EVERY generation of Guyanese can identify something that defines its time. There was a period when sugar was king. There were years when rice dominated the conversation. Today, it is oil.

The numbers are impressive. Oil production is expected to surpass one million barrels per day by the end of 2026. Guyana has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. New roads are being built. New hospitals are rising. New housing schemes are reshaping communities. Foreign investors are arriving in numbers never seen before.

Yet amid all this growth, an important question remains. As Guyana changes, what must remain the same?

That is why the recent discussions surrounding the Orange Economy are so important.

Too often, culture is viewed as something separate from development. It is placed in the category of entertainment, festivals and heritage events. It is celebrated during holidays, anniversaries and commemorative occasions and then quietly pushed to the side while “serious” conversations about the economy continue.

That thinking misses the point entirely.

Culture is not separate from development. Culture is development.

Long before Guyana discovered oil, before foreign investors arrived and before international headlines spoke of economic growth, there was already something valuable here: our music, our food, our languages and dialects, our folklore, our Indigenous traditions, our literature, our festivals, our art and our stories. That is what made us Guyanese.

The challenge facing Guyana today is not simply how to grow wealth. The challenge is how to grow while preserving identity.

Around the world, countries have learned that economic transformation can sometimes come with unintended consequences. Communities change. Traditions fade. Younger generations become disconnected from their heritage. Local culture is replaced by imported influences. Progress occurs, but something valuable is lost along the way.

This is why the conversation about the Orange Economy matters.

At its heart, the Orange Economy is not merely about creating jobs for artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers or craft producers. It is about recognising that culture itself has value. Not just sentimental value, but economic value, social value and national value.

When a Guyanese artist paints a local scene, when an Indigenous craft producer preserves traditional techniques, when a writer tells Guyanese stories, when a chef promotes local cuisine, when a musician creates music rooted in our experiences, they are doing more than earning an income.

They are protecting pieces of who we are. And that protection has become increasingly important.

As Guyana celebrates 60 years of Independence, there is a growing recognition that development cannot be measured solely in economic statistics. A nation is not defined only by its GDP, its oil production or the size of its infrastructure projects.

A nation is also defined by its character. It is defined by the stories it tells, the traditions it preserves and the values it passes on.

This is perhaps why President Dr. Irfaan Ali has repeatedly spoken about protecting the “soul of the nation”. Economic growth can build roads and buildings. It can create opportunities and improve lives. But it cannot, on its own, preserve identity.

That responsibility belongs to all of us.

The Orange Economy therefore represents something bigger than business.

It is an opportunity to ensure that as Guyana becomes wealthier, it does not become less Guyanese.

Because when future generations look back on this period of transformation, they should not only see what we built. They should also recognise who we remained.