Dear Editor,
The current political situation in Guyana is very stressful and the pressure has been building over the past months.
There are many uncertainties in Guyanese society at the moment and uncertainty brings anxiety. There is now additional pressure on our children since the President announced Elections Day on the same day as CSEC and CAPE examinations; however, it is what it is, and as citizens we need to develop a strategy and a plan as to how we will support each and our children during this tense period. The pressure will become more intense as we draw closer to elections and particularly if the economy starts to contract.
Our Guyanese culture is one where we are very expressive generally, hence as anxiety and fear increases, we could become more expressive.
I would therefore like to call on the religious community to rise to the occasion and be the voice of reason in the country at this time. Be alert, active, develop creative ways of assisting the citizenry to manage and successfully navigate this period. Religion is one of the ways in which people avoid uncertainty; it helps them to accept the things they cannot defend themselves against.
I would like to encourage teachers to be extremely sensitive during this period and provide that additional support that students may need at this time – it is elections and examinations period. Here are some suggestions: citizens can bake a cake for someone; send some flowers for someone and let people know how much they care and appreciate them; give a hamper to someone; or just give someone a nice surprise, among other things.
Our comedians and the media can get creative and come up with interesting ideas. Our business community can be creative and innovative at this time, all in the interest of peace and supporting the society to survive this very challenging period. The international community can also support programmes that will assist in reducing uncertainty.
Also let us be more courteous to each other at this time.
This is our finest hour! Let us support each other, and when the dust settles I am confident that we will have a better Guyana!
Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas
