How could we motivate and inspire our fellow citizens to live their best, to wake up every day believing in the Guyana Dream, to tackle the task of self-development with zeal and gusto?
At the end of the day, this nation would develop only to the extent of our citizens achieving their own personal development. The society, made up of us, individual Guyanese, develops in proportion to our own self-development.
So this idea of giving individual citizens the tools to self-develop becomes crucial.
This, of course, veers away from the collectivist ideology of the ruling Party. We cannot develop our nation if we look at ourselves as a collective whole. Instead, we must see each person as a dynamic, important element in the social fabric.
One could easily argue that the crisis of governance we find ourselves in today stems from this stunted political philosophy that traps our political leaders in a collective myopic narrow-mindedness.
Life is about the individual. Life is about personal initiative. Life is about self-empowerment. Society grows out of a body of people empowered in their own personal lives. We cannot over-emphasize this fact, which, strangely, seems to escape our politicians.
And so if our individual empowerment is so vital, how do we accomplish a social environment that allows the individual to flourish?
For sure, one of the reasons our citizens migrate, and do so well overseas, is that in the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe, and elsewhere, they find this social atmosphere where they could flourish: Guyanese, a talented, gifted, skilled, resourceful people, find their fertile ground elsewhere – not in our homeland.
The few who accomplish amazing lives here at home fight hard and doggedly against the culture of group-think that stifles the rest of the nation.
People want role models, mentors, coaches and inspiring leaders to show them the way. In our society, sinking in the abyss of our devastating migration of skills, we look around in vain for models of how to self-develop.
Dr Frank Anthony leads this nation at the vital Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. He could make a significant contribution to our self-image, to how we see ourselves and our role in the society.
The Minister, a rather likeable, decent leader, however, fails to lead with the kind of courage that makes a defining difference.
With so little to go on, our nation looks to any national effort for that inspiration, that feeling of being motivated as a Guyanese people to hold our heads high, to believe that deep inside our soul we could rise to achieve our dreams.
The Minister’s handling of our cricket challenges smacks of poor leadership.
Watching our best national cricket talents play the four-day game and the 50-over day-night encounter last week at Port-of-Spain, we saw the glaring difference between the Trinidad and Tobago approach to their cricket, and ours.
Both we and T&T had our best international talents on show. Yet our nation came out losing both matches, despite putting up a fight. Apart from the exceptionally gifted Shiv Chanderpaul, and valiant efforts from his son, Tagenarine, none of our boys showed stamina, fight and dogged determination.
Why?
Our cricketers, caught in the quarrels and fights at home between factions, with the Minister and Government dictating solutions, including new laws, cannot be expected to rise to exceptional performance.
One sad victim of the cricket fiasco is our national hero, Clive Lloyd.
Lloyd, extending a warm and helpful hand to the State to contribute his skills to resolve the ugly impasse between warring cricket administration factions, created enemies in the process.
Not only at home, where the Opposition treated him with meanness, but also at the West Indies Cricket Board, Lloyd suffered for his choice.
The Minister failed to lead in any of these situations. When our land calls for harmonious reaching out, an embrace of all corners, a conciliatory partnership, we see no less than our national sport becoming a victim of partisanship, bickering, in-fighting and acrimony and strife of the most petty nature. And the Minister, seeking to make a difference, makes it all worse.
Now our cricket team is in its worst West Indies domestic season in our history, standing at the bottom of the points table in the four-day format, and winning only once this season in the 50-over format.
In less than two years, we have stunted our national sport, where we stood tall for so long.
In the process, we tarnish the role and image of the great Clive Lloyd.
Under Minister Anthony’s watch we see calypsos banned on the State airwaves.
Despite the honourable Minister’s commendable efforts to build sports facilities for our athletes, swimmers and cyclists, and his role in developing the Arts and humanities, including drama, film and literature, his tenure as Minister seems to be developing a bad omen.
In literature, we don’t have great books coming out consistently. Our poetry, novels and drama output lack international appeal. We once boasted Martin Carter and A J Seymour at home writing. Now, we lack the wisdom and leadership to cultivate our citizens for such greatness.
Minister Anthony’s leadership in sports, culture and even towards our youth disappoints on several levels.
Most disappointing is that the Minister seems to embody vision and energy. In him, we may have one of the best leaders in this Government. So, what is wrong?
Is he being stifled under the collective hand of a Cabinet that micro-manages his leadership?
Whatever the situation, the Minister must recognize that he could, single-handedly, become the leader who inspires, motivates and warms the hearts of our citizens.
His leadership could cultivate a core body of citizens creating a 21st century national literature; his leadership could see great sportspeople walking our streets; his leadership could see our youth become empowered; his leadership could cultivate a national pool of role models, high performance achievers, mentors, coaches, who would lift our self-belief as a nation.
Minister Anthony could play the crucial role in causing every Guyanese to feel good about living in this land.
Waking up every day to see our cricketers excelling, our writers producing best-sellers, our youth making a difference, would do wonders for our national psyche.
