Diaspora times march 2016

DIASPORA TIMES MONTHLY NEWSMAGAZINE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3

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JUST A THOUGHT

The US Immigration

Debate Revisited

Oil - Origin Economics And

Politics (Part II)

I n T h e N e w s

GUYANA - INDEPENDENCE MAY 2016

Guyana To Review Honorary Consuls

WORLDWIDE

How Can Guyana Make The Best Use Of Its Tourism Resources

New Airstrip To Boost Tourism in Guyana

Servant Leadership Principles, Practice And Ethics

MARCH 2016 TIMELINE OF AMERICA’S NEW COURSE WITH CUBA


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THE REPUBLIC IS YOUNGER THAN OUR INDEPENDENCE

By Desmond Roberts

F or those of us who were around and can re-

member, British Guiana was one big ABC

school (ABC can mean whatever you want it to

be) for all who lived here, whether one could read and

write or not. Between Jagan and Burnham, we re-

ceived an education on comprador capitalism, coloni-

alism and neocolonialism, democratic centralism; and

on all the ‘actors’ in the Caribbean and Africa from

Arbenz and Trujillo to Nkrumah and Lumumba. Brit-

ish Guiana was fighting Great Britain for independent

status that the USA had said that England must give to

all beneath the sun.

Not only were we struggling to throw off the stigma of

being a colony but we were also battling to see who

would lead Guyana into managing this newly found

freedom. Although we had been granted an advanced

constitution, our internecine struggles had seen Jamai-

ca and Trinidad and Tobago raise their new flags be-

fore we did. Guyana had not been part of the failed

West Indies Federation but there was still that yearn-

ing to be part of this complex social and historical re-

ality.

Independence brought Guyana much improved infra-

structure, greater equality and a stronger say in our

international affairs 50 years ago. The Queen could

occasionally visit and wave to her titular subjects but

we began to control how we would be educated, how

we would celebrate our culture and how we would

nurture our religious diversity and our young people.

We were still a primary producing country, exporting

what we had inherited, subject to the whims of a capri-

cious buyer’s market.

There are still many older Guyanese today who say

that we should have remained a colony since we seem

not to be able to manage our own affairs. What they

really want is predictability. But we sought more. Just

as Simon Bolivar, Nkrumah, Mandela, Gandhi, Mao

Tse Tung and the Founding Fathers of the United

States also sought more. We wanted to analyze our

condition, fashion systems to overcome our deficits

and initiate programs to build a country and a people.

Guyana became a Republic 46 years ago. We are now

free to make our mistakes and to be big enough to al-

most start over as we are doing now; free to believe

that we can build a country from honest endeavor, re-

specting our institutions and earning respect in the re-

gion and the world. We can do so because we are Guy-

anese and together we possess everything to make our-

selves a success.

Independence is older than our Republic. However,

independence is an event, our being a republic is a

process

Editorial- March 2016


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Diaspora Times March 2016

Issue 2, Volume 3

Editorial Board:

Chairman: Desmond Roberts

Editor: Karen Sinclair

Members: Dr. Rohan Somar,

Ave Maria Haynes, Dr. Lear Matthews,

Hugh Hamilton, Freddie Shivdat

March 2016 Design and Graphics:

Richard Hooper Distribution:

Eleanor Hunte

Submissions & Letters:

[email protected]

Advertising:

[email protected]

Reprints & Copies:

[email protected]

Disclaimer:

The views expressed and information provided in articles published in this magazine are the responsibility of

the individual contributors and not of the Diaspora Times.

2 Desmond Roberts

Editorial - Republic younger Than Independence

4 Dr. Lear Matthews

U.S. Immigration Debate Revisited: Politics, Economics and Nativism

6 Desmond Roberts

Oil - Origin, Economics and Politics (Part 1)

8 Dr. Shamir A. Ally

Servant Leadership Principles, Practices & Ethics

10 Annan Boodram

Acharya Arun Gossai Lives his message

14 Kwesi McDavid

How Can Guyana Make The Best Use Of Its Tourism Resources

In The News

17 Victory For The People

18 New Airstrip To Boost Tourism In Guyana

19 Guyana To Review Honorary Consuls

Worldwide

20 & 21 Time Line of America’s

New course with Cuba

30 Just A Thought

34 Guyana A Proposed Model For Integrated

Health Care

Table of Contents


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THE U.S. IMMIGRATION DEBATE

By Dr. Lear Matthews PART II

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

I n the aftermath of

the president of the

United States’ un-

veiling of a plan to take

legislative action to insti-

tute immigration reform,

the reaction, though

mostly favorable has

been welcomed with

some ambivalence. What

is the potential impact of

the legislation on Guya-

nese and Caribbean immigrants, specifically the un-

documented and deportees? An analysis of these key

dimensions of the debate and possible solutions are

delineated in this article.

The US government’s proposed immigration reform

plan could give hope to millions of undocumented im-

migrants and relief to families. The intent is to accom-

modate undocumented immigrants and tighten border

security. However, to attach “improving border securi-

ty” as a condition for executing other parts of the pro-

posed bill, seems starkly political. It is important to

note that immigrants come to the US to have a better

life and not the live off welfare benefits.

The controversial “Safe Communities Program”

whereby local authorities are given the mandate to de-

tain undocumented immigrants, is partly responsible

for the decrease in immigration, but has affected the

lives of Caribbean immigrants. Designed to focus on

those undocumented with criminal violations, many

without such a record have been detained, causing un-

lawful separation of families. The Department of

Homeland Security promised to revamp that system.

Some stark Realities:

In tough economic times, ‘voluntary re-migration’ and

deportations are higher than normal. During the

1930’s US Great depression, there was mass deporta-

tion of Mexicans, and English speaking Caribbean na-

tionals voluntarily re-migrated. Today, as jobs become

scarce and detention awaits, many potential immi-

grants decide to stay with their families in the home

country.

President Obama masterfully endorsed the DREAM

Act, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Ameri-

cans) as a preemptive strike against the Republicans

and the Border States. However, Latinos and other

immigrants who voted en masse for the president are

now demanding their ‘pound of flesh’.

Within the framework of the proposed immigration

reform, it appears that mainly the “educated immi-

grant” will be wooed to the US. Businesses will still

have a pool of undocumented to exploit. Preference

for the well-educated and skilled may favor Caribbean

immigrants. There is a significant number of tertiary

Deportation and Caribbean Immigrants


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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Deportation & Caribbean immigrants

educated Guyanese and others from the Caribbean

who may qualify for consideration if the correct com-

bination of age, place of birth, family reunification

criteria or “needed skills” can be presented. But immi-

grants are needed in both high skilled professions and

low skilled, menial jobs.

One of the criteria outlined in the vision for a 21st cen-

tury immigration policy is “learning English”. Per-

haps this means that those from the English-speaking

Caribbean would be one notch closer to the path to-

ward legal permanent residency and citizenship be-

cause of their English language proficiency. The ma-

jority of undocumented Caribbean immigrants entered

the US legally, but overstayed their Visas. Under the

pending Reform, it would be interesting to see wheth-

er this category of violation is treated the same as ille-

gal entrants. The evaluation process for legalization of

undocumented Caribbean immigrants poses a curious

situation. In this regard, a colleague posited: “This

legislation seems hardly likely to improve the condi-

tions of the type of illegal immigrants we might

have.” Despite the large number of Caribbean immi-

grants, they have not been in the forefront of the im-

migration reform conversation which is usually

framed as a Mexican border issue. A fact that is un-

derplayed is that there are also undocumented Cauca-

sian immigrants.

Under the Obama administration, an unprecedented

number of immigrants, including significant numbers

from the English speaking Caribbean, have been de-

ported. Allegedly, the president’s move to institute an

elevated deportation program was to demonstrate that

the Democrats are “tough on immigration.” Simulta-

neously, deportees are blamed for the increase in

crime in Guyana and other Caribbean countries, pos-

ing challenges for those governments.

Possible Solutions:

A Congressionally approved bi-partisan Comprehen-

sive Immigration Bill with input from advocacy or-

ganizations, rather than Executive Orders would be

more effective.

Caribbean immigrants may benefit more from the

H1B (Work) Visa policy of prioritizing the granting

of visas to “professional immigrants” including those

in technology. Caribbean immigration advocacy

groups should lobby to reform the Dream Act to in-

clude the undocumented who overstayed their Visas.

This supports a logical human resource argument.

Historically, Caribbean immigrants have displayed

high motivation, which proves to be well received by

the growing service economy. Hopefully this will

continue. Known for their emphasis on formal educa-

tion and training, Caribbean immigrants could benefit

from the DREAM Act, which would make state tui-

tion assistance and scholarship funding available for

undocumented residents. In addition, Caribbean im-

migrants demonstrate values such as readiness to

work, ambition for their children and priority for edu-

cation and discipline, all of which should enhance the

criteria for a path to citizenship.

Studies have shown that not all deportees have a

criminal record, but there is little trust in the law en-

forcement system at home. As a way of reintegrating

deportees, I recommend adopting the Family Unifica-

tion and Resettlement Initiative (FURI), established

by a New York-based hometown association in col-

laboration with the Jamaican government and non-

governmental agencies, to assist deportees. Since

many deportees do not have close relatives in the

home country, that organization initially arranged ac-

commodation to assist them in the early stages of

their return. Sustained financial and other needed help

is provided, including the provision of land for com-

mercial farming with the use of greenhouse technolo-

gy. The goal is to help them with education, to estab-

lish their own businesses and to become self-

sufficient. Under this initiative, drug abuse and alco-

hol counseling services are provided by volunteer

professionals.

Lear Matthews is a Professor at SUNY, Empire State

College in New York. A certified clinical Social

Worker, Lear earned a BS and MA in Sociology and

an MSW and PhD in Social Work.


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OIL- ORIGIN ECONOMICS

AND POLITICS By Desmond Roberts

G uyana finds itself fac-ing the prospect of ei-ther the blight of oil or

the fight for substantial quanti-ties of oil recently discovered by Exxon-Mobil in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone. Many countries have been mesmer-ized by the black gold that took millions of years to form under

our soils or seas. Its vital energy bearing properties create greed and corruption. Greedy, powerful forc-es wish to have more control of the resource than

those who own the oil – the people.

Asphalt from oil pits was discovered and used to pave roads in Babylon in Iraq over 4,000 years ago. Primitive oil wells were reported in China in 647 AD and bamboo was used to extract natural gas for heat and lights. Arab and Persian chemists had distilled oil for use in lamps in the 12th century. In the Caribbean region, Sir Walter Raleigh recorded the pitch lakes of Trinidad in 1595. It is claimed Russia was the site of the first well from which refined oil was extracted in the form of kerosene, used for lighting lamps. Alt-hough drilling was concentrated mainly in Pennsylva-nia in the USA, the first country to record official out-


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put from oil drilling was Romania in 1859. There were several efforts in Russia, Poland and Romania as well as in the US to drill and refine oil, mainly as kerosene.

The US civil war in the 1860s might have contributed significantly to the growth of the oil industry in the middle and western states. Major oil finds, extraction and refining methods, led to heavy increases in oil production and, combined with better refining meth-ods, catapulted the USA to the top oil producing country.

In the meantime, the discovery of the internal com-bustion engine, the use of lead batteries and the elec-tric starter precipitated serious competition among Britain, Europe and the USA to develop a motorized vehicle. Benz, Mercedes and Daimler in Germany; Citroen in France; Fiat in Italy and Morris in the UK were developing motor vehicles. Unfortunately the world’s environment did not escape, but came close to being saved, the present level of pollution by hav-ing the quieter and more efficient electric vehicles. Electrical energy powered narrow-radius, public transportation in the form of tramcars and trollies. However, the long time it took to charge heavy lead batteries to power cars, made attractive the choice of electrically started cars (versus hand cranked) cou-pled with the ease of putting gasoline into vehicle tanks.

From a total US crude oil production of 4,000 barrels in 1859, the figure jumped to over 4 million barrels in 1869 and almost quintupled to 20 million ten years later. However, it was the improvement in the devel-opment of steel (and pipelines), the steam engine, and railways that opened up areas in which oil could be exploited. With average increases of 19 million barrels every decade, output in 1899 surpassed 57 million barrels. The discovery of the massive Spindletop Geyser in Texas in 1901 heralded an oil boom. By 1902, over 1500 oil companies were regis-tered in the USA though only a handful survived. In 1906, crude oil production was 126.5 million barrels! Standard Oil, big operators, superior political con-tacts, organization and pipeline control for exports soon dominated the market with fewer than twenty companies. By 1909, the US was producing as much crude oil (and exporting internally and externally by pipeline too), as the rest of the world combined.

World War 1 and the development of tanks, aircraft

and other vehicles of war made oil a strategic prod-

uct. The end of the devastating European conflict in

1919 and the discovery of large quantities of oil in the

Middle East would produce the challenging, ongoing

military, economic and political dynamic that Guyana

must now confront.

mailto:[email protected]


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C onflicts, disharmonies and disagreements are daily global occurrences. It may take hercule-an efforts by citizens of Guyana to incorpo-

rate and inculcate Servant Leadership principles, practices and ethics at all levels of the society. Serv-ant Leadership will be a valuable asset as Guyana cel-ebrates its 50th Golden Jubilee on 26 May 2016, and works toward National economic, social, spiritual, cultural and entrepreneurial improvement.

Seven KEY items are Vision, Team, Plan, Re-sources, Execution, Leadership and Evalua-tion.

VISION: It is critical to clearly establish vision in consultation with others, to enable refinements. The BIG PICTURE will be supremely helpful if goals are to be accomplished.

TEAM: No person possesses all knowledge, so it will be smart to work in teams to boost cross fer-tilization of ideas, plans, hopes, dreams, and goals. Inclusion of many persons with various skill sets will move the particular vision toward execu-tion. DO NOT SELECT ONLY PERSONS WHO WILL AGREE WITH YOU, as critical constructive evalua-tions will be needed.

PLAN: Successful ventures start with a plan that must be constantly updated with applicable time-lines for each line item.

RESOURCES: The availability and quantity of hu-man, financial and material resources can be criti-

cal at various stages to ensure project success.

EXECUTION: Many superb visions, ideas or plans die at this phase for many reasons, including lack of project management skills. A “take charge, get it done” person, will enable successful execution.

LEADERSHIP: The goal of leadership is to set the

example from the top, utilizing active listening. To

be successful, servant leaders need to be strategic

listeners, celebrate successes, coach DO NOT

TELL, and cultivate learning attitudes.

EVALUATION: It is very important to do construc-tive critical analysis at various stages, to review and to make the necessary refinements aimed at present and future improvements.

The term Servant-Leadership was first coined in a 1970 essay titled “The Servant as Leader”, by Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990). Greenleaf, born in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA, spent most of his organizational life in the field of management research, develop-ment, and education at AT&T. Greenleaf’s ten attrib-utes to Servant Leadership are: Listening, Empathy, Healing, Awareness, Persuasion, Conceptualization, Foresight, Stewardship, Commitment to the growth of people, and Building community.

One may recognize Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as exemplars of Servant Leadership. Locally, an inspiring list of Guyanese comes to mind, including Peter D'Aguiar, Nathaniel Critchlow, UG Vice Chancellor Dr. Dennis Irvine, Oscar Clarke, CCH;

SERVANT LEADERSHIP,

PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES

AND ETHICS

By Professor Dr. Shamir A. Ally, Ph.D. MBA.


9

Justice Donald Trotman, CCH, Sattaur Gafoor, CCH, the late Harold Davis and the late Sir Donald Jackson. My philanthropic activities may also serve as useful examples of Servant Leadership. Between 2006 and 2015, I made to the UG Library, donations of new textbooks on the subjects of Accounting, Manage-ment, Economics, Project Management, Strategic Management, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Busi-ness, Languages, and Health, to the value of G$19,115,400 (US $95,577) . I also gave generously of my time to perform research on the 2007 World

Cup Cricket to help Guyana.

Dr. Shamir A. Ally, Professor of Management, William Loveland College/ILM, MBA Program; Professor, Greenleaf University; Adjunct Professor, DeSales Uni-versity, MBA, Program; External Ed.D. Examiner George Washington University; Visiting Professor at Qatar University, Romanian-American U, & University of Guyana; CEO & President, International Consulting Services; and Deputy Chairman, Guyana Office for In-vestment GO-Invest.


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B orn in Guyana and raised in New York City, he embod-ies simplicity and humility

and exhibits a refreshing open-mindedness that is the very antith-esis of the mindsets of traditional religionists. This may be partly be-cause Acharya Arun Gossai did not come naturally to religious activ-ism, in spite of having a father, the well-known Prakash Gossai, former Guyana presidential adviser, who was both his inspiration and exem-plar. In fact, after completing his formal education at Stony Brook University, Arun worked in corpo-rate America for three years before ‘the inner call’ sent him to India

where he became immersed in the study of Hindu philosophy. That was in 2011. Three rigorous years later, he returned to New York as an Acharya or teacher, associated with the Chinmaya Mission. The mission was established in India in 1953 by Swami Chinmayanand to disseminate Vedanta, or the teach-ings of the Vedas. It currently has 250 centers worldwide and Achar-ya Arun is the head of New York Center.

Arun was born in Georgetown, Guyana, to Leila and Prakash Gossai. His mother hailed from the Pomeroon in Essequibo and his dad from Handsome Tree, Mahai-ca, East Coast Demerara. His line-age from both parents is that of “educators in the field of Science and Spirituality”. At the age of six months, Arun migrated to the US along with his father, mother and sister. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York City, where he gained ‘street smarts’ at a very early age, learning especially “who and who not to associate with” thereby making “growing up in Brooklyn easy”. As a matter of fact, Arun

helped others from an early age to “make the same right choices in regards to company and work ethic that would pave the way for suc-cess in future life”. From Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, New York City to Stony Brook University and a degree in finance, Arun then entered the world of work as an Accounting Manager with HAVAS Worldwide, a global marketing firm.

Growing up under the guidance of his parents who instilled trust in him and his sister, from a very ten-der age, Arun says, “It's because of the trust my parents had in me that I always thought about the consequences of my actions and acted accordingly to secure the good name of my family”. His fa-ther, a educator turned eminent priest, always ensured by way of “his community work both here in America and abroad”, that Arun had “a strong spiritual upbringing as well as a sense of the im-portance of selfless service in the world”.

And so realizing that his job was not fulfilling and therefore deciding

Acharya Arun Gossai Lives his Message

By Annan Boodram


11

to follow his inner calling, Arun left for Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Chin-maya Mission's premier institute for Vedantic learning located in Mumbai, India, to pursue his philo-sophical studies via Vedantic texts and other Hindu philosophical scriptures and “to seek answers to life’s questions”. Additional time was spent at ashrams in Delhi and Bombay. There his aim to serve society with love became a resolve, one that is informed by an under-standing that he will grow and learn with his experiences. Thus, after being conferred with title of Acharya, he departed India, in-spired by his gurus’ (teachers) - Swami Gopal Sharan Dev Acharyaji, Swami Tejomayanandaji, Swami Advayanandaji and Swami Sharadanandaji - who taught him the Upanishads, Ramayan, Bhaga-vad Gita and about 96 other texts of Hinduism.

Even as he now propounds on and propagates the lessons of Vedanta and Hinduism in general, Arun is quick to credit members of the Gossai family as his inspiration. His father, Prakash Gossai, “was the example of selflessness as he treat-ed all children like his very own and tried his best to genuinely help others in need with his many tal-ents and knowledge of spirituality”. His mother, Leila Gossai, “has al-ways been a pillar of strength and determination showing that all things worth achieving in life come with hard work, taking risks and faith in the Higher Being”. Arun's 94 year-old Aja (paternal grand fa-ther), “continues to be a reservoir

of knowledge and guidance”.

His mission aside, Arun’s likes in-clude “being in the company of good people and discussing topics that will better add to a fulfilled life”. Dislikes include “being in en-vironments which foster toxic thought, words and objects”. And hobbies include “talking to the youth of America and helping to shape their personalities by show-ing them the merit of the discovery of their SwaDharma or that which they were put on earth to do, to help not only themselves but the world in general”. Quite clearly even these facets of his personality are inter-connected to his current pursuit.

So what then about challenges? Arun believes that “challenges come when there is no encourage-ment, no belief in one's capabilities and no examples of greatness” to follow. Admitting that “I was blessed to have great people around me which brought about all three of these things” Arun ex-plains, “The best way to surmount a challenge is to take a step back and think about the problem with guidance from someone who has surmounted the seeming insur-mountable”.

Challenges, of course, are part and parcel of Arun’s mission, but he takes them in stride, fortified by his training, knowledge and outlook. His mission includes giving motiva-tional speeches; personality build-ing and mentoring 85 children, three to seventeen years old, every week in Manhattan, Queens and

Long Island; as well as another set, 17 to 30 years old and a third set 35 to 50 years old. He also gives workshops on ‘Practical Means of Living a Spiritual Life’ to University level students at CUNY Baruch Col-lege and young professionals in Manhattan. Amidst this extremely busy schedule, Arun finds time to hold discussions at mandirs to which he’s invited as well as to offi-ciate at religious ceremonies on a periodic basis.

Still quite a young person himself, with a baby face and a serene de-meanor, Arun feels that, “We, as young Guyanese Americans, have to realize that the future and up-keep of our culture and religion is in our own hands. No one should rely on anyone else to be the lead-er or example. We, as young Guya-nese Americans, must look, study and implement the righteous ac-tions of our leaders of the past and try our best to make a change in society by being good examples to others in the community. Spirituali-ty allows us to reach for and strive towards something that is larger than ourselves. If we, as youth and a community, can unite and work together towards common goals, then the individual mind is no long-er possessed by selfish desires. A higher goal allows all to work to-gether in unison utilizing all talents and capabilities of today's youths.”

Towards this end Arun aspires “to be the best example he can be in society; to empower other youths to realize the fullest potential and to one day see a world of strong

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15


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How CAN GUYANA MAKE THE BEST USE

OF ITS TOURISM RESOURcES?

G uyana is one of the world’s last bastions of untouched natural beauty. If God were ever to land anywhere on earth it would be Guy-

ana. Guyana hosts eighty-three thousand square miles of majestic beauty, magnificent waterfalls, wild life and many other countless wonders. Guy-ana is the only English speaking country in the Ama-zon/Oronoco region, and in my view, the only viable English speaking Bird watching destination in South America. There are 60 million birders in America and, sadly, Guyana remains lost to them.

It is my assessment that Guyana does not know how to package, brand and sell itself for the Internation-al ecotourist market place. Although Guyanese are sociable, individuals are not inclined to focus on tourism as an economic activity. The approach to tourism would need to be structured. Tourist attractions need to be mapped, and then we need to create and improve the existing organizational structures that exist to promote, protect and profit from our natural resources. Jamaica has succeeded in this and Jamaica may be used as a tourism model. Jamaica now features dance hall tourism. Japanese

tourists party in the Jamaican Ghetto in peace be-cause the garrison knows that they bring prosperity.

Guyana has extensive natural resources but for the sake of time I have picked three which I believe should serve as the core of any Guyanese branding.

1) Kaieteur Falls 2) Birds of Georgetown 3) Amerindian Culture

Kaieteur Falls is recognized as one of the most spec-tacular sights in the world. Travel to Kaieteur can however be challenging and, sadly, most Guyanese never see Kaieteur Falls. I once described Kaieteur to a Trinidadian co-worker and she was amazed at the way I described Guyana. It made her want to travel there. At that point I realized that no other Guyanese she had spoken with had ever been to Kaieteur. We must find a way to provide easier ac-cess to Kaieteur Falls. To imitate America’s success with promoting Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, Guyana needs to create an infrastructure that ena-bles Guyana to protect promote and profit from Kai-eteur’s Beauty.

by Kwesi McDavid


15

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

One way of jump starting this is for the government to make an effort to have school children visit the Falls. In fact every Guyanese needs to be given the opportunity to see the Falls. Travel to Kaieteur is currently by small plane and costs are prohibitive. Access to Kaieteur for local Guyanese would help foster domestic pride and also allow Guyanese when abroad to promote the experience.

Bird watching is a 23 Billion Dollar industry in Amer-ica. There are over 60 million Birders in America of whom 24 million make an annual international bird watching trek. Guyana is a new and close English speaking destination for these estimated 60 million Americans who are looking to travel abroad on an ecotourist trip. Based on the net migration num-bers in the Guyanese census, it can be that fewer than 50,000 birders travel to Guyana annually. In reality Guyana does not have the infrastructure or the cultural sophistication to accommodate this vibrant industry. There is Birding in Guyana but it is not done on a scale that can impact the econo-my. Furthermore on a bird watching tour of Georgetown which I found spectacular, the guide could not identify the species that we were looking at. He was however a wonderful gentleman, good

talk about politics – but did not appear knowledge-able about the birds. Traveling into the interior is costly and dangerous. Georgetown has over 400 bird species. In my view, if cleaned up and properly structured Georgetown can become the Birding capital of the world.

Finally the most spectacular thing I have discovered as a foreign based Guyanese is the integration of Amerindian culture into our culture. As Guyanese we are the conglomeration of Dutch, Amerindian African and Asian cultures – with a heavy sprinkling of British hegemony. The Amerindian knowledge of the rain forest permeates our culture. It is this Am-erindian knowledge that we must use to map out the various natural wonders our country has to offer. Amerindian knowledge of our beautiful land can augment Guyana’s resources to package brand and market tourism to the international communi-ty.

But before we do this we must cure our Hubris. We must fit into the world economy and understand as wonderful a place as Guyana is world tourism is competitive.

progressive youths who are united by a genuine urge to serve selflessly and strengthen their personalities and help others do so by being examples in their own right.” He emphasizes, “If the example is shown, the seed is planted in the individual’s mind for change for the better. If the Individual changes then he has the power to change the world. Change one person's mind and you are one step closer to changing the world for the better.”

In effect, Arun Gossai, who finds fulfillment in what he does, even though its voluntary, plans to “Continue to serve in whatever capacity I can, do-ing my best everyday, not wasting time…(to exempli-fy) Positive action with faith in God.” Currently he lives day to day and does not know whether his mis-sion would be a life long endeavor. Meanwhile, Acharya Arun Gossai believes that mandirs must be-come institutions of learning and that man must ‘be simple, be a sample and be an example”.

Acharya Arun Gossai Lives his Message

Kwesi McDavid seeks to engage with businesses to drive new conversations, increase diversity, and measure

socially responsible solutions. He earned a BA from Cornell University’s Engineering College Program in

Operations Research with a Minor in African Studies and a Masters in Applied Math from CCNY.


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P rior to the local government elections (LGE) on March 18, 2016, LGEs were last held in 1994. Since for constituencies were denied this consti-

tutional right to participate in their government for ap-proximately twenty years, the recent LGEs are consid-ered a peoples victory.

According to preliminary results, the APNU+AFC coali-tion candidate won in constituencies nine out of the fifteen constituencies in Georgetown. The coalition also managed to secure most of the seats in the municipali-ties of Lethem, Bartica, Linden and New Amsterdam. The main Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), is tied with the coalition for the township of Mabaruma, but is reported to have won the townships of Rose Hall, Corriverton and Anna Regina.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan regards the elections as only the first of three components neces-sary for restoration and rehabilitation of the collapsed system of local government:

1) Democratic renewal of the life of councils,

2) Institutional strengthening and capacity building within the new councils

3) Ensuring that councils have sufficient funds to exe-cute responsibilities to communities

VICTORY

for the

PEOPLE


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T he Guyana government announced this month its intent to rebuild an airstrip in the Rupununi dis-trict in the indigenous Surama community. Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, recently visited the community and inspected the airstrip. He believes that the runway will accom-

modate bigger aircraft, extend vacationing comfort and so boost Surama’s tourism. In the event of an emergency, it is also expected to facilitate any evacuations.

Surama is an eco-tourism community that advertises “simple, basic, clean, and comfortable” accommoda-tions. It pursues the eco-friendly vision of community development, ownership and management of natural resources supporting tourism business while simultaneously preserving traditional local culture. Staff are drawn mainly from the small 300 resident community and the accommodations are styled using indigenous benab architecture. Birding and adventures to enjoy local wildlife are advertised for tourists.

The new airstrip is a 3000 meter extension of the old one and is expected to cost of G $5M. The photo-graph below is a view of the Surama eco-lodge.

N e w A i r s t r i p t o B o o s t

T o u r i s m i n G u y a n a

GUYANA To Review Honorary

Consuls Worldwide


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M inister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Presi-dent, Carl Greenidge announced that a review of Guyana’s Honorary Consuls has

been undertaken. The Honorary Consul provides consular services to Guyanese in the country in which they are established and enjoys representa-tional benefits and diplomatic privileges for voluntar-ily carrying the cost of those services. Services in-clude making representations on behalf of Guyanese nationals facing police, courts, and hospital experi-ences and providing various passport and document services. A person appointed as an Honorary Consul must have the time and means to provide the ser-vices and satisfy other criteria.

Guyana has thirty-eight honorary consuls world-wide, including locations in Antigua & Barbuda, Ba-hamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Dominican Re-public, French Guiana, Greece, Jamaica, Jordan, In-dia, Lebanon, Nepal, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Syria, Sweden, Trin-idad & Tobago, turkey and in California, Miami and Georgia in the United States of America.

The review will explore the need for and functions of honorary consuls in those locations, as well as the criteria influencing selection of current incumbents, what they have done and can do in the office and other concerns. As a developing country, Guyana cannot afford to finance many international mis-sions, Consulates General, High Commissioners and Ambassadors.

GUYANA To Review Honorary

Consuls Worldwide


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March 20, 2016

President Barack Obama traveled to Havana. He is the first U.S. president to do so in nearly 90 years.

Mar 16, 2016

First direct mail flights between the United States and Cuba in 50 years. The flight to Cuba carried a letter to a 76-year-old letter writer in Cuba.

Feb 17-18, 2016

The U.S. and Cuban governments held the second Regulatory Dialogue to discuss more effective imple-mentation of U.S. regulatory policies toward Cuba.

Feb 16, 2016

A bilateral arrangement to restore scheduled air ser-vices between the United States and Cuba was signed by Transportation Secretary Foxx and Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin; scheduled service is expected to commence later this year.

Jan 11, 2016

U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Susan Coppedge, met with Cu-ban government officials and others to discuss the country's efforts to address human trafficking.

Dec 17, 2015

One-year anniversary of President Obama’s new course in relations with Cuba.

Dec 10, 2015

U.S. and Cuban governments finalized details of a pi-lot program for direct transportation of mail.

Dec 8, 2015

The first Dialogue on Claims- U.S. and Cuban govern-ments first step in a complex process aimed at resolv-ing U.S. claims against the Cuban government.

Dec 1, 2015

Second Counternarcotics Dialogue aimed at increas-ing counternarcotics cooperation and information exchange.

Nov 30, 2015

The two governments held the regularly scheduled Migration Talks to discuss continuing implementation of the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords which provide for the safe, orderly, and legal migration of Cubans to the United States.

Nov 24, 2015

The two governments signed a joint statement pledg-ing cooperation on a range of environmental issues such as protection of marine and coastal areas, disas-

Timeline of America’s New Course with Cuba

D ecades of U.S. isolation of Cuba failed to accomplish the US objective of defined by The White House as “empowering Cubans to build an open and democratic country”. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba this month was the first of any United States President since the

1961 embargo. President Obama has charted a new course purportedly to support the ability of the Cuban people to gain greater control over their own lives and determine their country’s future. Following is a view of the White House timeline since 2014 when the two countries simultaneously announced the new course in relations:


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ter risk reduction, and oil spill prevention and re-sponse.

Nov 18, 2015

The two governments signed a memorandum of un-derstanding to establish a cooperative relationship dedicated to the science, stewardship, and manage-ment of existing marine protected areas.

Nov 9, 2015

First bilateral Law Enforcement Dialogue. Talks in-cluded counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, transna-tional crime, cyber-crime, secure travel, trade and fu-gitives.

Oct 7-8, 2015

Inaugural regulatory dialogue on more effective im-plementation of U.S. regulatory policies toward Cuba.

Sep 11, 2015

The two countries established the Bilateral Commis-sion, the primary vehicle for advancing normalization.

Aug 14, 2015

US Secretary of State Kerry visited Cuba for the U.S.

Embassy's flag raising ceremony. Secretary Kerry was the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Cuba in 70 years.

Jul 20, 2015

The US Embassy re-opened in Havana and the Cuban Embassy re-opened in Washington, D.C. U.S. Diplo-mats now have greater freedom of movement in Cu-ba, including the ability to travel across the island and engage the Cuban people broadly. Cuban citizens also have greater access to the US Embassy.

Mar 31, 2015

The first planning session for a Human Rights Dia-logue was held in Washington D.C.

May 29, 2015

The US Secretary of State rescinded Cuba¹s designa-tion on a State Sponsor of Terrorism List.

Dec 17, 2014

President Obama and President Castro simultaneous-ly announced a new course in relations between the United States and Cuba.

DIED

Haslyn Parris

F orbes Burnham had said there were two people who were brighter than he in Guyana: Fred Wills and Haslyn

Parris. Haslyn was a teacher, researcher, economist, chief executive officer, author, analyst, delegate, consultant, debater, entre-preneur, villager and comrade. He passed on too early, on Monday March 28, 2016. May he rest in peace.


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Flag raising for

Republic Anniversary

2016

Georgetown, guyana


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G U Y A N A N A T I O N A L F O O T B A L L T E A M

1 9 6 5

W H E R E A R E T H E Y N O W ?


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See more at: http://xpressblogg.com/books/

Sacred Secrets By Verianne Barker, Publicist

Phone:(864) 595 1741

Email: [email protected]

B O O K S

Sacred Secrets: Shedding the Shackles of my Shame

A Shocking Story of Abuse and Trauma

http://thelocalchristiantownhall.org/books/


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GUYANA’S 50TH

ANNIVERSARY MAY 2016

Fifty Years of Memories: What is most significant about your life in Guyana in

the last fifty years? Send us a photograph and your 20-50 word summary.


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A s The Republic of Guy-ana gets accustomed to the new APNU+AFC

Coalition government of 10 months, there is still confusion and dissatisfaction by some, concerning the role to be played by the overseas based Guya-nese – The Diaspora. There is much anxiety amongst some who were expecting much more outreach to and embracing of the Diaspora by the new gov-ernment, as promised during numerous pre-election political campaigns and fundraising events held in NY and NJ. In fact, this dissatisfaction was brewing even during past ad-ministrations which actively campaigned and raised money in the New York area over the years. It may now be timely to explore the role the Diaspora should play, the responsibilities they should accept and the de-mands they are entitled to make, if any.

The Guyanese Diaspora has been growing in the NY/NJ area for a few decades with the larg-est influx occurring between the late 1970’s and early 1990’s and a continuous stream today. There are more than 150,000 Guyanese nationals living in the NY/NJ area who are well estab-

lished in all sectors of society including University Professors, real estate developers and own-ers, professional services and the general business and ser-vices industries. With all the achievements, it is understand-able that they feel that they can contribute to the development of Guyana.

However, it is difficult to find a well-articulated movement to pool resources and make presentations or requests to the governments of Guyana so that these dreams and aspirations could bear fruit. Also, apart from political favors and a few fearless business people, there is no well publicized effort by past governments to draw members of the Diaspora into the folds of local Guyanese poli-tics and business. Why is that so? Also, should it be so?

Does the Diaspora really have a role to play in Guyana and /or does the Government of Guy-ana have a responsibility to en-gage and embrace the Diaspora to fill the ranks of workers and professionals needed to devel-op the country. There are prac-tical and political arguments on both sides of that discussion. From a practical point of view,

Guyana could absolutely benefit from the intellect and resources of her externally based popula-tion but from a political point of view, should this group be placed ahead of the local popu-lation of Guyana?

It is this writer’s belief that the answer to the questions above is yes. Some members of the Diaspora have attained wider exposure and experience and many have honed their skills in very competitive environments. However, it is also my opinion that the first steps should be taken by the members of the Diaspora. I believe that to de-mand jobs and opportunities above the locals is undeserving. The members of the Diaspora all left Guyana of their own free will and migrated without guar-antees to an unknown land. They should show good faith and return to serve to satisfy any yearning to be part of the development of Guyana.

There are many jobs advertised in the local media every day and I believe that anyone in the Di-aspora who is interested should pursue those job opportunities similar to the way they would pursue a job in the United States. If they see or believe

JUST A THOUGHT The Role of the Diaspora In Guyana’s Development

By Freddie Shivdat


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[email protected]

there is a business opportunity, they should take steps to estab-lish a business entity and com-pete for opportunities amongst the local enterprises. Whatever action is taken m=by members of the Diaspora, it is of their own free will. They should ex-pect no favours, and expect no exemption from applicable

laws. For those who cannot leave their adopted home for whatever reason and still have a yearning to help their home-land, there are many opportuni-ties ranging from supporting lo-cal charities to using their politi-cal power to drive favourable opportunities towards Guyana.

In closing, I would summarize by saying that Guyana needs her ‘Diaspora’ and her ‘Diaspora’ needs her. Let’s take the steps to put the two together and within the next 5 years, build legacies and a country to realize the dreams of Independence.

A s Guyana celebrates its 50th independence an-niversary, promoting

social cohesion, development and a secured future, the nation should emulate those ethnically diverse villages along the rustic coastlands and interior. For

years those rural communities co-existed in harmony and neighborly exchanges tri-umphed over divisiveness.

The government should also strategically monitor regional immigration, particularly of oth-

er South Americans streaming into the country, forming anoth-er layer to the “peopling” of Guyana, and be responsive to any potential disharmony.

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Strategy For Ethnic Harmony By Lear Matthews


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DIASPORA

NEW YORK CELEBRATIONS

JUNE 2016

JUNE 4- Interfaith Prayer Service in Queens; Unity Concert on the evening in Brooklyn;

JUNE 5: Symposium at York College, Queens;

JUNE 6: Exhibition of Guyanese Art at the UN, Manhattan,

JUNE 7: Business and Investment Conference in Manhattan;

JUNE 8: “Guyana Gives Back” Day of Volunteerism in Queens & Brooklyn; UN Reception;

JUNE 9: Flag Raising Ceremony in Newark, NJ;

JUNE 10: Cultural Extravaganza at Prospect High School Performing Arts Center, Brook-

lyn;

JUNE 10: President’s Cup Soccer Tournament & Youth Fun Day in Brooklyn;

JUNE 11: State Dinner & Awards Ceremony (evening) at 583 Park Ave, Manhattan,

JUNE 12: “Mashramani” in Brooklyn.


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DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL

TIMES

Extends Best Wishes To Guyana on its


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Guyana A Proposed

Model For

Integrated Health Care

G uyana’s chief psychiatrist most recently called for the integration of mental health into primary care. The Draft Mental Health

Strategy of Guyana 2015-2020 confirmed ‘minimal numbers of general health human resources with the necessary mental health competencies to provide mental health services at any level of general health care’. Also, ‘there are no national or institutional standards for mental health care, facilities or human resources’. Given the scarcity of psychiatrists, psy-chologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and oth-er mental health professionals, TCV backs the call for integration to be implemented using the Sri Lanka Project; a training programme for primary care.

We know from Government figures included in the Draft Mental Health Strategy 2015-2020 that 10 to 15% of Guyanese suffer from a mental disorder at any one time. This means that 78,000 to 114,500 Guyanese are suffering from a mental disorder and require some level of mental health care service with 3 to 5% of the population having a severe chronic mental disorder. Approximately 20,000 Guyanese suffer from severe mental illness with unipolar de-pression as the fifth greatest contributor to disease

burden in Guyana. Suicide is the leading cause of death with the Guyanese rate being 44 per 100,000. These figures do not include people with epilepsy, mental retardation and alcohol abuse.

The Guyana government’s stated aim is men-tal health for all. Given the prevalence of mental health rates and demands, with minimal available resources as described, it is essential to integrate mental health into primary care to ensure the general population have equitable access.

TCV looked at different models of integration and recommends the Sri Lanka project which was based on an endeavor to establish a systematic ‘Train the Trainers’ programme. This programme was fund-ed by the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and we urge the Government to explore possible funding from this organisation as a means of achieving inte-gration. In Sri Lanka the WPA allocated funding to train 155 trainers in order to equip the trainers to roll out the mental health training on a continuous basis.

Sri Lanka and Guyana have similar and parallel health care structures. Sri Lanka had very high suicide rates, mental health needs and a Government funded


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health system that was decentralised with funding by central government and locally by provincial councils, the Guyana equivalent of Regional Health Authorities. There was approximately one psychiatric consultant per 500,000 people, no specialised psychiatric nurses and very few psychologists, occupational therapists and psychosocial workers as in Guyana. Estimating the expenditure on mental health services was not possible since mental health expenditures were inte-grated within the general health budget. Mental health facilities include one psychiatric hospital, psy-chiatric beds in general hospitals, outpatients depart-ments and community facilities as in Guyana.

To respond to the burden of mental health, the Sri Lanka project aimed at integration through a Train the Trainers program with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health working collaboratively with the National Institute of Mental Health and the WPA. People were specifically selected from each region of the country based on their ability to roll out the training to others. Criteria for selection included psychiatrists, medical officers with mental health experience and other mental health professionals who were able to commit time to the subsequent roll out of the training pro-gramme to primary care staff.

The Sri Lanka project delivered training to 45 psychiatrists, 110 medical officers of mental health and 95 registered medical practitioners through five courses in different regions of the country. Due to the scarcity of mental health professionals in Guyana TCV would advocate that the criteria for selection be ex-panded to include religious leaders, teachers, police, social workers, child protection officers and other rel-evant and appropriate people. Guyana has adminis-trative regions and Regional Health Authorities under the control of the Ministry of Health and links with NGO’s that can be involved and assist with the plan-ning, organising and delivery of the training pro-gramme.

Also, the Sri Lanka project for primary care staff was a five-day course over forty hours, which covered five modules. The first module focused on mental health and mental disorders and their contri-bution to physical health and economic and social

outcomes. The second module covered communica-tion skills, assessment, mental state examination, di-agnosis and management, managing difficult cases, management of violence and breaking bad news. The third module encompassed neurological disorders, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, headache, dementia and toxic confusional states. The fourth module cov-ered psychiatric disorders based on the WHO primary care guidelines for mental health. The fifth module focused on health and other sector system issues of policy, legislation, links between mental health, re-productive health, HIV and malaria, roles and respon-sibilities, health management information systems, working with community health workers and with tra-ditional healers and integration of mental health into operational plans.

TCV believes the modules and core concepts of the training programme are relevant to Guyana and would recommend the training in its current form. However, we understand that changes may be required in the context of Guyana to include social and cultural differences and an understanding of sui-cide; its causes, impact and preventative measures.

The course was dynamic and taught through theory, practice, role-plays, discussions and WPA vid-eos on depression, psychosis and somatisation. The emphasis of the course was for primary care staff and others to acquire practical skills and competencies for assessment, diagnosis and management. Participants had to complete 25 supervised role-plays on different topics over the week and to observe and comment on 25 role-plays conducted by others. Each participant was given both a hard copy print out and a CD of the guidelines plus all the teaching slides, role-plays and teacher’s guide. Participants in the training pro-gramme were subject to pre-and post

TCV firmly believes that the implementation of the Sri Lanka type project can have impact on two fronts. It can contribute to the development of na-tional and institutional standards for mental health care in Guyana and underpin the Government’s reali-zation of mental health care for all.


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INTERNATIONAL

DIASPORA TIMES

Documents

Diaspora times march 2016