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SUNDAY CHRONICLE January 8, 2017
National Trust plays vital role in promoting Guyana’s national patrimony CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of The National Trust of Guyana, Ms. Nirvana Persaud, has noted that the Trust plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the country’s national patrimony is preserved and in fostering an appreciation for the nation’s heritage. “We really feel that monuments are a symbol of your identity, who you are… they are a part of us, as a people, and, therefore, you should be proud to really care for them,” she was quoted as saying in a release from the Ministry of the Presidency. Ms. Persaud has worked at the Trust in various capacities since 2003 and has been serving as CEO since 2010. According to the release, the National Trust is a state agency established by law, under The National Trust Act of 1972 “to make provision for the preservation of monuments, sites, places and
objects of historic interest or national importance.” Its main responsibility is the preservation of all monuments of Guyana, which under the Act includes “any building, structure or object or other work of man…” Its mandate also includes research and documentation, public awareness and heritage education, administration and conducting works under the routine government capital projects. While this agency aims to undertake maintenance and preservation work on as many historical sites as possible, Ms. Persaud noted that it is not practicable for the agency alone [to] complete this all at the same time, as over 400 sites and “things of national interest” have been documented on the Monuments Register and there are still more that are yet to be discovered. Last year, under its cap-
ital work programme, the Trust completed major works on the Damon Monument located at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast; the Enmore Martyrs Monument, located in Enmore village, East Coast Demerara; Hogg Island, the largest island in the Essequibo River and Fort Zeelandia, located on Fort Island, Essequibo River. The Trust also maintains the forts, which are gazetted properties, the Hogg Island Windmill, which is Dutch in origin and is the only type of structure of this nature that can be found in Guyana, along with many of the commemorative monuments such as the 1763 Monument and the Non-Aligned Monument. The Trust also contributes to the preservation of other historical and cultural structures such as the St. George’s Cathedral. St. Peter’s Anglican Church, located on Leguan island, also falls under the purview of the Trust
Currently, the Trust collaborates closely with municipal, local and regional authorities across the country to support the maintenance of some sites, such as The Damon Monument. It also liaises with them to obtain more information on undocumented historical sites or artefacts, which are then added to the Monument Register. The agency also plans to decentralise some of its services in order to fulfil its national mandate. “Our agency can only do so much, so we are trying to ensure that we strengthen partnerships and even foster new networks and linkages with local authorities across the board; municipalities, NDCs, RDCs… community organisations, because they are really the real custodians of our heritage and within their respective jurisdictions, though we have the national mandate to ensure that it is cared for in a particular way and to ensure that it’s there for long-term survival, that is our primary role,” Ms. Persaud said. Ms. Persaud also noted that the national monuments are protected by law and any person found defacing them and/or removing any part of them could be charged. To this end, advisories have been mounted at several monument sites informing the public of how to care for and/or appreciate monuments. PUBLIC SERVICES The Trust also offers a number of research services, and has embarked on several programmes to better promote its work. Several of these programmes target schoolchildren as it views them as the segment of the population that is best poised to advance its mandate. “If they really understand,
Ms. Nirvana Persaud, Chief Executive Officer of The National Trust of Guyana, displays one of the certificates that her agency won in 2016
care, value [national heritage] and they can impart that to even their peers or the adults… the same way that you would care for your property, your home, your items, your valuables, is the same way you should exercise care for our monuments…,” Ms. Persaud said. In this vein, the Trust has partnered with schools, from the primary to the tertiary level, hosted exhibitions, community outreach exercises, lectures, interviews, radio programmes, created a website and produced and disseminated several publications, many free of cost. Every year, since July 2011, the Trust has partnered with the Mangrove Association, the Botanical Gardens and the Protected Areas Commission to host a two-week programme for children ages eight to 11 years. During the session, the children are exposed to various aspects of heritage, both cultural and natural; they are taken on tours of heritage sites in the city and are encouraged to make suggestions, and create artwork,
depicting how the environs of the monuments can be enhanced to foster more interest from the public and attract more visitors. These works of art are mounted in the gallery of the Trust, which is located in its head office and they are displayed in important exhibitions that it hosts. Ms. Persaud also said that the programme started with 30 children and due to the overwhelming response from the public, it has gradually increased its target. In 2016, it targeted 40 children, yet many more turned up to register for the programme, which presented a major challenge because of limited office space. Meanwhile, she said the Trust is also exploring the possibility of hosting this same programme in Berbice and Linden this year. Another aim of this programme, she said, is to inspire children and young people to consider careers in the heritage sector, particularly in areas such as craftsmanship, producing fretwork and other architectural features.
Man arrested with illegal gun …after threatening to kill mother THE police have arrested a 22-year-old self-employed male at his Vigilance East Coast Demerara home, for unlawful possession of a .32 pistol and threatening behaviour.
According to a police report, at bout 12:20hrs on Friday, ranks responded to a report of threats made by the suspect’s mother who alleged that he threatened to kill her with a gun. The suspect, who was
at home, was told of the allegation and arrested. A search of the house revealed the unlicensed weapon concealed in a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) casing. He has since admitted ownership of the firearm, and is being processed for court.