The ghost entity that received a whopping $68 million from Government in the 2018 Budget is hosting a summit at the Guyana Marriott Hotel aimed at assisting in the development of African descendants and their communities.
The International Decade for People of African Descent (IDPAD) was listed in the budget estimates as the organisation to receive the $68M subvention under the Ministry of Social Cohesion’s Department of Culture Youth and Sport.
But Minister Dr George Norton was stumped for answers when the parliamentary opposition questioned him about the organisation.
According to the organisation’s website, the Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) was formed in 2015 after a proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution adopted in 2013.
News Room understands that Guyana is the only country in the region that has established a CCM which will execute work under the IDPAD.
Some of the faces of this organisation are Dr Melissa Varswyk, Eve Blackman, Dawn Stewart and Vincent Alexander.
During the opening ceremony of the summit on Thursday, the Programme Manager of Culture and Community Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr Hilary Brown charged the organisation to promote the inclusion of people of African descent while at the same time, combat racism, given the many challenges that face their communities.
She lamented that the international community has failed to resolve crimes against humanity perpetrated against people of African descent centuries ago.
“How shocking it was to all of us to hear and see in 2017 images of migrant from West Africa being sold in Libyans Slave Markets like we were still in 1792. This unacceptable repetition of history is only possible because as an international community we have not reconciled and resolved the same crimes against humanity which were perpetrated against people of African descent centuries ago,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge – who is listed as the patron of the summit – demonstrated that he was up to date with the times and made a Wakanda reference as he spoke of African empowerment.
“Ours has been a culture of resistance, enlightenment, building and restoration. To these must be added a new generation of outstanding Guyana of African descents who continue to make their imprint on every walk of life from Valerie Lomas in the United Kingdom to those in Wakanda,” he said.
He was referring to the two actresses of Guyanese heritage who played leading roles in the hit Marvel movie Black Panther: Shaunette Renée Wilson and Letitia Wright.
Greenidge, who is currently acting president, expressed that the Government of Guyana is committed to playing its part in the empowerment and development of people of African descent and their communities.
Over the four days of the summit, an outcome document including aims and objectives is expected to be produced and circulated.
