26/05/2016
It is inconceivable to tell a man there was a time when people and countries could not have gone where they wish to go because they were of East Indian or African descent living in British Guiana. That type of colonialism is no more but there is another type of colonialism which has spread across our land: it is colonialism of the mind, it is colonialism of the intellect and it is colonialism of our emotions. How can we forget what it cost us to be free from political colonialism? How can we ignore the blood of our ancestors and those who went through the difficult journey (packed together like sardines and enduring filth and urine for days, weeks, months and years)
How can we forget the people who sow and sell themselves so that their families can be free. If we should even forget we will be right back where we started many years ago. The irony about it is that this time around they will not come with guns but we will freely hand it over to them. One of our very own Dr. Walter Rodney , in his book 'How Europe Underdeveloped Africa' spoke about this kind of industrialisation.
Our people who sacrifice so that we can celebrate today should never have done it in vain. I hope that those of us who are here and by the grace of God would be able to celebrate the century will be able to feel, smell and talk about the development (I can touch it and it touches me).
50 years from now we should not be fighting the wars of race and gender, equality and socioeconomic class but we should be investing in making GUYANA GREAT!
As a student of political science and philosophical thought studying the exile of different countries and the way they suffer it is only safe to say that I don't think we in Guyana understand how blessed we are. No famine, war, floods, hurricane and earthquakes. The floods are the floods that comes out of our mouths, the earthquakes are the thoughts that shakes us up, the famine are those of ideas and ideals and the wars are the wars we fight among ourselves.
People are coming back and the airports are filled eg Professor Griffith, New Vice Chancellor and Principal University of Guyana, because most of us can sense that we have a TINY WIND OF OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE GUYANA GREAT AGAIN.
Let's not fool ourselves we have lots of resources and still we are not doing that well. Now is the time for us to CHANGE that, Now is the time for us to CLEAN and ORGANIZE GUYANA.
LET US MAKE GUYANA GREAT!
LET US MAKE OUR NATION GREAT!
LET US MAKE OURSELVES GREAT!
HAPPY JUBILEE GUYANA
