Dear Editor,
Help & Shelter extends congratulations to President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the APNU+AFC coalition government on their elections success.
As Guyana prepares for a new government, we at Help & Shelter remain steadfast in our mission to contribute to bringing about a society where attitudes to the use of violence and practices of violence have been transformed. We continue to believe that the culture of tolerance of violence can be changed through education; that everyone is a unique and valuable person; in the equal rights of all human beings and that no one has the right to be violent to another human being. We also remain steadfast in our commitment to work to build respect for the rights of women, children, youth and men to live free from violence and the threat of violence, and to assist women, children, youth and men to develop alternative ways of handling power, resolving conflict and widening options for survivors of gender-based violence.
The task of securing a regime change having been achieved, the new government must be held to account for implementing all the changes promised during the elections campaign.
We sincerely hope that ministerial and other appointments will be guided by the overriding need for competency, integrity, transparency and full accountability.
We also fervently hope that all Guyanese, irrespective of their age, gender, race, political allegiance, etc, will be prepared to work toward promoting greater unity in order that our country can fulfil its enormous potential.
Help & Shelter looks forward to working with the new government in relation to the reduction of violence in all its forms, services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse and trafficking in persons and the effective implementation (and where necessary amendment) of all relevant laws and regulations.
Yours faithfully,
Denise Dias
Danuta Radzik
Niveta Shivjatan
Margaret Kertzious
Petal Baboolall
Colin Marks
Isha Husain-Singh
Josephine Whitehead
For Help & Shelter