BURNHAM Activities launched to mark the Centennial Birth Anniversary of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, OE, SC

There are a number of early landmarks in the life of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham that exemplified his emergent stellar and iconic personality. In 1936, he won the Centenary Exhibition and Government Junior Scholarship. In 1937, he won the Percival Exhibition award, and in 1942, he won the British Guiana Scholarship, the highest scholastic award in the country, at that time.

Recognition of his leadership potential was evident in his emergence as President of the West Indian Student`s Union, in London in 1947; his ascendancy as co-founder and first Chairman of the People`s Progressive Party, in 1949; and Founder of the People's National Congress.

The realization of his potential culminated in national leadership and inter- national recognition as the First Prime Minister of independent Guyana, and the First Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

On the 20th February 2021, the Party launched the preparation for the commemoration of Burnham`s centennial birth anniversary. It has been decided that the activities will spawn the period of the entire centennial year, February 2023 to February 2024.

The commencement witnessed a hive of activities. First, there was a commemorative Church Service on the 19th February 2023 at the Trinity Methodist Church on High Street. In the afternoon of the said day the annual commemorative Cycle Race - Carifesta Avenue return - was staged under the auspices of the Burnham Foundation and the Flying Star cycle club. The ceremonial inaugural activity was hosted by the National Congress of Women (NCW) on Monday 20th February 2023, the actual day of the anniversary and took the form a photographic and publications exhibition featuring the life and works of the Founder Leader of the Party, our Chaperon to Independence and Republicanism.

The Forbes Burnham Centennial Committee, chaired by the Forbes Burnham Foundation (FBF) and manned by representatives drawn from the Party and its arms (GYSM and NCW) along with sub-committees comprised of volunteers will be responsible for the year of activities which will include sporting events, symposia, exhibitions, debating competition, cultural activities, a gala ban- quet, regional commemorative activities and memorial activities in August. The media and the public will be apprised of the specificities of the activities, in a timely manner. We look forward to recognition of the Founder and his legacy, which has been bequeathed to the nation, and mass involvement in honour of his centennial birth anniversary.

The centennial birth anniversary of Forbes Burnham comes at a time when, more than ever, the country needs to embrace the virtues that made him a great man and leader: his transformative vision, his boldness to blaze new paths, his deep pride in the Guyanese nation, and his unending concern about the welfare of all Guyanese.