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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday July 4, 2015
In face of territorial provocation…
‘Guyana not without friends’ – acting President Nagamootoo reassures EVEN as President Granger makes a case defending Guyana’s territorial integrity to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) at that body’s 36th Heads of Government meeting in Barbados, at home, Acting President Moses Nagamootoo has reassured Guyanese and the international community that “in the face of provocation, our Guyana is not without friends.” “We are not daunted,” Mr. Nagamootoo told a gath-
ering Thursday night at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston at a U.S Embassy-hosted reception for that country’s 239th Independence, “as we strengthen national and international collaboration in defence of our sovereignty and [further] promote the Caribbean and South America as a zone of peace.” “Our Government will continue to work towards adherence to agreements that respect our territorial integrity and that guarantee
our sovereignty,” the acting President continued. “In this regard, our Government acknowledges the continued valued support offered by the Government of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Caribbean Community, and other friendly nations and organisations for Guyana’s pursuit of a happy life for our people within secure borders.” While Mr. Nagamootoo spoke on the “spurious
threats to our territorial integrity” as a challenge to building Guyana’s new democracy, he assured the gathering that like the 239-yearold United States, “we too are optimistic that we can achieve greatness when we harness the creativity of our people and utilise our vast wealth and resources in the manner that the USA has done to promote social and economic development.” Over in Barbados, President Granger is making a case to the Caribbean Community to unequivocally support Guyana’s territorial
integrity since according to him, a threat to the integrity of Guyana is a threat to the whole CARICOM union. In his address to the regional Heads of Government last evening, President Granger recalled the provocation faced by Guyana and investors in Guyana seeking to develop this country’s exclusive economic zone in its maritime waters. To that end, the President told the gathering at the 36th Heads of Government Conference “even as this country [Guyana] approaches its 50th Independence Anniversary,
Acting President Moses Nagamootoo delivers his address to the gathering on the occasion of the reception for the 239th Independence Anniversary of the United States, at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston
with its sister Barbados, it is doing so with a ‘monkey on its back’.” “Any State,” the President said in his address,“that systematically, cynically and sedulously seeks to repudiate solemn international agreements and to undermine the security and sovereignty of another state must be condemned. Our national boundaries have been recognised internationally.” President Granger reminded the heads that Venezuela had once again, as was done for some time, utilised intimidation and the threat of the use of force even as that country clearly holds superior wealth, military, and naval resources as compared to Guyana. In the presence of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations, Commonwealth, and CARICOM, President Granger reaffirmed “Guyana, today and for all time, will pursue the principles of mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” P re s i d e n t G r a n g e r warned of Guyana being seen as miniature and marginal without the support of CARICOM, but called on leaders of the smaller Caribbean territories to “re-engage the rest of the hemisphere as a natural family, as natural ally, and as a force for peace and international law.”
Blind Society anxiously awaiting second batch CSEC results – recruiting third batch of students THE Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) has just recently had its second batch of visually impaired students sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and is currently recruiting its third batch of students to sit the 2016 exams. Project Coordinator of the society, Ganesh Singh, told this publication that the society is fully prepared to work with the third batch to create more history for the organisation. The society has also been hosting free computer classes for those visu-
ally impaired persons who are not computer literate. Seven subject areas are being offered thus far: Social Studies, Principles of Business, Office Administration, English Language, Human and Social Biology, Caribbean History and Religious Education. Mathematics however, will come in the near future once the resources become available, Singh disclosed. Additionally, the society will be commencing its braille classes, come August. Singh has expressed his expectations about the second batch, noting that the
society has high expectations of them and are anxiously awaiting the results which are expected in August. This project was long nurtured before it was implemented and is a spin-off of another project that sought to teach visually impaired persons how to use computers. The Blind Society has been collaborating with the One Laptop Per Family Project (OLPF) in order to provide computers for the students, as well as the implementation of the JAWS software which serves as a computer instructor for visually impaired learners.
Moreover, the society was fortunate to benefit from assistance by the Basic Needs Trust Fund, which funded rehabilitation of the society’s building and also provided better furniture to accommodate members as well as the CSEC students. However, Singh recently noted that he hopes the new Minister of Education will continue to support the society in its future endeavours. Last year, Rosemary Ramitt emerged as the top student of the first batch, securing five grade ones along with Odessa Harper, who came second in securing five grade two passes at the CSEC examinations.
Some of the new recruits of the third batch