THE National Assembly Tuesday evening reached consensus on a motion that will see the establishment of a Parliamentary Management Committee and the designation of a day to be observed under the theme, “Parliamentarians Against Interpersonal Violence”.

On this day, the National Assembly will organise appropriate activities to highlight ways in which interpersonal violence can be reduced.
Mover of the Motion, APNU member, Deborah Backer, said that interpersonal violence in Guyana has reached epidemic proportions, despite laudable efforts by government, non-governmental and other organisations.
She said that this is an opportunity for MPs, as elected representatives of the people of Guyana, to stand together in one voice against interpersonal violence.
Meanwhile, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, in her presentation, said that a multi-sectoral approach engaging all key players must be adopted in order to address this issue holistically. She called on role models to be cognisant of their responsibility to mentor young people in a meaningful way.
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, said that the magnitude of the problem cannot be effectively solved by a committee sitting in a room and emphasised the need for a cultural change.
However, he noted it is not realistic to expect that cultural changes, which germinate over time, will occur overnight. He also spoke of finding ways to address the lack of respect and violence in schools.
He said that while he finds no problem with the spirit of the motion, he is not in agreement with the political context in which it was brought to the House.
Alliance for Change (AFC) member, Cathy Hughes spoke in support of the motion, but suggested that it be sent to a select committee to develop a concrete strategy to address this scourge.
Meanwhile, PPP/C MP, Rev. Dr. Kwame Gilbert, said that while Backer’s Motion recognises the problem and offers solutions, it does not clearly map out the implementation process.
He said that, “interpersonal violence is not a problem; it is symptomatic of deeper, more fundamental social problems.”
He said that part of the focus must be on sustained behavioural changes and reminded that such changes cannot be legislated, they have to be regulated. He also said that, apart from government and NGOs, there are other social organisations that are better equipped to deal with this issue, the family being the most basic.
The parliamentary special committee that the House resolved to appoint will be tasked with examining the levels and contributing factors to interpersonal violence in Guyana, and consider existing programmes being implemented by government and civil society aimed at reducing interpersonal violence, and return to the Parliament by November 30 with its considered recommendations on reducing this scourge.