Guyana Chronicle E-Paper PepperPot 03-15-2020

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Full steam ahead ― Young lawyer anticipates new opportunities before him

Local Lawyer, Joshua Benn at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Germany displaying the Golden Arrowhead (Photo courtesy of Joshua Benn)

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

II

Women and Examples from

Desmond Saul and his wife Brenda at the Mole National Park in Ghana. Observe elephant in the background

By Francis Quamina Farrier

O

n Friday, March 6, the West African country of Ghana, celebrated its 63rd Independence Anniversary with pomp and ceremony. Last Sunday, countries around the world observed “International Women’s Day” with a range of activities. As such, I have decided to merge these two annual events in this feature article.

In more recent years Ghana has been focusing more on higher education for the young women of the country.

The education of girls and young women is now increasing in tertiary education as never before. Last year (2019) the country observed “The Year of Return”, when Africans in the Diaspora, whether born in Africa or of African heritage, were encouraged to visit Ghana to mark the 400th anniversary of the commencement of the Atlantic Slave Trade of which Ghana was a participant both as victim and enabler. But that’s another story which I have already written about.

Before going further, I need to reiterate my mention that slavery was occurring from the dawn of time as recorded in the first book of the Holy

Ghana

Bible; in Genesis Chapter 37, Verse 8 it states, “And they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to

As would be expected, Guyanese were among the thousands who did visit Ghana, that beautiful African

Faculty at the University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad, was one such visitor to Ghana during the “Year of

Dr. Wanda Chesney with Farrier on the Campus of the University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad, just before she left for Ghana

the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver.” There are just too many Guyanese who are of the view that the Atlantic Slave trade was the only time that there was slavery in the world.

country, steeped in history and culture, during that “Year of Return”. My former colleague at the TV Evening News in Guyana, Dr. Wanda Chesney, who is now one of the Senior members of the

Return”. Another Guyanese Educator known to me who visited Ghana during the “Year of Return”, is Victoria Village-based, Desmond Saul. He and his wife Brenda spent 19 days touring all around the 95,000 square miles of Ghana during that “Year of Return”. The country, which is just a bit larger than Guyana but with a population of over 27 million, has a wide network of well-paved roads which makes it easy to travel around overland. And I am writing from personal experience having visited that country three times. There are also local airlines which can be used to fly between Accra the capital and the larger inland cities such as Kumasi and Tamale. At this time, it is appropriate to mention that the results of General Elections in Ghana, are usually announced the very next day after the Polling is concluded.

However, it is apt to mention that Ghana, like most other countries around the world, had many problems which include corruption, politics

Desmond Saul on a visit to a factory in Ghana where Kente cloth is manufactured

and governance. Nonetheless, there are those times when neighbours visit and help to make peace. What is obvious in modern Ghana, is that politicians generally put the concerns and needs of the People first. However, Desmond Saul expressed his concern for the measure of poverty he saw in some communities in Ghana which is a very rich country.

On June 11, 2019, the Ghanaian Head-of-State, His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, paid a State Visit to Guyana. Immediately on arrival, one observed that there was a number of women who were part of his entourage. The Ghanaian Ambassador to neighbouring Brazil is a woman. She joined the visiting Presidential Team in Georgetown during that State Visit. While in Guyana, President Nana Akufo-Addo took the opportunity to promote his widely acclaimed “Year of Return” directly to the Guyanese People and announced that Guyanese can now enter Ghana without a visa.

Both Dr. Wanda Chesney and Desmond Saul spoke highly of the warm and professional welcome which they had received by the Immigration Officers stationed at the relatively new and spacious two-floor level Terminal Building at the Kotoka International Airport at Accra, on their arrival in the country. To that I can say, I had similar experiences. Dr Chesney told me that she thoroughly enjoyed her visit and plans to return sometime in the future. As a journalist and educator, Dr. Chesney observed the many institutions of higher education in the capital, Accra, and elsewhere in the country. The embracing by the country of its History, such as the establishment of the President Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park which was established in honour and to the memory of Ghana’s first president, greatly impressed her as well. Desmond Saul and his wife Brenda spent nineteen adventurous days in Ghana during the “Year of Return”.

Their travels covered almost all of the country where they

saw many of the tourist attractions, including the Mole National Park and the Palace of the Ashanti King which is located in the city of Kumasi.

By-the-Way, when Nana Akufo-Addo lost the critical General Election of December 2012 in Ghana, he instructed his Party members and supporters to avoid any protesting or violence, which they obeyed. Claiming that he was robbed, he took the matter to Court and lost.

Emerging from the court he made the following statement to the media; “I do not agree with the decision of the court, but I’ll abide with it.” With such statesmanship displayed, I have not seen or heard one statement of praise or acknowledgement by any of the foreign ambassadors of foreign countries accredited to Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo later won the Presidency of Ghana at the 2016 General Elections. (Ghana’s government terms are for four years).

Not one foreign country spoke openly about the way Ghana was, and is, a living example of Democracy in practice. Not one of the developed countries or one international Media House spoke of, or gave coverage to such peaceful developments in Ghana, to the best of my knowledge.

And again to the best of my knowledge, not one country in the world nominated Nana Akufo-Addo for the Nobel Peace Prize or the Oliver Tambo Award. Very interesting. As I write this article, Guyana is on almost everyone’s lips with phone calls, emails, twitter, Facebook etc., but mostly in a negative way. So, how will Guyana emerge from this present situation? Is there a Guyanese woman who has the resources to take Guyana “Onward and Upward” to “One Destiny”? What will life be like for the Guyanese People on March 15, 2021? Only the time of 365 days will tell.

God Bless our Beautiful Guyana.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

III

Benn delivering a speech at the Moot Court held at the Summer Academy during his ITLOS training

Full steam ahead

― Young lawyer anticipates new opportunities before him

By Tamica Garnett

O

N the verge of wrapping up his final days of a nine-month programme at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), St Stanislaus College alum, and young lawyer Joshua Benn is looking forward to returning to Guyana and applying what he has learnt towards the development of his country.

A legal officer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) since 2018, last year Benn was accepted in the annual ITLOS-Nippon Foundation Capacity-Building and Training Programme, which runs from July – March; the first Guyanese to have been accepted into the programme which takes place at the ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany.

Initially doubtful of his ability to be admitted, being part of the programme was a lesson for the 29-year-old in overcoming self-doubt.

“I doubted that I would have been accepted. I was like, I don’t even have a masters, why would they choose me over individuals who might be more qualified. But Guyanese are smart people and it’s important to believe in yourself,” Benn shares.

Benn is glad he still took the chance and applied, is proud of having been accepted, and hopes his story emboldens other Guyanese to follow suit.

“It was a very competitive selection process that had over 100 applicants, only seven, including myself, were successful. I’m humbled that I was able to represent Guyana, and provide an opportunity for other Guyanese to become aware of the programme and hopefully apply and benefit from it,” Benn shared.

A programme that includes several aspects of training on international law, particularly those specific to international law of the sea and maritime, Benn hopes to be an

Joshua and his wife Shenel on their wedding day

asset to his country, particularly as the country continues to develop as an oil and gas nation.

“The knowledge I’ve attained can be used to help Guyana ensure that its rights are respected and preserved,” Benn said.

Open to junior to mid-level government officials and researchers, the training programme provides successful applicants with an opportunity to develop their legal skills and knowledge on dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The convention speaks to the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.

As part of his application, Benn had to submit a research topic, choosing to study “Jurisdiction over Mixed Disputes: A Possibility for ITLOS and Annex VII Tribunals,” which includes examining the awards in the arbitration regarding the “Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Guyana and Suriname” which was decided using UNCLOS. He is expected to present his research to the Judges of ITLOS on March 17.

The capacity-building programme consists of four main pillars: lectures, training, study visits, and research.

As part of the training Benn also participated in a four-week Summer Academy, from August – September 2019, that was hosted by the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea. He also benefited from three online courses via the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

But the undertaking was not without its sacrifices for

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IV

Art and Ph

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

otography

― Ken Bacchus’ Story

By Marissa V. Foster

EN Bacchus is one of Guyana’s best creative photographers. He is well known for his rustic yet aesthetical photography with nature, fashion and in the local streets/ busy scenes. His work is popular amongst young Guyanese and can be easily highlighted, based on his signature styles of editing. He has truly changed the game by mastering the skill of creating photographic art and he hopes his story can serve as an inspiration to others out there with a similar passion. Ken always found himself with a sketch pad and pencil; drawing whenever he had the chance to. His family wasn’t the richest, but they always did their best to put food on the table. They always made sure he was comfortable and he owes much of his success to them.

He was never the highest achiever when it came to academics, but he always had the ambition to keep on striving for the best. Ken first discovered the power of photography in secondary school. After practising and binge-watching YouTube tutorials; he eventually branded himself as a photographer. He is also thankful for the guidance and

K

mentorship from other photographers as well. After networking and learning from others, he eventually specialized in macro-photography. Currently, he is interested in fashion and street photography, which was introduced to him by local artist and Creative Director Clinton Duncan. This is Ken’s third year working behind a camera as a professional photographer.

He describes an unplanned change of residence one year ago as being a difficult life challenge thus far. He had to change and adapt to an entirely new environment, which was quite uncomfortable. The move also affected his performance as a photographer because he found himself being uninterested in picking up his camera. Eventually, he found out that he was going through an artist block, which lasted for about four weeks. After expressing himself on this topic on his Facebook profile, he was contacted by a few local artists to collaborate on a few projects which would prove to get him “back in the game” as a photographer.

He never expected to gain as much support as he has now from other photographers; at least not of this magnitude and for that, he’s very grateful for their compassion.

He had the privilege of being featured in newspapers and

around social media. He also completed a few projects with other local Guyanese artists. Ken expressed that while photography and art are his main interests, he also uses his platform on social media to voice his opinions on social issues, women and animal rights. This always results in healthy dialogues with other young people who have a mutual interest in our society and want to see us move forward as a nation.

This inventive photographer inevitably plans to take his craft overseas, as he believes that would be the best thing for him as an artist. While Guyana is filled with talent and creativity and the potential to flourish in the art sector, we don’t often make it appear as such. Being an artist is already a roller coaster by itself, so being an artist in Guyana is unnecessarily stressful. As one of Guyana’s most creative photographers, he would like to advise other upcoming artists by saying, “Stay true to yourself. Know what it is you want, stay open-minded and try to live a little. Art is one of the things that you can turn to that allows you to express yourself just as you are. A goal followed by ambition will always be reached, no matter the circumstances.”

Picture taken by Ken Bacchus on Regent Street, Guyana

camera, ehind the b n a m e Th hus Ken Bacc

Ken Bacchus during a photoshoot out in the streets of Georgetown (Pictures sourced from Ken Bacchus)

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

V

VI

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

Post-Elections in Guyana

W

HEN elections were held in 2011, I was 11 years old and I was in my first year of secondary school. In 2015, when the next elections were held, I was 15 and making my way into Form Five. These are the only two elections, before now, that I can recall for myself. And from both of these elections, I remember the pervasive tension, but I don’t recall it ever being as tense as the stories I have heard of elections gone by in the post-independence era.

I am sure that I am not the only one who believed that those days were behind us.

With efforts directed towards social cohesion, I honestly believed we had been making strides in healing from those wounds resulting from years of division and prejudice.

On Phagwah Day last week, after returning from a class, I sat down with a Guyanese friend reminiscing about how beautiful Phagwah is back in Guyana and we were in the company of a few Trinidadian friends. As we were talking about Guyana, one friend asked us about the

current political climate- a simple ‘Is wah really going on in Guyana?’- and neither of us had any idea how to explain what we knew.

How could you possibly explain that strife you had only heard stories about while growing up was happening again? How do you possibly explain the pain of seeing the multi-ethnic population your country boasts of having so polarised? And even, how do you explain your feelings of inadequacy, because you weren’t at home making sure your loved ones remain safe, or, in some way, help the

situation?

Phagwah is my favourite day of the year, but this year, I could not celebrate it as I usually do. And that’s not because it isn’t a holiday here in Trinidad, but it’s because it is impossible to truly celebrate anything when I see my Guyana being pulled apart.

never accept that.

Taking these two sentiments into account, it is easy for one to feel the hopelessness creeping in. I know, I feel it. I also know that there is no simple fix to achieve the Utopian-like aspiration of a Guyana that isn’t so segregated. So then,

know different ethnicities in Guyana feel hurt due to events in the past. That pain is very real and very valid, no one can deny that. Healing your pain of the past cannot come from spewing hate and being intolerant towards an entirely different race(s) of people.

As much as I wanted to stay abreast with what was happening at home, too, I was forced to take a social media sabbatical. The racist and sometimes utterly vile comments made by peopleGuyanese people- were enough to convince anyone that the ethnic divisions in Guyana were alive, and because of the events of the past two weeks, thriving.

I read Dr David Hinds’s column a little while before writing my column, where he rightfully said, the cruel reality we are confronted by is that Guyana remains a truly, racially volatile country. I also read an oped written by GHK Lall, and in the context of these deeply entrenched divisions which translates to tribal politics, we are reminded that neither of the two major political parties would ever truly ‘win’ an election because the supporters of the opposing side would

what do we do?

I wish I had the answer to that question. I wish I could say that I came to the UWI and I was fortunate to learn how to resolve conflict in Guyana and heal the wounds of the past. But unfortunately, I do not.

Despite this, I do believe that I know what aren’t some of the answers to our problems.

As reasoned by Dr Hinds, citizens have the right to protest. Protest action has been part of the fabric of nation-building in Guyana and it would be hypocritical to deny any citizen the right to protest.

Throwing bricks at a school bus with schoolchildren inside, however, is unacceptable. There is absolutely no justification, and frankly, no forgiveness, for any action against innocent children. None whatsoever.

Giving free rein to bigotry is unacceptable. I

That is not healing, that is vengeance. And vengeance augurs well for no one because then, the cycle of hate and intolerance continues.

And finally, tribal politics is one of the disastrous aspects of Guyana. We cannot keep voting for political leaders because they are who we have always voted for and because this is the party that my ethnicity supports. We have to interrogate those people who seek to be our leaders and ensure that they are going to represent our best interests. We have to listen to their plans and policies, and then hold them accountable to these.

My heart aches for Guyana. We have been blessed with an abundance of resources and we are on an enviable developmental trajectory.

We cannot let our politics keep us in a quagmire.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

VII

Pay attention to ADHD

I

’D LIKE to write about a disorder that I’ve recently seen to be misunderstood and wrongfully diagnosed in Guyana. I’d like to talk about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a cluster of behavioural symptoms such as hyperactivity or over excitement, inattentiveness and impulsiveness.

Inattention means that interest is lost quickly while doing a task and the individual tends to move on to something else. Hyperactivity refers to physical activity such as running, jumping and an overall inability to sit still. Impulsivity consists of reckless and impatient behaviour. These can also cause additional issues such as high anxiety, depression levels and lack of sleep.

It is usually first noticed and diagnosed very youngusually between the ages of six to 12 years old. One can develop ADHD as an adult, but that is quite rare. The disorder is more common in boys than girls and can occur in those of any academic ability. However, it is more common among those with learning difficulties/ disabilities.

ADHD is a lifelong condition. However, children may grow out of the majority of the symptoms, especially hyperactivity. If the inattention and lack of focus are severe, it tends to remain throughout adulthood.

Diagnosing ADHD can be difficult as it is quite normal for children to be physically excited, restless, imaginative, inattentive and even disobedient. So

how would you know if your child has a problem?

Symptoms of ADHD will fall under two categories.

These are inattentiveness and hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It is important to note this because some individuals may have issues with one and not the other.

little or no sense of danger, and tend to suffer from lack of sleep.

Other signs may be delays in speech and motor development, poor handwriting and language skills, low mood, poor self-image, mood swings, and irritability.

Numerous causes have to do with the family and pregnancy/ birthing process. For example, those with a family history of diagnosed ADHD are more likely to develop it. Infections as well as alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs during pregnancy are also causal

risk of developing ADHD.

HOW DO YOU TREAT ADHD? If you feel that your child (or you) might be suffering from ADHD it is important to do your research. You should compare their behaviour to the symptoms list yes, but

For example, a child would have serious problems with inattentiveness and learning while at school, but is not overactive or excited at all.

Those who suffer from inattentiveness will experience difficulty paying attention to one task for long periods of time, get easily distracted, often forget and lose things, make careless mistakes, have difficulty following rules and instructions and have an overall, short attention span.

Those who suffer from hyperactivity and impulsiveness find it hard to sit still and are almost constantly fidgeting. They are unable to concentrate on the task at hand,are impatient, have difficulty socialising and playing group activities, talk excessively, have

These symptoms must be present for more than six months at a time. Adults who have ADHD will also experience the above as well as drug use/abuse, issues with the law and personal relationships, as well as trouble seeking/ keeping employment. Adults with ADHD can also suffer from other disorders simultaneously, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and various personality disorders.

factors.

The child is more at risk if there is a premature birth or being underweight at birth, early infections such as measles, or brain trauma/ injury. Extreme neglect and abuse can also increase the

also visit their school/ teachers as well as parents of homes they have visited to find out what their behaviour is like in other settings. If this results in a higher possibility of the disorder, then take them to your nearest mental

WHAT CAN CAUSE ADHD? It is unfortunate that the exact cause of ADHD has still not been identified, but like any other disorder, there are many factors that have been associated with it.

health clinic and share your concerns.

Although there is no cure for ADHD, the disorder is managed with counselling, independently for the child as well as family sessions, social skills training, educational support and medication (when extreme and necessary). Regular physical exercise is also an effective addon treatment. Finally, diet can play a role in worsening symptoms -- consuming a lot of refined sugar for example.

Due to its prominence, I would recommend that all parents, nannies, teachers, social workers – anyone who works predominately with children get educated on identifying, diagnosing and treating symptoms of ADHD. I would like to add that ADHD has been commonly used as an excuse for challenging and unruly behaviour. This should not be so. It is important to know the difference – does your child need professional help or does he/she just need manners?

Thank you for reading and please send in any topics to caitlinvieira@ gmail.com.

VIII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

CURBING MINIBUS MALPRACTICES

T

HERE was a media report that commuters who attended the recent Mashramani celebrations were overcharged by the mini-buses with fares being many hundred percent above the norm. The overcharges were extorted from those commuters

who were returning home after dark and especially those who live farthest from Georgetown in such districts as the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara. The same pattern of overcharging occurs at Christmas and Easter.

The mini-bus fares are arrived at after discussions

between the Minibus Association and the Ministry of Business. These discussions occur periodically and take into account, increases in gasoline prices, spare parts replacements, wages and other miscellaneous costs. The agreed fares are displayed in the buses and the overcharging occurs when the

mini-buses charge more than the agreed fares displayed in the bus.

Mini-buses, as compared with buses run by large companies offer the consumer certain advantages: they pick up and discharge commuters anywhere along the route rather than at specific bus stops and so they provide

a more convenient service.

Since they do not run on schedules, they save the passenger waiting time. And lastly, they provide more employment than a bus company.

Putting aside these advantages, mini-bus travel has many disadvantages and abuses which have to be addressed and eliminated, since they cause the commuter much inconvenience.

One of the major and persistent complaints is the extremely loud music which almost all mini-buses play since they are all equipped with tape players. Such noise could impair the hearing of passengers, since it is usually far above 80 decibels and may sometimes go to 120 decibels. This persistent loud noise affects the conductors and drivers more than the passengers, since they subject themselves to it for many hours per day and a good proportion of them become hard of hearing.

Further, many of the songs played are very vulgar, racist and are derogatory of women and if a passenger protests, the conductor and driver order him/her off the bus in the rudest manner. Some years ago, Parliament passed legislation against music and noise in the buses and the police successfully acted for a few months but then ceased enforcing the law. If the police were to remove all tape players from the buses, in less than three months they would have eliminated the noise nuisance.

Another abuse practised by some minibuses is that they never pick up old or otherly abled persons and even at the terminals, they prevent old people from entering the buses. This form of discrimination is illegal, but the victims are unable to seek redress. A police presence would be useful at the terminals, especially at the rush hours.

At the terminals, touts often harass passengers, sometimes dragging them to their buses or holding the hands of women or even putting their arms over their shoulders.

Sometimes, touts quarrel or fight over passengers spreading fear among commuters.

It is only a police presence that could effectively control touting.

Another problem which is common to most mini-buses is their ventilation. Some buses were designed for use in temperate countries, so their windows are smaller and they depend on air-conditioning. No buses, however, use air conditioners. More importantly, the bus windows often do not function or the conductors do not open them.

Being in a hot, congested, ill-ventilated bus will always subject passengers to airborne diseases such as, for example, colds or influenza.

Speeding is another common abuse of the mini-buses.

Speeding causes accidents and endangers the life and limb of passengers. Minibus drivers speed for the thrill of so doing, despite the slogan “speed thrills but speed kills.” Probably, the major reason for the speeding is the attempt to make as many trips as possible. This is especially true of drivers who rent mini-buses where they have to pay the owners a fixed sum of say, $10,000 per day. Radar checking on the roads would help, but a policeman in plainclothes travelling with a known speeder would be effective in curbing this abuse.

The malpractices of the minibuses could be curbed if there was a more proactive police presence and as importantly, to have them agree to several conditions negating their possible abuses when granting them their licences on the pain of having the licence suspended for infringement of the conditions.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

IX

GuyBow approaches 20 years of human rights advocacy Colleen McEwan, Executive Director of GuyBow

By Gibron Rahim

“

DIFFERENCE is that raw and powerful connection from which our personal power is forged…Without community, there is no liberation…

But community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretence that these differences do not exist.”

The powerful words of the late self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” Audre Lorde speaks to embracing individual differences within a harmonious collective. The concept of community is a familiar one for Guyana’s LGBTQ population, who often find themselves outcasts in Guyanese society. There is power in solidarity and in the collective. It is in this same spirit that the Guyana Rainbow Foundation came into being almost 20 years ago.

The Pepperpot Magazine was able to sit down with Colleen McEwan, Executive Director of the Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow), and her team to learn about the organisation’s past and present role in the LGBTQ rights movement in Guyana, particularly as it relates to lesbian, bisexual and questioning (LBQ) women. While the Guyana Rainbow Foundation (GuyBow) has been in existence for almost 20 years, it followed in the footsteps of a group that came before it. McEwan noted that the late, great Andre Sobryan’s work in HIV education and human rights advocacy revealed the need for a support network for LGBTQ people. Thus, the “Rainbow Crew” was born.

Unfortunately, following Sobryan’s death, the Rainbow

Crew became defunct. McEwan explained that she had returned from overseas around that time. Having become comfortable with herself and her identity while abroad, McEwan made the determination to either join an LGBTQ group if one existed, or to start her own on her return to Guyana.

Together with former co-leading members of the Rainbow Crew, McEwan started organising informal meet-ups for members of the LGBTQ community. “I think it was more about identifying with each other and leaning on each other and trying to feel that level of support from each other.”

Eventually, the still informal group was invited to work alongside Artistes in Direct Support on the USAID-funded Guyana HIV/ AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project (GHARP1). The group was invited to participate in training to serve as peer educators. Their role as peer educators meant that the group engaged other members of the LGBTQ community, primarily men who have sex with men (MSM) and commercial sex workers. McEwan pointed out that, at the time, there was a lack of documentation and guiding policies that specifically identified those persons as LGBTQ. The group’s role as peer educators provided them with scope by enabling them to get out into communities and increase visibility. It was after these community outreaches that the name “Guyana Rainbow Foundation” came into being, along with the establishment of a more formal group from 2000. “We wanted to maintain some aspect of the name that Andre Sobryan formerly came up with, because

we felt as if that was the person who actually led the way and opened the doors to all that we’re doing now,” McEwan explained.

The then group’s formal establishment was important since, by 2000, they were gaining recognition and having conversations with bodies such as the Ministry of Health, which was made possible through GHARP1. GuyBow was formally registered as a nonprofit non-governmental organisation (NGO) by 2009.

Much of GuyBow’s work at that time was at the grassroots level with involvement in advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community and the creation of respectful and safe spaces in the communities where they lived.

significance of the lesbian and bisexual women who existed within those spaces.

Recognising the lack of reciprocal efforts on the part of their male counterparts to ensure that the needs of LBQ women were also being addressed, among other reasons, GuyBow took a strong stance to ensure that the empowerment of LBQ women was at the centre and the forefront of their work.

Among GuyBow’s current projects, as noted by team member Jenny, are the Caribbean Needs Assessment (CNA) Study, the Leading from the South (LFS) fund, GuyBow’s socioeconomic project and the Guyana Pride Festival. The Guyana Pride Festival is a collaborative effort funded by

GuyBow to provide training for persons that centres on the process of starting up one’s own small business. McEwan noted that GuyBow has been in contact with the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) and the Small Business Bureau (SBB), where they have been treated with the utmost respect. She related that GuyBow has had productive meetings with these bodies to ensure that LBQ women can access their services without fear of discrimination. She was happy to report that persons, after having successfully completed in-house training and business plans, were able to access microloans from those bodies.

The business plans were reviewed both in-house as well

Drawings by members of GuyBow on which mass media campaign posters have been based

After the formalities were completed in 2009, the new, formally established GuyBow was successful in bidding for a proposal that allowed it to undertake HIV- prevention work with MSM and commercial sex workers in Region Seven as a registered organisation.

At the same time, GuyBow was building relationships with international organisations.

McEwan related that, by that time, a Caribbean framework addressing vulnerable communities had begun to develop.

The year 2012 saw GuyBow making a shift as an organisation. In June of that year, acting together with activist Sherlina Nageer and others, the decision was made to shift focus from the entire LGBTQ community to lesbian, bisexual and questioning (LBQ) women. McEwan noted that GuyBow was no longer the only LGBTQ-serving organisation by this time. “We recognised that, amongst all of us, there was a significant gap,” she explained. “Most of the work that was being done was primarily centred on gay men.”

She related that many persons within that framework totally disregarded the importance and

COC Nederland and organised by the Guyana LGBTQ Coalition, of which GuyBow is a member.

As of 2016, with support from COC Nederland, GuyBow was able to acquire a safe space which McEwan noted they have wanted throughout GuyBow’s existence. She went on to explain the purpose of the safe space: “It acts as a place of refuge for members of GuyBow who may find themselves in crisis situations.

Those members are provided with a place to sleep and meals, along with links to income-generating opportunities. “It could be as simple as connecting them to a job opportunity,” McEwan said.

She noted that an assessment is done for these persons, so that skill-building interventions can be undertaken if necessary. “If that’s the case then we can link them to those opportunities.”

That is in addition to GuyBow’s own in-house training to prepare persons for the world of work.

GuyBow’s socio-economic project is an effort to, among other things, facilitate microloans to participants. Funded

by COC Nederland, it allows

as by a partner organisation in the United Kingdom. McEwan noted that the recipients of loans under the project are monitored to ensure that the loans are repaid and that the businesses are properly set up and run and also that the owners are able to earn a living from them. GuyBow also ascertains whether the business owners are facing discrimination or other forms of challenges and continues to provide support.

The Caribbean Needs Assessment study for LBQ women and transmasculine-presenting persons is being undertaken, with support from COC Nederland, to determine the needs of LBQ persons across the Caribbean. The study is concurrently being carried out by a total of eight Caribbean bodies with the results being used to inform future programmes at an organisational level.

McEwan noted that 2020 is the third year that GuyBow is receiving funds from LFS. Most of the funds have been allocated to a mass media campaign, sample posters of which can be seen on the GuyBow office walls. McEwan

recalled that some of the posters have been placed at bus stops across the country. One of those bus stops was vandalised in 2018. Nevertheless, GuyBow is undeterred and will continue the campaign with more posters currently in production. “These are messages that were created right here by the women of this organisation coming out of training that was led by Sherlina Nageer.”

Discrimination continues to be a problem faced by LBQ women, and the entire LGBTQ community in Guyana. McEwan told the Pepperpot Magazine that, from the perspective of GuyBow, the incidents have been minimal as they operate from a place of professionalism. She pointed out that they approach businesses as customers seeking a service, nothing more and nothing less. Nevertheless, she related that there are members who have faced various levels of job discrimination. Late last year a member was turned away from a job interview even though she was neat and clean in appearance simply because she wore attire to the interview that is traditionally considered men’s wear. The interviewer, who was not Guyanese, was rude and disrespectful in his dismissal.

By far one of the greatest challenges facing GuyBow is that there are no laws to protect LBQ women or the entire LGBTQ community. McEwan pointed out that GuyBow and other LGBTQ organisations in Guyana have undertaken human rights advocacy and training at workplaces towards coming to a common understanding of the rights of LGBTQ persons and the ways those workplaces can provide safe environments and protection for LGBTQ employees.

“But the bottom line is that, without a few understanding and humane persons within those spaces, there are no protections,” she said emphatically, “because the law that governs our country does not provide those protections for us.”

Despite the challenges, GuyBow is not daunted.

“We have the capacity to overcome them. What we need more than anything else is for the laws of Guyana to be reflective of real inclusion, of real equality. We want it to state clearly that it is not right to discriminate against anyone based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity. And if that is in place I believe that most other things will fall into place.”

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

‘Parika Back’

XI

Rich in agriculture Focus on the Village

Netram Tulsi Ram in the shop

Mrs Hanswattie Tulsi Ram

By Michel Outridge

HIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the area known popularly as ‘Parika Back’, East Bank Essequibo, to highlight the people, their way of life and development.

The community is divided into three parts, namely: Kent Dam, Naamryck and the Savannah Backlands. The main source of income is large-scale farming and poultry- rearing.

The community consists of a handful of Afro-Guyanese, predominantly Indo-Guyanese and a few dozen of Indigenous people, who came to work and have since settled.

‘Parika Back’ is bordered by the Essequibo River and Hydronie and is home to the biggest large-scale farmers.

From the Public Road to the end of the village is about three miles.

‘Parika Back’ has a nursery School, a primary school, a small Health Outpost and many shops and bars.

The people are welcoming and friendly and the team was out and about, chatting with people.

The Pepperpot Magazine met a mother and son, who manages a shop just in front of the Parika Back Primary School.

Hanswattie Tulsi Ram said they have been vending at the location for 21 years and they continue doing business

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just to provide a service to the schoolchildren.

Mrs. Tulsi Ram explained that they are farmers by trade but over the years they decided to open a small shop, selling snacks to schoolchildren, at a price to meet their pockets too.

They have a farm of ground provisions for which they have wholesale buyers, so they don’t have to commute to Parika market to sell their produce.

She added that they make much because her husband works in the hinterland, but he is around presently because he is of ill health.

“I don’t do this here at the school to make a profit, because we don’t and we have things selling for under a $100 which is very pocket-friendly for the children in this community,” she said.

Mrs Tulsi Ram explained that they have good relations with the children and teachers alike and they contribute monthly with a monetary donation for the general upkeep of the school.

“We got used to living here because we are accustomed to the hard work and simple farming life; and we don’t want to leave this village,” she said.

Collectively, Mrs. Tulsi Ram and her son would wake up early to prepare some snacks in the form of cassava balls, pholurie, egg balls, chicken balls and channa.

The 57-year-old told the team that 40 years ago she got

Netram Tu ls customers i Ram tending to (Carl Crok er photos)

married and to Pariof the

came ka Back from her hometown Essequibo Coast, a place she doesn’t miss at all.

“When I first came here, this entire place was sheer bush and over the years it was developed to this state and became populated as well,” she said.

She added that even with elections things are still normal there, because all ethnicities live in harmony and in peace.

The mother and son operate the ‘Sumintra Snackette’ at Parika Back, just in front the school where they have a wide variety of both local and imported packaged snacks and beverages to go with it.

“Things so nice here when there is a wake or any event, we does come together and contribute whatever we have including money and assist with labour and whatever else is needed to make the occasion possible, regardless of ethnicity,” she said.

Mrs. Tulsi Ram’s son, Netram Tulsi Ram, 35, told the Pepperpot Magazine that on weekends they would pay attention to their farm and do household chores.

“We probably make a profit of $20 because our prices are ‘rock bottom’ and suitable for children in this community; we see it as providing a service to the people,” he said.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XII

Focus on the Village

The people of Parika Back welcome potable water supply for their thriving farms

Home of Annette Adolphus and Chaitram Khemraj (Carl Croker photos)

Annette Adolphus

By Michel Outridge

OR residents of Parika Back, East Bank Essequibo, life doesn’t stand still because the community is close-knit and everybody is their neighbour’s keeper.

Annette Adolphus is originally from Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini), but she has made Parika Back her home.

The mother of two related that she has been residing in the village for the past 10 years and she is very comfortable there with a life of farming.

Adolphus and her husband have an acre of cassava and bora, but with the present dry season and no potable water supply, they have had to put farming on hold for a bit.

“We don’t plant on a large scale because of the water woes here, but from the bridge onwards does benefit from potable water supply, but this half don’t get any and we would like to,” she said.

The farmer added that

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right now they are not getting market for their produce and when they do, at times it is bought at a very reduced price; as such, they would incur a loss.

“The thing is, here you can survive because the people are very cooperative and

friendly and we assist each other. Look, my neighbour going on a bicycle to collect my children from school and that’s how we live, in unity regardless of our ethnicities,” she said.

Adolphus is the mother of a four-year-old and a

nine-year-old, who attend the Parika Back Nursery and Primary Schools respectively, which is some distance away.

“I ended up on his land because I looked after my husband’s grandmother for five years prior to her passing and she gifted us this

Chaitram Khemraj as he returned home on his tractor

place for which we are happy for,[sic]” she said.

Meanwhile, her husband, Chaitram Khemraj, who returned home on his tractor after a day of work doing some land preparation on other farms, told the Pepperpot Magazine that life is

fair there but it can be further enhanced with potable water supply.

“We applied for potable water supply a while now but so far, I haven’t seen anything yet and I am of the hope it will materialise soon,” he said.

The life of a farmer is hard, back-breaking labour in the humid climate, but it is our daily bread and we have to do it, Khemraj explained.

He related that they have electricity and he is thankful for that, but water is an issue right now because of the current dry spell.

“You can’t play lazy, here you have to work for a living and to support a family,” he said. “The crops of bora are very dry and the canal where water is sourced is almost dry, so I am hoping it would rain soon for the crops to be hydrated for healthy produce.”

Khemraj added that his fields of cassava are ready to be reaped, but no market is on the horizon and he is unsure of what to do with it, as is.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XIII

Focus Life in Parika Back on the Village

Speedboat owner Roger Anderson called “Solo,” with his boat

Conrad Silas on his tractor, on his way home from his farm (Carl Croker photos)

Abdool Shahabad

The boat being loaded onto the truck

By Michel Outridge

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ONRAD Silas is a farmer of Parika Back, but resides outside the village and has a plot of coop land among 50 farmers.

As he was making his way out the village via the main road, the Pepperpot Magazine encountered him and he opted to have a brief exchange with the team.

Silas reported that he has 10 acres of cassava, potatoes and plantains, but recently he was forced to plough down about three acres of cassava because he had no market.

He added that his farmlands can be accessed through Kent Dam and the price for cassava is about $40 to $60 per pound and that’s not profitable.

The farmer stated that it is not easy being a farmer and they have to plant to survive, but the place is dry and the savannah backlands are almost dried up as well.

The team also met Abdool Shahabad, a resident of Parika Back, who was on his way to visit a friend, right in the community.

He pointed out that he works in the hinterland and was home since January 18 and is waiting for things to settle up with the elections before going back to the ‘bush’ to work.

The father of six added that the elections haven’t disturbed him in any way or the people in the village, because they are united as one despite their ethnicities.

“Here we live like brothers and sisters and it is a peaceful place of farmers and simple people,” he said.

The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke to Roger Anderson, a villager as well, who was in the process of leading a speed boat onto a truck which would be transported to Parika Wharf where it will begin plying the Parika to Bartica route.

Anderson, better known as “Solo,” is the owner of the boat and he is also the captain transporting passengers and has been in the business for 15 years.

He also operates a boat-building business where he has in his employ two persons from within the community.

The father of one stated that he works on his speedboat on weekdays and is usually off on weekends, spending time with his family.

“Where there is life, there is hope and one has to make the best out of it,” he said.

Anderson said Parika Back is a nice village where the people are united as Guyanese and there is no separation and everything is quite normal.

His spouse is a teacher and their life is nothing out of the ordinary.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XIV

Focus on the Village

Parika Back Health Outpost fulfilling its mandate Indroutie Harripersaud

Community Health Worker, Amrita Singh

By Michel Outridge

T 19 years old, Amrita Singh is making the best of an opportunity at the Parika Back Health Outpost, where she is the community health worker(CHW), who is in charge of the facility when the visiting doctor isn’t present.

Singh supervises two staff members, the cleaner and the security guard in the somewhat small Health Outpost, in her home village.

Singh told the team that they provide the basic services such as pre-natal, post-natal, vaccination, dressings, treatment of minor injuries and chronic diseases clinic.

She explained that the chronic diseases section has the largest clinic, which is held every third Tuesday of the month and the doctor visits that day as well.

Singh is multi-talented and would do dressings to wounds and handle the triage, plus dispense drugs if the need arises and also make referrals, if the case is serious, to Leonora Hospital or Parika Health Centre, depending on the patient’s condition.

“I have a two-year contract, so when that is finished I would like to pursue tertiary education in the medical field to gain certain qualifications, so I can elevate myself in this field which I am comfortable with,” she said.

The CHW stated that most people would visit the health outpost with cold, flu symptoms, high blood pressure, diabetes and minor injuries as a result of farming.

The Parika Back Health Outpost is opened from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs from Monday to Friday and welcomes all visitors, even from outside the village.

Singh is hoping they get a new building soon because the old one is falling apart rapidly, which was evident when the team visited.

“Life here is nice, quiet and it is a place where people go about their business of the day and keep busy, because there are mostly farmers and they spend a lot of time in the fields tending to crops,” she said.

The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke to Indroutie Harripersaud, who is the security guard attached to the Parika Back Health Outpost.

She reported that she has been holding the post for one and a half years now, a job she has grown to like.

Harripersaud stated that she returned from Venezuela five years ago, but her two children are still residing over there.

She is a resident of Kent Dam and described life as very peaceful and contented, but for that to happen one must be employed and be able to provide for him/ her self.

Harripersaud added that Kent Dam is the home of cash-crop farmers and housewives.

“This job is alright because it provides a salary, making me independent, so I don’t have to depend on anyone,” she said.

She noted that her job is based on a shift system and another guard would take over for the night shift and she handles the day shift.

Harripersaud stated that employment is the best feeling ever and it is always better to have a job, regardless of what is it, since she believes that honest work is better than none.

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The staffers of Parika Back Health Outpost

Parika Back Health Outpost (Carl Croker photos)

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XV

Small businesses are k c a B surviving in Parika Sarita Persaud

Focus

Home of Sarita Persaud

on the Village

Dilip Kumar on his farm (Carl Croker photos)

By Michel Outridge

ARITA Persaud has a small business which is based at her home in Parika Back, East Bank Essequibo, where she provides a reliable service to the community.

She has a photocopying and printing service because she has internet service at her home and also sells ice and icicles as a side ‘hustle’; being a housewife, she has the time to manage both.

Persaud explained that she grew up with her granny and had moved out of the village for some time, but returned and is there to stay.

The mother of two added that mostly schoolchildren would visit to have their school projects done and she would assist.

However, both of her her children go to school outside the village and are at the secondary level.

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Persaud told the team she also upkeeps a small kitchen garden of karila, squash, bora and mainly seasonings which are used for her own kitchen.

“I am contented with my life here, I have no neighbours and no one to bother me and I do what I have to make myself happy,” she said.

The Pepperpot Magazine also spoke to Dilip Kumar, a resident of Kent Dam, a section of Parika Back and he is a farmer; his crops are on the verge of going to waste because of pests and the current dry spell.

He explained that right now the price for pak choi is $10 per root and as a cash crop farmer, they are not making profits.

Aback his yard, he has a few acres of cucumber, bora, pak choi, tomatoes, pepper and boulanger, most of which are very dry owing to the fact they don’t benefit from potable water and the current

dry season is taking a toll on the crops.

“Up to this morning I got up early and went backdam to see if I can source water from the canal which is almost dry, just to water the crops, because the sun is very hot, plus I have to buy a lot of chemicals for the pests that are attacking my crops,” he said.

Kumar stated that within recent times he has seen an increase of pests on his crops and in addition, he has to buy limestone and chicken manure to prepare the soil for a good yield.

“I does use the limestone to absorb the sour soil and the fowl manure is also good for a proper soil composition for the crops,” he said.

Kumar pointed out that Kent Dam is about one mile long and aback of that there is a land co-op where farmers, who reside outside the village, have crops.

He has six acres of crops

Home of Dilip Kumar at Kent Dam

and the pepper leaves are curling due to insects and the lack of water and he has one person in his employ, who works three days per week because he can’t afford to employ more people.

Kumar said they have wholesale buyers, who would

come to their house for the produce and they would be paid on Saturdays and most times they don’t really profit.

“My parents were farmers and I grew up as a farmer’s son and I got used to it and I am a farmer today, a job I have had for the past 35

years,” he said.

Kumar, 50, is originally from Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, but grew up in Kent Dam. He is a father of two and welcomes a change of weather for the sake of his dry crops.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XVI

Wayne Hunte Behavioural Health Advisor

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here is no need to panic. The populace needs to follow the public health advisories that are coming from the health authorities to reduce their risk of infection. Many people are blindly forwarding bits and pieces of information on social media without really knowing who or where it supposedly came from. People may also forget that we have several tropical fruits that can naturally boost our immune systems to help fight infections. For example, we can load up on Vitamin C by using our guavas, cherries, five fingers, lemons, and pineapples. I personally believe that by tanking up on our tropical fruits, this can give us the antioxidants where we can have a fighting chance against this virus.

Roberta Binda

P

Registered Nurse

ersons should not panic about this disease. Keep in mind that COVID -19 is 2-4 percent fatality rate when compared with SARS that has a 10 percent and Ebola that has a 98 percent fatality rate. COVID-19 is spread through droplets that come from our nose and mouth when we talk, cough or sneeze. T To protect my family, I have reinforced good hygienic practices. I have spoken and demonstrated to my children how to properly wash their hands. I have made hand sanitizer with 70 percent rubbing alcohol and oil and given it to them to use frequently, especially after handling money. I have advised my kids to always cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, whether it i s with their sleeves/tissues and avoid touching their face, eye nose or mouth as much as possible. I have also identified a room in my home that I will use to quarantine any person that has any symptoms of COVID -19. I have the hotline number and enough Tylenol for fever. My husband and I are trying to ensure that we eat healthy and take daily multivitamins and hopefully rest well to keep our immune system healthy. I only forward or post COVID-19 info from relevant and authentic sources like WHO, Ministry of Health & CDC. In doing so, I think it would prevent false information from getting out into the public and causing a panic. I keep checking these sources for updated information daily.

Joan Brown

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Beautician

ecause Hair Tech and Body Clinic is part of the beauty industry and must deal with the public, we are increasing our sanitation and sterilisation processes, making sure to constantly spray all surfaces with rubbing alcohol. Our combs and brushes are washed in bleach water, we have hand sanitizers available at our stations, our staff is encouraged and reminded to wash their hands throughout the day after working with each client, our kids are advised not to go sitting on anyone, our pedicurists are encouraged to wear gloves and/or mask for their services and our towels are washed with bleach and then placed in the sun. My family and I are making sure our immune system is not compromised by taking our vitamins regularly, increasing our intake of vitamins c, alkalizing our body by drinking corilla water (3 slices of corilla to 1 litre water) throughout the day thus making sure that our bodies are hydrated.

We’re also using tamarind drink sweetened with honey instead of sugar to help supply our bodies with vitamin c, utilizing our fresh vegetables, and practising healthy eating habits.

Mohini Graham Caring for three young kids

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s a working mom, I take extra care to protect my kids from the virus. I bought Lysol Spray and Clorox wipes to wipe down all devices and surfaces, have refill hand sanitizers and give each of my kids their personal sanitizer to take to school. I also spoke to my children about what is the coronavirus and how to protect themselves at school and home by washing their hands and so forth. I also do similar at my place of work by wiping down telephones, keyboards, etc.

What the pe

― About Co

By Telesha Ramnarine

W

HILE many persons are worried about the new coronavirus (COVID-19) that has sadly reached Guyana, many others are optimistic and are of the view that taking precautions and following the guidance of reliable sources can do the trick.

One elderly woman s her do research, while p they have been teachin the virus, and even demo health practices. Others diet with a focus on buildi such as by stocking up o The virus has been and at the moment, we d

Walter Narine

Solid Waste Management Director

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y family and I have taken necessary steps to avoid social gathering, and going to places like malls, movies, etc. I have kept my kids away from school as a precaution and have taken the necessary steps to educate them on basic hygiene. This task was extremely difficult because of their ages (1 and 3). At this age, kids are always touching their faces so I think every step must be taken by teachers and parents to protect them. People who are more susceptible to getting the virus are those with weak immune systems like the hypertensive and diabetic cases and people who already have respiratory problems. What you have to do is to keep boosting your immune system by taking the necessary vitamins, drinking a lot of water and staying as clean as possible because it has potential to have mass casualties if it is not contained. It is extremely difficult to control. You have to always have your sanitizers with you. I am avoiding handshakes, keeping myself away from people, about three feet away when we’re talking. You may have to do some strange things to protect yourself but this thing is very dangerous.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XVII

Mikhaila Puran-Xavier AnnMarie Kalladen Medical Doctor

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ven though the statistics show that the majority of cases are mild, everyone should still take precaution so that our older, sick population won’t have to pay for our poor hygiene. Avoid close contact with those who are sick, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places - door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something. Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc. Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks and cell phones). Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Stay home if you’re sick, except to get medical care.

Stock up on supplies. It is not advised for the general public to wear facemasks. The lightweight surgical facemasks will not protect you and the N95 masks should be reserved for health care workers who really need it as there is a shortage in supply. It is only advised that sick persons wear lightweight masks to prevent transmission. Please don’t believe everything that you read on social media. People are irresponsibly sharing information without fact-checking.

There is no cure for COVID-19. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive. Protect yourself and your loved ones by practising good hygiene, eating healthy and taking your daily vitamins.

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64-year-old housewife

don’t really know much about the virus, but me and my daughter have been doing research. I came to the bank to get some money to buy things like hand sanitizer, mouth guards, bleach. We have to take precautions. It is not something to play with, it’s serious. And I personally believe that this illness can be transmitted through money.

I am terrified knowing my age group is at risk. I didn’t put on any mouth guard because they said that that’s not healthy, but I am taking precautions. This is the reality now; it’s all over the world and we have to be very careful.

eople say… I

Prudence Julien

oronavirus

said her daughter helps parents expressed that ng their children about onstrating to them basic s encouraged a healthy ing the immune system, on Vitamin C. declared a pandemic, do not know in Guyana

how many cases might be out there. Research has shown that older persons, who have serious medical conditions like diabetes, heart and lung disease, are at higher risks.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke with some persons on what they have been doing to protect themselves and families from the dreaded virus. Here are some of their thoughts:

Confidential Secretary

know the coronavirus started in Wuhan, China from a wet market. My initial thoughts were that it would be contained here and like most other people, I thought Guyana was invincible.

There are many, many so-called tricks and tips going around but what I believe to be my first and most immediate safeguard is relying on trustworthy sources. Hence, I do not listen to or read spurious forwarded messages and voice recordings. I take my information from the World Health Organization website and I share these with others. Apart from that, my family has been using hand sanitizer, frequent washing with hand soap (we’ve even put mentholated in it) and we spray regularly with Lysol. We also try to limit our exposure to crowded areas.

Ganesh Singh

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Visually Impaired

’ve taken the necessary precautions as advised by PAHO/ WHO, Ministry of Public Health and from online reliable sources including the CDC in the United States. Persons with disabilities, I would advise them; not everyone can afford to buy Lysol and the things needed but what they can do is to wash their hands regularly with soap, keep their environment clean, and try not to touch their faces. Especially persons who are blind tend to touch their eyes and clean them; it’s a habit for many persons. So those persons who are blind should make a strong effort to stop touching their eyes without clean hands. I have a very clear understanding of how the virus works and I encourage everyone to remain informed.

A microscopic view of COVID-19 (University of Mississippi photo)

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

Sustainable choices for a better future INSPIRE YOU 2020

“

EACH time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”

— Maya Angelou.

March is designated as the month to celebrate women’s achievements all over the world and we are celebrating by hosting our fourth edition of INSPIRE YOU. This event has impacted many lives over the years with some powerful and dynamic local and international speakers.

Speakers for 2019 from Guyana included Alexandra Correia, Claudette Patricia Rogers, Thandi McAllister, Mariska Fiedtkou Jordan, Ruqayyah Boyer, Ruth Wilson.

The overseas speaker was led by Dr Safeeya Mohamed (Trinidad) , Christine Neblett, (New York) Hilda Borne (Mississippi ) Cloyette Harris- Stoute (New York) Bethany Hanna (Arizona) Jacqui Phillips (New Jersey) Vijoya Taylor (Suriname).

I will be one of the speakers and joining me will be Roshini Khushi Persaud, who is one of my co-authors of Women Across Borders.

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, she’s a former Miss India-Guyana 2011. She is the dance choreographer of the Jewan Ka Nritya dance group. Roshini is a pageant mentor and talent trainer, television personality and radio broadcaster.

We are excited to have the dynamic businesswoman Avia Marie Lindie Chief Executive Officer Metro Office Supplies. She has a history of working in retail business and office supplies industry.

Trained Travel Agent and also OSHA. Strong business development professional.

The woman with a soulful voice and heart to go with it is Jo Anne Forde. The founder of Innovoir Spa and mother of two beautiful teenagers. This bilingual beauty hails from Lethem This year’s International Speakers line-up is lead

by Global Influencer and strategist Dr Jena Bell from the United States. She empowers and teaches women around the globe to step boldly into your purpose and transform your life/ business/career for greater impact, influence, intimacy, and income.

Her most requested speaking topics include Igniting Your Inner Champion, From Setback to Comeback, Purpose Driven to Lead Purposefully, Entrepreneurial Mindset to Win in Life and Business.

Charismatic, confident and caring, DeAnne Connoly will contribute a virtual presentation from Miami. She worked in the tourism and hospitality industry in South Florida for almost 30 years.

I enjoy being very active with a number of chambers, associations and non-profits throughout South Florida. I serve on the boards of the Miami-Dade chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Miami Beach

Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel ... Inspiring lives through fashion

and she is intentional about suicide prevention and helping families to heal. She took the pain and grief of losing her 13-year-old son to suicide and channelled it into a vehicle to change lives. She has received many awards featured in the USA Today, North Valley Luxury Magazine and many other publications.

One of the new features is a panel of young boys and girls discussing topics that affect society. It is important that we create a platform for joint dialogues. Last year we had a few guys in the audience and we are encouraging more to join us because it is important for men to hear some of these stories. Last year one of the guys could not hold back the tears and he kept repeating “ more men need to hear these stories.”

INSPIRE YOU will be held at Tower Suites on 22 March from 15:00hrs and we would like to express our gratitude to Tower Suites who are our main partners for this life-changing event. Tickets are being sold at the Tower Suites front desk and the contribution is $3,000 dollars. This Chamber. She is Chair of the Miami Beach Chamber’s Women’s Business Council and is active with event has been the Climax of Women in Business a number of women’s organisations throughout Expo for the past four years, but EXPO is now on South Florida. She serves on the Advisory Board the 4th and 5th April because of the present politifor the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, which cal situation. fOr more info check out Sonia Noel’s prepares a diverse population of high school stu- Page, email womeninexpo2020@gmail.com or call dents for post-secondar. She is also a cancer survi- 672-6522.

We encourage women, girls, men and boys vor and an outspoken advocate for organ donation.

I met Kimberly Tocco in Arizona during my to attend INSPIRE YOU 2020 as we continue to Living with Intention Tour and her passion for her celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEadvocacy touched me. Her son committed suicide YOND THE RUNWAY.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

XIX

THE MALE CONSTITUENCY NEEDS URGENT REPAIR AND CULTURAL REVIVAL PT. II

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HE world has gone through a metamorphosis scientifically, economically, intellectually and socially. The male is the gender made obsolete in so many areas of what he understood only years ago as his workable economic realm. We have not gone beyond newspaper articles like this one among many others to seriously address the tough discourse required to deal with this nor any of the other factors impacting on this issue. High on the list of preferences is his control of the management of the home, and the cultural creeds, customs and unwritten contracts he is by tenet obliged to fulfil. It is in the pursuit of that fulfilment when rendered inadequate, that other serious problems come into being, for example –‘Case Study’: Girls have been taught that to

Anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gayle of Jamaica in 2012, did a study on the perception of fathers in that country, that is also relevant here and in the broader Caribbean, where as that study implies, men are seen as providers and protectors, the ancient format of the male warrior- raider bringing home his loot, where nurturing especially the male youth was his charge, while the females lay with the mother. That age has gone as that study indicated, providing, nurturing and protecting are all pivotal to the couple and children across gender towards the next waltz in life.

As no time before have the impact of conspicuous consumption and the decline of strong male political leadership been more pronounced than since 1992-2014, these factors where there was no leadership to talk to men, that represented

such should happen, then the term is applied, “Youth man duh man hold yuh down, yuh got fuh do, wuh yuh got fuh do, fuh redeem yuh self” harsh, but it is a creed and regardless of the uppity views of lawmakers, it will be adhered to, so in the public interest it should be understood.

One of the crucial and complex realities of earning today will be the phenomenon of home-run businesses.

The problematic issue will be the question of accommodation for a business area in the home, which will demand design based on what the nature of the business is. This new realm will command and depend on the architect’s unique application to create, rather than seek on-line designs to accommodate small and medium-sized homes for Guyanese with studios and built-

have a well constructed furnished home to accommodate friends and relatives is an ideal. That no compromise is allowed for discussion and digression towards an alternative mode, nagging, indirect remarks and even tearful postures in full-view isolation, that are protest designed- with remarks like, “ah really looking at me life and the years ah waste” directed at the perceived failures of the male adding to the build-up that manifests in two ways: a desperation to fulfil or if not confident enough to analyse and interpret and ignore, then secondly leads to a mental self-destructive retaliation from a collapse of self-esteem, leading to the escape to, and imprisonment to alcohol or drugs, or the alternative of an aggressive defence of self-value, that leads to another woman. Most times a terrible idea, as he is unaware of the agenda of this perceived ‘safe-haven.’ Or he may toy with this definition of the fallen man, the worse would be a victimised retaliation, of frustration that explodes into another lose of rational, into a fatal domestic encounter.

‘Male values’ in a country faced with severe unemployment, where the alternative employment was the self-destructive lure of drugs, back-track and human trafficking, and this had seeped into mining, logging, the country had slipped into an unprecedented level of lawlessness, life had become cheap. On March 10, 2011, Stabroek News, a letter by R. Small “Male on male violence cannot be divorced from domestic violence,” alluded to the silence of some religious groups as well as a broader landscape in assessing what by all means is today a ‘National problem.’ The problem may well be, that in addressing the root causes for problems that are cultural, sub-cultural and custom of practice acceptance, the professionals may not be aware of, or are speculative without hard knowledge of areas and subcultures they were brought up to view in contempt, and also held grudging admiration for at the same time. I have written on how the courts seem oblivious to sub-cultural norms in sentencing young men who kill other men who had practised or attempted to practise a homosexual act on them. That in roots culture if

in bookcases. This would prevent the clash between couples and space allotments, I have visited some small houses since 2013 at exhibitions, and they didn’t even cater to the homework studio for children. I had a JP that did work for me [he’s deceased now] in middle road Le Penitence. He was looking forward to a home he was building, because apart from the fact that old South Georgetown houses are predominantly cottages and small, this was where he operated. He would quietly fret that every time he displayed his files on the small coffee table that he had converted to a desk, his wife, as soon as he left for work, would put them in the drawer and place a vase with artificial flowers on the table on an embroidered centrepiece, he didn’t have the space to buy and fit a small desk. In the world before us for men, we have got to redesign and create a new space for survival, applying a realistic and functional culture, this means we must wrestle with the present and reshape it, to preserve our physical health and sanity.

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Art and Psychology

Perceptual learning Carl Hazelwood, Floating Objects

W

Marjorie Broodhagen, Lukanani & Lemons

HEN I think about the magnitude of the creative process in art-making, it strikes me afresh how astounding is the ability of an artist! Whether they create realistic, abstract or non-objective work, a great level of skill is required. As I continue my reading on the correlation between art and psychology, my appreciation for art grows.

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its function. Visual arts are expressions of human creativity that appeal to our sense of sight. According to Psychology, our visual intake occurs via the process of perceptual learning. Perceptual learning is the process by which the ability of sensory systems to respond to stimuli is improved through experience. Perceptual learning occurs through sensory interaction with the environment as well as through practice in performing specific sensory tasks. An example of perceptual learning is the ability to differentiate shades of colour. This phenomenon gives an insight into the reaction of different viewers to a particular piece of art.

As a Guyanese artist, there are some works within the art world that I struggle to consider as art. For example, I saw a painting with a single red dot on a canvas and found myself questioning the ability of the artist. This painting was sold for millions of dollars. I remember thinking - what if making art in Guyana was that simple. I know with all certainty that our local artists wouldn’t consider creating such a simple piece and calling it ‘art.’ It’s simply not in our nature.

It also contradicts our cultural heritage. Besides, it defies our training and understanding of space, more specifically negative space. We are also cognisant of the fact that our viewers aren’t just looking at our work for the aesthetics, but they are also seeking to evoke a feeling.

Why if we are shown an empty room with only a ball in it, leaning against a wall, do we see the ball rather than a wall, although there is far more of the wall than the ball. The easy answer is that the ball is a familiar and useful object.

This is why our local art is so interesting. Our subject matter focuses on what our viewers find useful. Artists aren’t simply just taking up space, they are bringing objects to life

on a two-dimensional surface. They are representing who we are, what we do, and what we stand for.

Psychology further explains that sometimes we see things that are not so because to see them this way is easier, neater and makes better sense. Our personal experiences also influence how we see what we see. In other cases, we cannot accept the true sensory information at all. The illusion persists even when actual measurements are taken and the trick is pointed out. Suppose you see a drawing of a receding street with everything in it scaled for perspective except the second lamp-post, which had been drawn the same size as the one ‘nearest’ to you. The viewer may assume that the second lamp post is smaller, but that is not so. Measure the two with a ruler, and you will see it disproportionately tall. It’s quite amazing how the viewer’s eyes make adjustments to things to simply appeal to their senses.

The art pieces in this column are currently on display at The National Gallery in an exhibition entitled, ‘Agent of Transformation’. I encourage you to visit the exhibition which will be on display until 28th March, 2020.

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World Water Day 2020

ATER is a precondition for life on Earth. Safe drinking water and sanitation are human rights. Water – including sanitation – is critical for socio-economic development, food security and healthy ecosystems, and is vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations.

The science is clear: the global climate change crisis is increasing variability in the water cycle, thus reducing the predictability of water availability and demand, affecting water quality, exacerbating water scarcity and threatening sustainable develop- ment worldwide. These impacts disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable communities and are compounded by contributing factors, including population increase, unmanaged migration, land-use change, reduced soil health, accelerated groundwater extraction, widespread ecological degradation and biodiversity loss.

Guyana is particularly vulnerable to climate change given its geographic, economic and population dynamics, which can pose challenges to effectively adapt to or mitigate impacts of climate change as was witnessed in 2005. This is compounded by the important role that agriculture, a sector likely to be severely affected by water availability and quality, plays in Guyana’s economy. While all ten (10) administrative regions in Guyana are affected, the impacts of climate change are highly variable and uneven. Some regions have experienced periods of drought, others increasingly severe and frequent floods, while some face both sets of extremes.

Slower-onset impacts derived from accelerated sea-level rise affect Guyana’s coastal areas where the majority of Guyana’s population and centres of commerce and government are located. At the same time, increased demand for water for energy, agriculture, industry and human consumption is leading to gradually more difficult trade-offs for this limited and precious resource, especially in areas in Guyana that are already facing water

stress. For these reasons, it is often said that climate change is felt most directly through water.

Water management must play a central role in adapting to the worst effects of climate change and reducing greenhouse gases, according to a new UN-Water Policy Brief. The way we manage water resources can help us tackle climate change in two ways,” says Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water and President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): “First, by coordinating across sectors we can reduce the impacts of floods and droughts, adapt to the expected increase in unpredictability and ensure communities and businesses have the water they need to thrive. And second, we can reduce harmful emissions by making water supply more sustainable.”

WATER, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND SINGLE-USE PLASTICS Plastics are primarily made of petro-chemicals (from fossil fuels), the production of which contributes to climate change as we know it. The global community has recognised with climate change and increased water use and disposing said items which will be in the environment for hundreds of years. In this vein, Guyana and many countries and cities around the world have decided to place a ban on selected single-use plastic items, which once embraced fully and enforced will see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, water use for manufacturing, and SUPs as litter.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

Full steam ...

Benn. It meant being in a new environment, and being away from his family and his wife; nonetheless, encouraged by them, Benn decided to go for it.

“I had only been married for little over a year when I left, so it was very difficult for my wife and I, but I wanted to buttress my knowledge in the area, and in Guyana we have little avenue for such. So after discussing with my wife, I took the offer,” Benn related.

For his wife Shenel it was a never a question that she was going to be supporting her husband in the furtherance of his studies.

“I’ve missed him immensely and his arrival is all I long for,” she conveyed.

Notwithstanding being away from his family, the experience opened the door for Benn to experience the culture of Germany, as well as those of the six other participants, and allowed him to share the Guyanese culture as well.

“Guyanese dialect is very much loved and appreciated. Sometimes when I speak, it’s like entertainment for some of my colleagues, they are excited to learn our slangs and idioms,” Benn relayed.

Being a part of the pro-

father Floyd Benn.

Floyd describes Joshua as a “little disgusting but respectful” child growing up in the five-member family in South Georgetown.

“He was taught freedom of expression, so he has always been passionate about his beliefs and what he has to say. He’s very determined with whatever he put his mind to do and he wanted to become a lawyer,” Floyd shares.

A pastor at the Diamond Life Improvement Centre Assembly of God Church, Floyd said himself and wife, placed a lot of emphasis on ensuring their children were educated.

Joshua (second from right) with his wife Shenel (left) and parents, Ann and Floyd Benn (right)

“When I found out of his successful application I was excited, proud and super supportive. I knew I’d have to make sacrifices and as such, I rose to the occasion,” shared Shenel.

Joshua is scheduled to leave Germany to return to Guyana on the 26 March, where his wife Shenel is eagerly awaiting his return.

gramme is the high point of Benn’s thus far legal career, which is still in its early beginnings, having started in 2017. A legal career being something that both Benn and his parents just knew he was destined for even from a young age.

“He was born a lawyer, he was born with that passion,” expressed Joshua’s

“Education and Christianity were always two serious parts of their lives, with discipline and order and they worked with that.

His mother left her job to ensure they were ready for common Entrance,” he notes.

The Benn siblings understood what was expected of them and took it se-

riously, Joshua’s sister is a registered nurse, while his brother is an entrepreneur and educator.

During his time in secondary school, Joshua’s drive to become a lawyer was reinforced a matter of proving himself.

“The decisive factor occurred when I was in fourth form and a teacher told me I would never become anything in life.

I wanted to prove him wrong, thus I rekindled my dream of becoming a lawyer,” he says.

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So it was that in 2012 he began to read for his Bachelor’s of Law at the University of Guyana, where he secured a spot among the top 25 and later earned his Legal Education Certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School and was admitted to the Bar in 2017.

In 2019 he also attended the Singapore Judicial College, where he completed a training course on International Dispute Resolution.

Now Joshua says he is

hopeful of seeing Guyana become a larger player in international law.

“I want to contribute as much as possible to the development of international law in Guyana. It is my hope that just as we now chair the G77, we will end up on the bench of, perhaps, the International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the law of the Sea, or possibly all,” he says.

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Guyanese Keyboard Warriors

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

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INCE March 2, my social media timelines have been flooded with opinions, arguments, debates and even derogatory posts (immediately unfriended those persons). Some were very enlightening and also distasteful and others were very entertaining (the memes). For the fun of imagery, I’ll describe my timelines as a cyber war zone. Some might say, ‘war’ is such a strong word but it isn’t, at least not for me. I recently came across a new phrase, “Keyboard Warriors” and that just falls directly into Guyana’s social media context to date. Today, it seems as if everybody hides behind a monitor and the weapon of their choice is a keyboard that is fuelled by words.

You might be wondering who in the world is a keyboard warrior and why is this columnist placing so much emphasis on a ‘silly-sounding’ phrase? A ‘keyboard warrior’ is someone who chooses to express themselves aggressively through words on social media mediums instead of doing so in real life. This term was coined by a vocalist named Mandy Lion (WWIII, Wicked Alliance), it was essentially used to define “a new breed of idiots which use the internet to mud-sling people who actually have lives and careers.”

This term, ‘keyboard warrior,’ is a combinative meaning of the two words; ‘keyboard’ being the tool/ weapon ‘of choice and ‘warrior’ that represents the anger and hostility that this person showcases. While this term is metaphorically phrased, the effects of such a person’s behaviour are real and deadly. I have seen it firsthand throughout this week.

This was evident all week long on Guyanese Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I have seen some of the most distasteful and arrogant slangs, tones and posts online recently. These ‘warriors’ spoke a language of hate and violence. They weren’t getting their hands dirty in rioting and real-life political drama, but to me, their words and online agenda insinuated most of what happened on the days after of Guyana’s elections.

There is much research which proves that when we use social media, there is some form of adrenaline rush involved. When one receives thumbs up or reactions to their posts, multiple shares and tags, etc. Some of us feel really good about that. That our authenticity and words (whether negative or positive) are ‘trending.’ As a columnist, I would understand the importance of ‘perspectives’ and ‘opinions’ better than anyone else. However, when those very opinions are being used as fuel for fear, hate, racism, discrimination, aggression and even the cause of political and civil warfare, then your opinions should be disregarded.

YES, I have said it.

While Facebook was ‘wilding’ with a lot of negative ‘keyboard warriors,’ I have also seen my fair share of social media advocates. People who inspire me that there is still hope, people who fact-check their posts, people who can see the difference between wrong and right, even if they have an opinionated bias. These are the type of people who make me aspire to inspire others through my written pieces such as this. From my understanding, a ‘keyboard warrior’ is also another fancy term for what we would typically call a ‘cyber-bully.’ There are the type of persons who’d put others down no matter what the cost is. They are also the type of people to attack your physicality, even though you’re trying to make a point on something completely different.

Just by reading this, I know that you’re probably already making mental notes of who these people are on your social media and if by chance you completely disagree with me on who and what a ‘keyboard-warrior’ is, then maybe you’re a part of the existing problem. Whatever you do on your social media is your business, but at the end of the day, all I ask is for us to spread messages of social cohesion, love, respect and kindness in this dark time of Guyana’s history.

Lastly, be sure to start unfriending these warriors, if you haven’t done so already—nothing but positive energy!

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

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V E RY d e n t i s t and nearly every adult alive have an ongoing and familiar relationship with dental amalgam, popularly known as “silver filling”. It contains mercury, silver, tin, copper and zinc. The high prevalence of tooth decay during much of the 20th century made it necessary that there is available, a safe, efficient, durable and inexpensive dental restorative material.

Dental amalgam has been widely viewed by health professionals and the public alike as satisfying these criteria. This had been the case for about a century.

However, in recent times, claims of possible adverse health effects of mercury vapour from dental amalgam have surfaced with international publicity. In fact, for nearly five years now I have stopped using amalgam fillings in my clinic. In Sweden, the government has banned its use altogether.

Currently, research has detected elevated levels of elemental mercury vapour in the mouths of individuals with dental amalgam fillings.

Additional animal research suggested that mercury from those dental fillings could be deposited in tissues distant from the site of amalgam placement. The media in some cases sensationalised these findings, creating a spectre that dental amalgam may be detrimental to human health.

In consideration of the recent research reports, the international dental community asked the U.S. Public Health Service to initiate a comprehensive scientific review of the benefits and risks of dental amalgam.

After a two-year review, a diverse group of scientists comprising epidemiologists, toxicologists and biomaterial experts produced a report which was published

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Those ‘silver fillings’

in January 1993. Nearly 500 scientific studies were used as a basis for the report.

It was confirmed that dental amalgam can release very small amounts of elemental mercury. But mercury is absorbed from many sources, including food and even the air we breathe. It has not been demonstrated that most people experience any clinical effects from the small additional burden of mercury from amalgam. The report stated that if there were adverse health effects from mercury in silver amalgam fillings, they may be so subtle and non-specific that they would be difficult to detect.

The studies revealed that the use of that type of filling does offer many advantages over the rest. These include the wide potential of applications, ease of manipulation, reasonable clinical serviceability, and relatively low cost. Several alternative materials can replace dental amalgam in many traditional situations, particularly in low stress-bearing areas. On a one-time use basis, none of these materials is cheaper than dental amalgam.

Although the issue of potential health risks from dental amalgam initially drove the scientific review forward, the benefits of this material and the dangers of alternative restorative materials also assumed a prominent position. It is not enough to answer whether mercury from dental amalgam causes any bad health effects. The broader question should be asked, “How important is amalgam to the oral health of the nation?” Indeed, millions of teeth have been retained among the Guyanese population over the years, that otherwise would have been sacrificed because restorative alternatives would have been too expensive for many people.

In the final analysis,

where there is a largely known benefit, then indi-

viduals and society must acknowledge and deter-

mine an acceptable level of risk as to the necessary side

effect of a highly technological civilisation.

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English

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2020 - 03 - 15

The world is charged with the grandeur of God. THOUG HT It will flame out like shining from shook foil. for TOD GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS (1844-1889) AY: God’s Grandeur STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Revision is the game at this moment. Revise on your own, for then you will see what knowledge and skills you really own. Group work is helpful; but the

examination calls for personal efforts. Be purposeful. Revise with your kind of examination in mind.

Your whole future hangs on your focus this season., preparing Love you.

THE PASSAGE Winter came gently as a rule. The sky was still clear, the sea blue and calm, and the sun warm. But there would be an uncertainty in the air.

Gold and scarlet leaves that

littered the countryside in great drifts whispered and chuckled among themselves, or took experimental runs from place to place, rolling like coloured hoops among the trees. It was as if they were practicing for something, preparing for something, and they would discuss excitedly in rusty voices as they crowded round the tree-trunks. The birds, too, congregated in little groups, puffing out their feathers, twittering thoughtfully. The whole air was one of expectancy, like a vast audience waiting for the curtain to go up. Then one morning they drew back the shutters and looked down over the olive trees, across the blue bay to the russet mountains of the mainland and became aware that winter had arrived, for each mountain peak would be wearing a tattered skull-cap of snow. Now the air of expectancy grew almost hourly.

In a few days small white clouds started their winter parade, trooping across the sky, soft and chubby, long, and driving them before it, like an ill-assorted flock of sheep, would come the wind.

This was warm at first, and came in gentle gusts, rubbing through the olive-groves so that the leaves trembled and turned silver with excitement, rocking the cypresses so that they undulated gently, and stirring the dead leaves into gay, swirling little dances that died as suddenly as they began. Playfully it ruffled the feathers on the sparrow’s backs, so that they shuddered and fluffed themselves; and it leapt without warning to the gulls, so that they were stopped in mid-air and had to curve their white wings against it. Shutters started to bang, and doors chattered suddenly in their frames. But still the sun shone, the sea remained placid and the mountains sat complacently, summer bronzed, wearing their splintered snow hats. (“My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell)

Something to Do

1. The extract is about the approaching weather change

which obviously has made a great impression upon the writer. Read it once more, this time underlining all the phrases that describe the phenomenon. You should then proceed to write a description of your own which paints a vivid picture of what the weather change entails.

2. Write a conversation between two or three members of flora or fauna mentioned in the excerpt above about the air of expectancy they are experiencing.

How is Your Reading Currently?

MAIN IDEA Read the passage. Then, answer the questions.

If the painter wishes to see enchanting beauties, he has the power to produce them. If he wishes to see monstrosities, he has the power to create them. If he wishes to produce towns or deserts, he can…

Indeed, whatever exists in the universe, or in the imagination, the painter has first in his mind and then in his hands. – Leonardo Da Vinci.

This quotation is from a painter who could turn what he saw in his mind into what the world saw on canvas. Those of us who look at what we have painted and know how different it is from what we imagine, feel differently about the creative act. Like children who draw stick figures when they are thinking of real people, what is painted is so much less than what we think. Rather than feel Da Vinci’s power, we often feel powerless.

1. What is the main idea of the quotation?

A.. Painters can make beauty.

B.. Painters can make monstrosities, but painters should focus on beauty.

C.. A painter can represent what can be seen or imagined.

D.. Painters have imagination.

2. Which is the most accurate statement?

A The texts have similar ideas.

B The two texts contrast.

C The texts show cause-effect.

D The two texts show a sequence.

3. What is the main idea of the two texts?

A Artists feel powerful or powerless.

B For good painters, painting is creating.

C All painters feel powerful through art.

D No artist can equal Da Vinci.

4. The first sentence in the second paragraph A continues the first paragraph.

B is a transition between two ideas.

C is a contrast from the quotation.

D is a definition of the painter.

THE COMPOSITION Here is a composition for you to try. The instructions provide the necessary stimulus and information required for producing it.

Look for the specific situation and context in which to write.

While you are away from home, some Netherlands friends are coming to stay in your house.

They write to say that they are enjoying themselves so much that they would like to spend two more weeks visiting some other parts of the country. They would like your advice about what to go and see and where to stay here.

Write to your friends giving the best possible advice you can from your own knowledge and experience, with whatever special hints and warnings may be necessary. Make sure your friends know who they can write to for further information of an ‘official’ kind to help them to plan the best possible holiday in Guyana.

Let your letter be between 150-200 words in length.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020

Bake (Float)

Ingredients √ √ √ √

4 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar 2 tbsp baking powder 1 tbsp heaping Tbsp. margarine

Mixing the dough » In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and margarine. » Mix all together in the dry state first » By gradually adding water, knead into a dough ( same texture as roti) » After, roll out dough in one long piece and cut pieces for each bake » Roll each piece into a little ball ( like for roti, only a bit smaller) » Let sit for 15 mins » Rolling and Frying » Heat oil in a pan, wider the better » Oil must be hot enough, bake should rise almost instantly to the top » Once added, if it does not, it means the oil is not hot enough. » After the dough has rested for 15 mins. » On a floured surface, roll out the balls (not too thin) » Fry until they are golden brown (about 1 minute)

realniceguyana.com

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― March 15, 2020