National Conversation
ERC urges political will, good faith to meet societal needs
Stabroek News
November 17, 2006
The Ethnic Relations Com-mission yesterday concluded its two-day forum aimed at "building social cohesion and deepening participatory democracy through dialogue" with a call for political will and maturity of the masses acting in good faith to ensure that societal needs are fulfilled.
The national conversation brought together representatives of political parties and social and religious organizations from all ten administrative regions, other members of civil society and the diplomatic community at the International Conference Centre at Liliendaal.
"Do we want the change, do we want national reconciliation and do we want our issues to be resolved?" ERC chairman Bishop Juan Edghill asked participants to resounding applause.
Quoting from a report from rapporteurs who led plenary sessions that gave persons a chance to voice their concerns, Edghill concluded that despite differences in ideology the forum sought to find common ground even in presentations from political parties.
He noted that awards for contracts, a call for land distribution systems and a general respect for rule of law stood out among a list of issues raised by Guyanese of all walks of life who participated in the 'national conversation'. Members of the religious community also voiced a desire to be outspoken on legislative matters.
Moreover, the representatives attending the forum issued a call for shared governance in the interest of serving the needs of all sectors of society.
The ERC chairman said too that the youth groups represented in the national conversation outlined better education and skills training as one of their prime issues, a matter which attracted consensus at all levels.
Reducing unemployment and schemes to encourage citizens to remain in Guyana were also identified by the youth groups, Edghill added.
The commission also came in for criticism with calls for it to be politically independent and for its investigations into claims of ethnic discrimination to be more pro-active.
The ERC reported that a high level of participation and interaction was achieved. Refuting comments that the national conversation is always seen as a 'talk shop', Edghill noted that, "If nothing else comes out of this conversation I am sure it could be a template for how we could discuss issues affecting us at all levels."
There were a few objections from sections of the gathering at the closing ceremony which indicated disappointment from some persons that political leaders were allowed to play a part in the discussion. However, in response chairman Edghill likened the scenario to that of a family working together to make Guyana better. "I don't agree with that, if a family is to resolve an issue they must all sit around the table and talk together."
The two-day event took the form of a multi-stakeholders forum and was held in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme's Social Cohesion Project and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Following Wednesday's and yesterday's sessions, the different organizations and groups present appointed a small working group, whose members will decide on a tentative date for which the forum's deliberations will be laid by way of a special report before lawmakers in the National Assembly.
The ERC is empowered by the constitution and is mandated to take its discussions to all levels of society. This multi-stakeholder's forum aimed at creating a safe space for putting aside differences and dealing with societal challenges. (Heppilena Ferguson)