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friday, may 24, 2013
guyanatimesgy.com
News
Guyana upholding Amerindian rights, Sukhai tells UN forum
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Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai
merindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai spoke of the elevation of Guyana’s indigenous people, initiatives to propel their village economies, and their right to representation in several constitutional rights bodies at the 12th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York at the UN headquarters. The forum is addressing the implementation of the declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples. At the forum held on May 22, Minister Sukhai said, “I am proud to announce that the government of Guyana, stands firmly on the side of our country’s indigenous peoples and while the achievements are measurable, we still have a lot of work to do amidst the challenges in bridging gaps and obtaining policy objectives…. To this end, all stakeholders are encouraged to seriously contribute to greater tolerance, respect, and recognition for the rights and development of Guyana’s indigenous peoples.” She pointed out that Guyana’s Constitution, laws and policies underscore the “equality of all peoples” and explicitly prohibit discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, and religion – not in law, not in policy and not in action. Amerindians are represented on the five constitutional rights bodies that include the Indigenous People’s Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission, which offer direct opportunities for Amerindians to have recourse to addressing discrimination and rights issues affecting them. The Amerindian Act, No 6 of 2006, provides for the guarantee of Amerindian land rights, self-determination within Guyana subject to state sovereignty, being mindful of the fact that there is no right to succession which is in keeping
with Article 46 of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).
Major achievement
“The government’s continued focus on Amerindian land rights and ownership is a major achievement… of the 110 Amerindian communities, 98 have been awarded absolute grant and the successes of the demarcation programme have resulted in the demarcation of 77 of the 98 titled areas,” she said. Minister Sukhai highlighted that the Amerindian Titling and Demarcation Project 2013-2015 is expected to complete all titling and demarcation of Amerindian lands for which funding is provided from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF). Allocations this year amount to $77.8 million to advance the completion of 12 communities and the demarcation of eight titled villages. With regards to self determination, decision-making and Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), Minister Sukhai noted that Article Four of the Amerindian Act provides for the establishment of locally-elected village councils, whose mandate is to ensure good governance and management, and use of land and natural resources in their respective villages. “Guyana has a track record of inclusionary governance and at no time in Guyana’s history was there such a high level of participation of indigenous leaders and people in the body politic of our country… in short, indigenous peoples speak for themselves and freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development,” she emphasised. Participation and the informed voice of the Amerindians are identified in all the major na-
tional strategic, legislative, and developmental fora. Amerindian organisations and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) continue to lend informed voices to the formulation, revision, and updating of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which aims to transform Guyana’s economy while combating climate change. The next major step for Amerindians is the discussion and approval of the “opt-in mechanism” towards the LCDS for which consultations are ongoing. When addressing economic social and cultural development, Minister Sukhai indicated that the mainstreaming of Amerindian village economies’ development is dependent on the decisions of the communities for which the priorities are captured in the Community Development Plans of 166 villages. The government has committed to providing “the investment funds in support of the economic initiative of the villages”, she stressed. Additionally, government allocated funds this year to finance an innovative project for Amerindian youth empowerment to advance youth capacity building, increasing skills and capabilities through apprenticeship and entrepreneurial initiatives for community development, said the Government Information Agency (GINA). The government has declared a month for the nation to celebrate the diversity of its indigenous peoples, as well as their traditional and cultural heritage. The minister indicated that in relation to gender issues and domestic violence, the indigenous population, including women and girls, are targeted to benefit from genderbased interventions through a national dialogue on domestic violence and a countrywide “Stamp it out” campaign.
Consultation on disaster risk reduction plan completed
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he curtains came down on a series of consultation on the strengthening of disaster response and risk reduction capacity countrywide on Thursday, with the national disaster coordinator, Dr Roger Luncheon underscoring the importance of the disaster risk reduction plan. Dr Luncheon, in addressing a packed audience at the Culture, Youth and Sports Ministry Club, said the consultations, which were designed to strengthen the nation’s capacity to respond to disasters and reduce risk will aid in setting a platform for the comprehensive document. The national disaster coordinator said developing and developed countries, including Guyana, have been hard hit by disasters, noting that it is heart-rending to lose and to have to start over. With the evolution of technology and expansion in knowledge and experience, Dr Luncheon posited that countries have shifted their attention from disaster response to disaster management. He said Guyana has not only instituted systems to respond to disaster but has put in place policies and guidelines that allow the nation to investigate and understand various aspects of disasters, thereby preventing and mitigating their impacts. Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Director General, Colonel (retired) Chabilall Ramsarup, in his remarks, said the inputs of various stakeholders are
critical to the execution of the mandates within the policy. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ramsarup said, has been an important partner to the CDC in Guyana in supporting its initiatives on disaster risk reduction. Nations across the world continue to face the dangers of natural and manmade disasters, but have been able to tackle these phenomena with disaster risk reduction strategies and comprehensive disaster management. He said without these systems in place, the impact of disasters would be far more catastrophic.
All must play their part
Referencing the 2005 flood in Georgetown which caused immense damage, the CDC director noted that disaster affects everyone, directly or indirectly, impacting the nation’s economy. “It cost the government and the people of Guyana, 60 per cent of our GDP; it threw our country back by almost six years, so we are not recovering actually.” He also alluded to the recent overtopping of the sea wall which also caused much discomfort. He noted that all must play their part: the central government, the local government, the public sector, the private sector, and citizens. “The policy addresses mainly coordination, collaboration, and communication of all agencies involved in all the faces of comprehensive disaster management, that is to say, preparation and planning,
mitigation, risks, recovery and reconstruction.” Additionally, the policy includes research and development financial arrangements, regional and international cooperation. UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to Guyana Chisa Mikami applauded the government of Guyana for the bold step taken. She too referred to the impacts of the 2005 floods, noting that the policy is an important tool. UNDP at the global level has been helping countries alleviate risks and the effects of disasters or natural hazards and to build back stronger and better nations after crises. In the context of Guyana, UNDP has collaborated with the Inter-America Development Bank to support national institutions, the private sector, and civil society in strengthening their capacity at national and community levels to reduce disaster risk and enhance risk response and preparedness capacity. The disaster risk management policy was crafted following the 2005 flood in Guyana after the government and other concerned agencies had campaigned for the implementation of a comprehensive programme. In response, UNDP initiated the project “Strengthening National and Local Capacities for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction”, which included as one of its critical components the development of a disaster risk management policy.
National Art Gallery celebrates 20 years with exhibition
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he National Art Gallery on Thursday celebrated 20 years of existence with an exhibition at its headquarters located at Castellani House, Vlissengen Road. The anniversary exhibition took the form of a simple ceremony, which was also held in observance of International Museum Day and Guyana’s 47th independence anniversary. Among the artists and art lovers who attended was U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt. Addressing the proceeding was National Art Gallery Curator Elfrieda Bissember, who believes this year’s International Museum Day theme “Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change”, is befitting of what the gallery represents to the public. She said, “I think this is also what a national collection represents. It’s a national memory and also the creativity of one’s artistic citizens and one hopes that those things coming togeth-
er and maybe being released and mediated by a national gallery and people like curators can possibly be shared and understood a little bit by the general public, who are inspired and encouraged to learn more for themselves.” Making mention of the different types of artwork that surrounded the attendees at the exhibition, Bissember said art shows how “common themes and common approaches exist even in people who are separated by a generation or two and there is something about that, which possibly has to do with notions of Guyana and how people explore Guyana that gives us a sense of Guyanese art.” The curator also pointed out that the artists’ approach to technique has evolved over the years. “It’s much more challenging, it’s more conceptual, it’s more about firm materials, it’s about how it’s being done,” she outlined. She said local art is a good representation of what
it means to be Guyanese, adding that as time progresses, it is hoped that young artists will be inspired. The exhibition encompassed paintings, sculptures, and drawings. The National Art Gallery was established on May 24, 1993. Since it was founded, more than 200 pieces of art have been added to a collection of more than 700 works. According to Bissember, since the gallery’s inauguration, “much has been done, yet much more remains to be done as we are aware and have more than once declared that we are in the process of building, merely, the strong foundations for what must follow in the many years of expansion [and] achievement”. As the gallery celebrates its 20th anniversary, the founding chair of the gallery board, the late President Janet Jagan was also remembered for her tireless efforts and enthusiasm in undertaking the many events and programmes of the body.