Under the theme ‘From Resistance, Through Emanci-pation, Toward Empower-ment’ the Council Of Friends Of New Amsterdam (COFONA) is set to host various activities commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion and the 175th Anniversary of Emancipation.
President of COFONA Leonard Lewis posited that since the Berbice Slave Rebellion happened in Berbice, the national commemoration should be held in Berbice.
The activities being hosted by COFONA are scheduled to be held between July 28 and August 11 in New Amsterdam, which sits at the apex of where the Berbice Slave Rebellion occurred, Lewis said.
He mentioned that as part of the programme the group will visit Fort Nassau, a monument which has great significance to the Berbice Slave Rebellion.
An international conference will also be held, which will see special guests that include Alvin Thomas a historian who wrote about the impact of slavery, Esther Standford Xosei, Co-chair of Pan African Reparation Coalition in Europe (PARCO) and Ewart Thomas, a scholar of Guyana.
On July 31, a vigil will be held with a sunrise service the following morning and then the Emancipation Day celebrations. He said the Ministry of Culture will showcase various booths at the New Amsterdam School.
A Heritage Ball which is set to be held on August 3, Lewis stated, is a must. But he said that the major cultural event will be the stage production of the Berbice Slave Rebellion, directed and produced by Leon Saul, in the auditorium of the Berbice High School on August 9 and 10. The play, which was first done in 1985 at the New Amsterdam Town Hall, is being transformed into a musical for this year’s production.
Leading local musician and producer Bonny Alves will do the musical arrangement, with the main roles being played by Charmaine Blackman (the wife of Cuffy) and Saul (Cuffy).
It was stated that the musical will provide entertainment and education of the legacy and heritage which has been left.
Meanwhile, Lewis also revealed that COFONA is striving to develop a multi-culture centre, which will be located in New Amsterdam.
