Dear Editor,
A quote by Maximilien Robespierre is instructive, “The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”
Guyana is a young country, an experimental sovereignty project that has made some gains but is ultimately lagging behind the desires of the masses. Every country, every company, every group and anything else you can imagine experiences major and subtle changes, Guyana is no different regardless of the government and opposition (I dislike this language between it presupposes a competition – a for and against sentiment, a victor and a villain and it is certainly not helpful to the national ethos) of the day.
Many people believe and want to believe that we are struggling against one political party or the other; we are either for or against some group or party. This type of thinking is a trap, it keeps us locked in a state of dependency on others, in this case politicians/government and it limits how we perceive the relationship between ourselves and Guyana, and therefore our capacities and engagement. Politics is a transactional game; politicians seek power and to get power they usually need to give something in order to get something – for example money, good roads, etc, for our votes and support. Alternatively they can exert pressure and force as a means to acquire the desired support and control of power. The decisions we have to make as everyday citizens are much more significant than selling our votes and action for handouts and promises. Guyana’s future is not tied to any political party, it solely rests with the collective action or non-action of the Guyanese people. As the familiar saying reminds us, “We have bigger fish to fry.”
Our choice today really is a choice for more of the same or change in the way we contribute to and are engaged in Guyana’s development. Regardless of where the major political parties find themselves today, Guyana is ripe and ready for positive changes in the management of the country, management of our natural and human resources as well as our relationships with development and trade partners. In other words we should rethink and adapt the way we as a country and people do business internally and externally; that is how we relate to and engage in the development project that is Guyana. The change starts within each of us individually. It starts with first reflecting internally, listening to our soul/spirit/mind/consciousness as our guide and then taking action in the form of voting, volunteering, speaking out, standing up, demanding or whatever form of action that moves you.
So where do we go from here? That is up to you!
Yours faithfully,
R Small