Creating a strong, united country- dubbed ‘One Guyana’- has been a goal of President Dr. Irfaan Ali and he says that his administration is working towards making Guyana an example for the entire world.
The President made these ambitious remarks while delivering his inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday. There, he spoke glowingly of the rich diversity Guyana possesses due to its ethnic makeup.
Guyana is a country that encompasses six major ethnic groups – Amerindians, Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese and Europeans. These people either migrated to Guyana or were forcefully brought here to provide their labour on the plantations. But, they all brought their own culture and perspectives.
And President Ali posited, “In the collective of their diversity, the people of Guyana are representative of the peoples of the world.”
He, however, acknowledged that there are times when politically driven conflicts arise. Moreover, he said that people’s differences have been exploited for “narrow political purposes”.
Even so, he emphasised, “… my government is convinced that the richness of our people’s diversity is a gift to our nation.”
As such, he assured the world leaders that the government would continue to build a nation that ensures that each citizen can enjoy equal opportunities and one that is secure and strong in its outlook.
That being said, the Head-of-State emphasised, “Our intention is to make Guyana an example for the world, utilizing the strength of our diversity for a single tapestry of One Nation, which is indivisible, strong, secure and prosperous.”
Earlier this year, in his inaugural address to the Parliament, Dr Ali announced the formation of a ‘One Guyana’ commission. This body, he said, would be tasked with fostering one nationality and a common love for the country.
At the UN forum, Dr. Ali said that he does not believe that the ‘One Guyana’ pursuit is unachievable. In fact, he opined that as peace and prosperity are fostered within Guyana, alongside efforts to respect human rights, uphold democracy and the rule of law, Guyana can achieve its “noble goals”.
And, he contended that all nations must be driven by similar solidarity.
