President Irfaan Ali and Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, have been invited to address the opening segment of an Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC)-organised event to commence a national conversation on race relations in Guyana.
The two-day event is being held in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator and the University of Guyana (UG), and will commence on December 14, 2020.
Presentations will also be made by General Bishop, Reverend Dr. John Smith, the Chairman of the ERC; Ms. Mikiko Tanaka, UN Resident Coordinator; and UG Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin.
The general intent of the event is to have frank and open discussions to capture diverse views on factors that impede ethnic harmony. Recommendations will be made for the compilation of a report, which will then be submitted to the National Assembly and relevant stakeholders for implementation.
The conversation will be launched with a general discussion on “How can we improve ethnic relations in Guyana”. The fully virtual forum, unavoidable due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is intended to facilitate presenters drawn from Guyanese residing here and abroad and will reflect diversity, the ERC said.
From 6-8pm on the first day, a special segment will be held to facilitate the views and recommendations of young people.
“This is vital to this process especially since they represent the largest bloc of our population. Guyanese are invited to participate and the links to join, will be provided in advance,” the commission noted.
The ERC also intends to live stream the event with some aspects for broadcast on National Television. The ERC said that it hopes that the varying points of view of presenters and participants can serve in some measure, as a blueprint for possible solutions on the related challenges that confront Guyanese in this multi-faceted society.
