Dear Editor,
Please afford me some space in your letters column to express my wishes for peace and prosperity to my fellow men at the dawn of this New Year, and ask all of them to join with me in this expression.
I wish that all Guyanese should first of all demonstrate a spirit of love and peacefulness with all others in all their activities, irrespective of race, gender, status, religion and area and condition of living. I wish that we should appreciate that we are all basically responsible for the welfare of our fellow men, and that to truly enjoy peace and happiness for ourselves, we must pursue this objective in an all-inclusive and indiscriminate manner.
To our government and opposition alike, I wish that they will renew their commitment to the goal ‒ which should be their major priority ‒ of uniting all Guyanese and providing for us a standard of living whereby we can enjoy throughout the year the spirit of serenity and togetherness which the past season engendered. I wish they would pursue these goals in a non-prejudicial manner, with less consideration for their own interest and maintaining themselves in power. I wish they should appreciate that their true mission is not just to foster economic development to provide material benefits for our citizens, but to create the environment by which each and every Guyanese achieves fulfilment in all the other aspects of their lives – mental, social/emotional and spiritual.
I wish that all children be afforded ample opportunity to grow in peace and love, and the means to receive all the things necessary for their all-round development, so that their lives will be truly fulfilled and their ambitions realised. I wish that the relevant authorities recognise that due emphasis must be placed on the behavioural education of our students who will form the future citizenry of our nation.
I wish that the poor, the unemployed, the elderly, the abused, the disabled, the handicapped and those involved in criminal activities be endowed with the necessities to improve their circumstances so as to make full use of the available amenities to enrich their lives.
Lastly, I wish that your columnists and letter-writers continue to exploit this invaluable resource to air their convictions and opinions, and commend their courage and dedication in their efforts to effect some improvement to our national condition. At the same time, I wish that they should always examine their expressions, and try to be truly balanced and non-prejudiced in their offerings to the public.
Yours faithfully,
Roy Paul