ‘cheated’ out of office in the March 2020 general and regional elections.

It is significant that Guyana’s President made those observations during his engagements with Guyanese of the Brooklyn community, home to a significant number Afro-Guyanese, many of whom have been doing an extraordinary job in the promotion of Guyanese culture and way of life. President Ali expressed his desire to work with the Guyanese community in New York relative to the annual Folk Festival in order to display the true colours and nature of Guyana.

We have much to be proud of as a society. Our multiculturalism and ethnic diversity are being celebrated not only in Guyana, but also in the world at large, especially in our diaspora. As the saying goes, it is easier to take a Guyanese out of Guyana, but not Guyana out of a Guyanese.

Whatever divisions continue to exist in our society, engineered by our colonial masters, such schisms must not be allowed to take root in the Guyanese diaspora.
Unfortunately, there are some individuals and groups whose only relevance and reason for being seem to reside in the stoking of the flames of race and ethnicity. However, as stated by President Ali, such attempts are fruitless and certainly not in our best interest as a society. Our new and emerging “One Guyana” society has no room for individuals of such ilk.  As the President succinctly said, “we’ll crumble the foundation[s] of haters.”