New project to focus on quality of life in Amerindian communities
Stabroek News
January 27, 2004

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An Area Development Strategies Project (ADSP) was launched last week to focus on creating a better quality of life for Amerindians using community-level participation.

The launching of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-funded project was held at the Foreign Services Institute of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

UNDP representative Jan Sand Sorensen said although the project is a challenge, it will be implemented in all ten regions of Guyana, a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. The project will focus especially on job creation and the well-being of individuals in the communities, while reminding participants that the goal of the UNDP is sustainable human development.

And Technical Publishing and Advisory Services (TPAS) was contracted by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to carry out a broad-based study in all hinterland communities, GINA said. TPAS team leader, Harry Dyett, presented the findings of the study at the launching. He noted that many Amerindians felt tourism would be helpful in their communities as this would expose their culture and handicraft while assisting in income generation.

Meanwhile, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues, noting that Amerindian communities are classified as being poor, said the project was long overdue. Rodrigues said some of the communities have advanced but others need further work and the ADSP is intended to help in identifying those priorities.

Other officials at the launching included TPAS Consultant, Dr Veronica Broomes; Canadian High Commissioner Serge Marcoux; World Bank Representative Lucia Ham-mer; and Inter-American Development Bank representative Carlos Antolla.