Dear Editor,
I write in response to the wide coverage which the 3rd Annual Conference of the Guyana Institute of Historical Research received in your newspaper. The theme of the conference this year was ‘History and the Environment.’ The staff of the Conference Secretariat were trained and have several years experience. Hence they contributed to the smooth flow of the conference. Each year the chairs and presenters at the conference are selected based on their academic and professional standing. This is done irrespective of ethnicity, pigmentation, religion, nationality or political persuasion. They are expected to be in good physical health and of sound mind.
The persons who were invited to chair the panels or to make presentations at the conference this year were selected because of their outstanding academic and professional track record. Here is a brief summary of the persons who were invited to participate as chairs/presenters: Chair – Professor Emeritus Dr Winston McGowan was a university lecturer for 41 years. He was a post-graduate lecturer for over 31 years and an examiner of PhD theses for overseas universities. His publications are refereed.
Chair – Professor Dr Randy Persaud is a tenured Professor in Political Affairs. He has been a supervisor of postgraduate theses for the past 26 years. He has lectured at the University of Toronto in Canada and is associated with Washington Think Tank Centre of Washington DC. He is published.
Chair – Dr Thomas Singh has been a Researcher in the Institute of Development Studies for over 18 years. He is published and his presentations at international conferences overseas have been highly commended.
Chair – Mr Clyde Thierens is a lecturer in the Division of History of the university. His background is in teacher-training. He publishes articles on the history of Guyana in the ‘History this week’ column of the Stabroek News.
The background of the presenters highly recommended them to attend the conference as well.
They are all published. Dr David Singh is a Guyana scholar; Mr Freddie Kissoon won the President’s Medal for the best graduating Bachelor’s Degree student; Andaiye won a scholarship to the Bishop’s High School at the age of nine years; Mrs Juliet Persico is the Superintendent of Examina-tions in the Ministry of Education; Mr Olato Sam is the Technical Adviser to the Minister of Education; Ms Ann Thompson is a history teacher at the Bishops’ High School, one of the oldest senior secondary schools in the Caribbean region. She has attended UNESCO sponsored conferences for history teachers in Trinidad and Barbados. Ms Denise Simmonds is the Director of the Environmental Studies programme at the University of Guyana; Mr James Singh is the Commissioner of Forests.
The Commission has been credited with having promulgated some of the most progressive legislation in the region relation to forestry. Dr Melissa Ifill is the Facilitator of the ‘History this week’ series. She excelled as a student at the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus and the University of Sussex. She has presented papers at international conferences.
Mr Lennox Hernandez is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Technology at the University of Guyana. He has been on attachment as a lecturer in overseas universities.
He was also a President of the Guyana Heritage Society. Mr Petamber Persaud is a graduate of the University of Guyana, the University of York, Toronto, Canada, and the University of Manchester, England. He is a columnist in the literary page of the Guyana Chronicle and the Kaieteur News. He is also the Editor of the Chronicle Christmas Annual.
In fact, some of the presenters had observed that the conference should also be promoted as a forum for those lecturers who are interested in registering for a refresher course in history.
Firstly, it would be remiss of me if I did not thank those persons who attended the conference, the exhibitors namely, Mrs Ameena Gafoor of the ARTS Forum; Mr David Granger of the Free Press; and Miss Ann Thompson who is also the acting Head of the Social Studies department of the Bishops’ High School, for the book exhibitions. It is also important that I thank those persons who wrote letters to your newspaper in relation to the conference.
Secondly, I must apologise to Mr Aubrey Norton, the Chairman of the opening ceremony, Mr Hugh ‘Tommy’ Payne, the Guest Speaker, Mr David Dewar, the guests, the chairmen, presenters, participants and especially the secondary school students for the rude intrusion which occurred, and which led to the ugly incident during the presentations on the second panel.
Generally, at the national and international level, protesters, whether political or environmental, remain outside the conference hall, under the control of members of the police force. This action provides legal protection to the conference organizers and safeguards against any unbudgeted expenses.
The participants were from overseas as well as Guyana. The demonstrators who led the chanting were neither invitees to the conference nor bona fide researchers. It was evident from their manner of dress and/or refusal to pay the registration fee that they were paid hecklers who arrived with the specific intention of bringing the conference proceedings to a premature end.
The chairman of the second panel, Dr Thomas Singh, has been complimented for the mature manner in which he dealt with the incident. Unfortunately, even though he thought that he had successfully preempted any fisticuffs or legal action, the intruders returned and did not move from the conference room until the presentations of the second panel were completed. It was unfortunate that the presenters were subjected to this display of bad manners.
I would hope that at future conferences, that we the organizers of the conference would have no difficulty in obtaining the assistance of the police when we solicit such.
Yours faithfully,
Hazel Woolford
Founder/Director
Guyana Institute of
Historical Research
