The public policy group, GNCPP on Friday engaged the US Embassy on Guyana’s civil society status and role in governance.
Led by Guyana National Council on Public Policy (GNCPP) Founder-Chairman Dr Philip H Mozart Thomas the group met with US Ambassador Brent Hardt to discuss Guyana’s civil society’s emerging status and responsibilities in the governance of the country and management of its resources provided for in accordance with Article 13 of the Constitution. The ten-member team enjoyed a fruitful interactive session with the ambassador and his Political and Economic Chief Michael R Fraser, at the meeting, the GNCCP said in a press release. After outlining the GNCPP’s vision, Dr Thomas described the proposed 2014 National Conference as intended to give real effect to the responsibilities of Guyana’s NGOs and CSOs, leading to the establishment of the first Guyana National Civil Society Council, the press release said.
Hardt welcomed the organisation’s past and current initiatives to empower all like-minded patriotic groups and outlined the embassy’s
role in assisting local civil society NGOs to initiate and sustain their activities.
Dr Thomas, who is also an international corporate attorney and civil society advocate, illustrated the quality and extent of Civil Society’s Ethical Social Capital and pointed out the need for “capacity, in terms of varied and vital resources, to effect and implement civic education programmes that usher in a new dispensation of sustained fundamental changes which will provide for a vastly improved quality of life for all Guyanese.” He also opined that essential to these fundamental pathways of reform is the need to structure a “new covenant” in the form of a social partnership by way of a referendum.
The team also raised issues related to the civic component of the proposed USAID IRI-administered LEAD Project; the duty of the international community to support the work of local civil society and the history of discriminatory governance which spawns ethnic nationalism, cultural racism and fear. According to the statement, as the GNCPP continues coordinating its international outreaches, the ambassador assured them that his team and Mission will explore avenues to lend support to the GNCPP 2014 programme of activities, inclusive of the mid-year conference which is poised to attract about 400 local and international civil society activists, organisations and prominent guest speakers. To this end, embassy representatives as well as those from the GNCPP will convene for a planning session within one week. The GNCPP team at the meeting also included, Clarissa Riehl, Attorney-at-law, Former Magistrate and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly; Attorney for the group Adrian Thompson; AME Minister Rev Pastor Dexter NA Sansulotte who is also an executive member of the Guyana Council of Churches; Veteran Trade Unionist Norris Witter; Amerindian Rights Advocate Patricia Phillips; Shabakie Fernandes, University Lecturer/Civil Society and Faith-based Coalition Advocate; Tracy Chan-Smith, law student and Youth and Student Coalition Activist; Vic Insanally, Advertising Executive and AA Fenty, Public Relations Adviser, Columnist and GNCPP Communications Director.
