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Editor-In-Chief
Nigel Williams
Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com
Editorial
Direct engagement and the democratic process
DIRECT democracy is the oldest form of democratic engagement; it was used in what we now call ancient civilisations. This form of engagement allowed for citizens to be directly involved in the decision making of their communities. As the Western world moved from smaller city-states to larger nation-states, it moved away from direct democracy to a more indirect or representative democracy, whereby citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The void was ostensibly filled by local government or local democracy. But this level of engagement, over time, also became a product of indirect democracy. One of the consequences of this development was that the practice of meeting to discuss and pronounce on public affairs became less and less a staple of the democratic process. Here in Guyana, modern political engagement has been characterised by the public meeting, where leaders and parties summon the people to the street-corners to engage in political discourse. But this discourse has been more a one-way communication, where the leaders speak with little or no opportunity for dialogue with the citizens. Usually, these meetings are effective in mobilising large numbers of citizens in one place as a show of partisan strength, and in whipping up political fever among the people. The public meeting, therefore, has its usefulness as a mobilisation tool, but is less effective as a form of serious two-way dialogue between the governors and the governed. The smaller bottom-house or school-house meetings, which has also been a part of mass engagement in Guyana, is theoretically more suited to two-way dialogue. But, in practice, it serves the same function as the street-corner meetings. It is a more clandestine form of mobilisation, where leaders take the liberty to say things which could not be uttered at the public meetings. While there is some degree of participation by the audience, such participation is less about the concerns of the citizens, and more about political competition and party solidarity. There is, therefore, a void in the political process as far as genuine opportunities for civic dialogue between the governors and the governed are concerned. In the age of technology and the electronic and social media, even
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday December 22, 2015
Crime can’t solve your problems
POVERTY is characterised as not having basic access to food, water, housing, clothing and health services. Wider definitions include lack of access to education, transportation and communication services. Poverty has accompanied Mankind through the ages, with more recent instances being traced back to feudal societies where peasantry described the majority of the population, wealth was concentrated in the hands of landowners, and the basic economic system served to maintain control and authority of kings, with little or no attention being paid to the welfare of the populations of these societies. Higher levels of poverty are generally associated with higher levels of crime. Comparing levels of poverty between the old feudal systems and modern democratic societies, higher levels of poverty are associated with societies characterised by weak or absent government structures and services which are essential to a proper standard of living. Put another way, governments are chiefly responsible for the levels of poverty, and, by definition, criminality within their countries. THE MARGINALISED Poverty may appropriately describe the marginalised in society. These individuals are essentially trapped by inaccessibility to jobs which provide income levels to allow them to lead normal lives. In these situations, they typically find themselves together through their common problems, and in the absence of proper social support systems, resort to crime as a means of sustaining themselves. Other symptoms of poverty are the resort to violence to settle disputes; unsocial behaviour; and in our society, the adoption of unhealthy, self-destructive and socially degenerative cultural behaviours
and norms such as a shift away from traditional family unit as characterised by the mother, father and children. Incidences of domestic violence are also prevalent, as are broken homes, and both men and women having children with multiple partners. The general health of the population is also eroded as a result of higher incidences of communicable diseases, sexual and otherwise. Of particular interest here is the relation between poverty and crime, domestic violence included. It should be noted here that domestic violence can probably be attributed to higher levels of stress associated with the inability to properly provide for the home.
SERIOUS CHALLENGES I was astounded recently to see on the front page of a local newspaper the bodies of two young men who apparently died while attempting to commit a robbery. This is not the first such instance, and it won’t be the last, but it underlines the serious problems and challenges with which Guyana is faced in addressing poverty. What is probably almost certain is that many of the persons caught up in criminal activities are without the benefit of a sound education, were marginalised, and in the absence of proper support and guidance, resorted to put their lives on the line to escape poverty. Individuals in similar situations faced by these young men are urged to recognise the futility of adopting crime as a solution to their problems. There are a host of job opportunities available, which can be accessed without the required qualifications for the standard office job. These include as a mechanic; construction worker, from masonry to carpentry; and welding and fabrication. There are immense financial rewards over the years with experience and proficiency.
the public and bottom-house meetings are becoming less and less frequent. But, effective as these media are in meeting people, they cannot be substitutes for real face-to-face twoway engagement. At least, not yet. Here in Guyana, governance has been negatively affected by this lack of genuine engagement with the people in between elections. This robs the governors of the opportunity to feel the pulse of citizens. In a culture where instant polls are not a staple, this distance from people could lead to errors in political judgement, as governments often find out that their policy initiatives are out of step with the thinking of the people. The other negative consequence of the lack of direct engagement is that there is little opportunity for the people to lodge complaints and concerns about developments in their communities directly to government leaders. This often leads to alienation on the part of citizens who inevitably feel that their input and concerns are not important enough to those who govern.
Finally, if they are indeed willing to put their lives on the line, this is indeed a marvelous and industrious spirit, and typifies the first European immigrants who developed America. Guyana’s interior and the mining sector could benefit from such strong attitudes. Of course, life would be much different, but the important thing is to maintain the focus of acquiring wealth and raising a family. The inescapable reality is that we need to do much more to address the pressing needs of our marginalised population. This includes strengthening the delivery of public education, and putting measures in place to assist persons returning to society from incarceration, both of which have already been identified as areas for address. WELFARE ASSISTANCE Further, although I am sure there has been discussion at the private level, I propose that Guyana move to implement a system of providing welfare assistance to those unemployed and seeking jobs in the form of unemployed insurance, similar to that provided by advanced economies. The immediate benefit of this is that this automatically provides a means of gauging unemployment levels as an important economic statistic. Secondly, it provides the function of government meeting and interfacing with our unemployed, thereby providing a forum for addressing their problems at the individual level. Thirdly, unemployment insurance mitigates stress in the home, and provides unemployed persons with room to think and consider their alternatives. Finally, it directly addresses the issues associated with poverty, notably the tendency to move to crime as a solution. The Federal Reserve’s recent move to increase its key rate sets the stage for new dynamics in America. Other countries may wish to evaluate their policy stance, based on
their respective circumstances. One factor that should not escape attention is that the Great Recession has reshaped America’s economic landscape, with there probably being a significant number of new startups which, through their size and economic activity, may be more vulnerable to higher rates, as these impact on consumption patterns. Another immediate challenge that has already surfaced even prior to the rate increase is the strengthening of America’s exchange rate, whose gains over the last year has already taken a toll on America’s industrial and manufacturing sectors, contributing to unbalanced growth. This will continue to be a major factor affecting major business investors’ hesitancy to expand their operations in the near future, and should be a major concern for policy makers. America, and I imagine other economies faced with the problem of strong exchange rates, may want to reconsider their attitude to the liberalisation of their financial markets, as this relates to the flow financial capital globally. While liberalisation has as its major benefit lower factor costs associated with financial capital, its economic costs and challenges to individual economies, as this relates to steering and directing economic activity, pose a serious constraint. In America’s peculiar case, where it is moving away from ultra-low rates, with rate increases signifying a return to the norm and not the tightening of policy per se, the strengthening currency will continue to pose a challenge in core areas of economic activity, with the potential for being strong sources of economic growth and expansion. Finally, I take this opportunity to extend Seasons’ Greetings to all, and Best Wishes for the New Year. CRAIG SYLVESTER
In light of the above, we welcome and congratulate the Ministry of the Presidency for initiating the Public Day, where citizens got an opportunity to speak directly to the leaders. It was not a public meeting where the leaders were asking for votes; it was, instead, a genuine meeting where the concerns of citizens were paramount. Often, all our people want is a hearing; an opportunity to look the bosses in the eye and relate their concerns. This vital aspect of democratic engagement should be further encouraged. Witnessing our Government Minsters in the public arena, not looking for votes or shaking hands for the cameras, but, instead, tending to the flock would lift the quality of our democracy. The first Public Day was held in one section of Georgetown. We hope that it moves to other parts of the city and the country. Critically, we hope it moves to those communities that are not traditionally the constituency of the governing parties. All of Guyana deserves to see and feel government in the flesh.