Dear Editor,

IN A COUNTRY like ours, which is racially divided, the need for social cohesion is essential for long-lasting stability and growth.Long before the Ministry of Social Cohesion was established by the Granger Administration, I have been a strong advocate for the promotion of social cohesion. Years ago, while living in New York, I designed and printed thousands of bumper stickers with the words “My race does not matter… I’m Guyanese and proud of it.” These were brought to Guyana for distribution.

Our two main ethnic groups have historically been divided by racial conflicts and mistrust of each other, so uniting our people would be nothing short of a Herculean task that requires real commitment and dedication. It requires leadership that is perceived to be fair, objective, and truly understanding of the importance TRUST plays in bringing ethnic groups together.

For this reason, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was established under the PPP/C Administration in 2003. It is a constitutional bi-partisan body established as an undertaking by the Herdmanston Accord and by Constitutional Amendment (#2) Act of 2000. Its members require a two-thirds majority vote by Parliament to serve on that Board.

It is intended to serve all Guyanese and persons living or working in Guyana, including those who believe they were discriminated against based on their ethnicity and persons who believe others were discriminated against because of their ethnicity. It also has as its mandate the promotion of harmonious relations between races and the powers of sanction against persons who discriminate.

Unfortunately, this Commission has been destroyed by the PNC, and is now dormant. The establishment of a Ministry of Social Cohesion allows the Granger Administration to secure recognition and grants through friendly International agencies to finance social cohesion programmes, and gives them the incentive to continue subverting the ERC.

The distribution of buses, bicycles and boots to aid schoolchildren could easily have been done through the Ministry of Education. Instead, taxpayers’ money is wasted on the establishment of a brand new ministry which many are convinced mirrors the infamous Ministry of National Mobilization that was setup by the PNC under the late Forbes Burnham as a slush fund to finance PNC activities and garner public support for their re-election campaign.

In a similar manner, the APNU coalition government uses tens of millions of dollars of funds allocated to the Ministry of Social Cohesion to travel throughout the hinterland to promote the Local Government Elections under the guise of promoting social cohesion. This seems to be the sinister ploy behind the creation of the Ministry of Social Cohesion, and putting a hard-core PNC faithful as the minister makes perfect sense.

For social cohesion to work, we must be colour-blind in the way we see each other: not as Indian or black or Amerindian, but as fellow Guyanese. We must develop a higher level of tolerance for each other’s culture and religion. We must learn to respect each other’s views and opinions, moreso when we differ. We must also be made to feel that despite our differences in ethnicity, we all have equal opportunities to realise our God-given potential to better ourselves and families without being discriminated against. How this is achieved is the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Cohesion.
Regards,
HARRY GILL, MP (PPP)