I am moved by the commentaries, insights and sagaciousness of the British High Commissioner Greg Quinn in his recent interview on a radio program. I implore all Guyanese to take the time to listen and learn from this eminent citizen of this planet who has taken his time to share his observations and understanding of fundamental problems facing the people of this country.
It is gratifying to hear how much Mr Quinn has appreciated the culture, food, and geography of Guyana. What is striking, however, is his insights about our social, political, and economic challenges.
One of the concerns that stand out in Mr Quinn’s mind is the need for constitutional and other structural reform that could ease the political and racial tensions that have dogged the nation for decades. Guyanese could learn, for example, how Northern Ireland (Mr. Quinn’s home country) handled the humongous (religious) divide, thereby reducing the hatred, enmity and suspicions between the two sides.
I wish to thank Mr Quinn for his outstanding service to this country. I do trust that the President of Guyana would heed Freddie Kissoon’s suggestion to erect a bust of Mr. Quinn (as well as Bruce Golding, Owen Arthur, American Ambassador, Sarah Ann Lynch, Canadian High Commission, Lilian Chatterjee and EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó) to remember their roles in helping to preserve freedom and democracy in Guyana.
Thank you, High Commissioner Quinn, for your distinguished contributions to our country.
We have a large database of Guyanese worldwide. Most of our readers are in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Our Blog and Newsletter would not only carry articles and videos on Guyana, but also other articles on a wide range of subjects that may be of interest to our readers in over 200 countries, many of them non-Guyanese We hope that you like our selections.
It is estimated that over one million Guyanese, when counting their dependents, live outside of Guyana. This exceeds the population of Guyana, which is now about 750,000. Many left early in the 50’s and 60’s while others went with the next wave in the 70’s and 80’s. The latest wave left over the last 20 years. This outflow of Guyanese, therefore, covers some three generations. This outflow still continues today, where over 80 % of U.G. graduates now leave after graduating. We hope this changes, and soon.
Guyanese, like most others, try to keep their culture and pass it on to their children and grandchildren. The problem has been that many Guyanese have not looked back, or if they did it was only fleetingly. This means that the younger generations and those who left at an early age know very little about Guyana since many have not visited the country. Also, if they do get information about Guyana, it is usually negative and thus the cycle of non-interest is cultivated.
This Guyana Diaspora Online Forum , along with its monthly newsletter, aims at bringing Guyanese together to support positive news, increase travel and tourism in Guyana and, in general, foster the birth of a new Guyana, which has already begun notwithstanding the negative news that grabs the headlines. As the editor and manager of the publication, I am committed to delivering Blog entries and Newsletters that are politically balanced, and focused on the positive ideas we wish to share and foster among Guyanese.
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