President David Granger is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Cuffy250 Committee’s 4th annual “State of the African Guyanese Forum” tomorrow at the Critchlow Labour College, in Georgetown.
The forum, which will begin at 9am, will bring together activists, scholars and professionals along with the wider African Guyanese community for a day-long conversation on the challenges facing African Guyanese and crafting an agenda for overcoming those challenges, according to a release from the Cuffy250 Committee.
It said the theme of this year’s forum is “African Guyanese Self-Realisation: Challenges for the next 50 years.”
Among the topics identified for discussion at the forum are The Restoration of the Village Economy; Reparations; African Guyanese and Entrepreneurship; African Guyanese and Social Cohesion; Education and African Guyanese Empowerment; African Guyanese Self-Activity; and Centering African Guyanese in Guyana’s Socio-Economic Agenda.
Others scheduled to speak at the forum are Dr. Grantley Walrond, Norwell Hinds, Estherene Adams, Vincent Alexander, Floyd Haynes, Dr. Simpson DaSilva, Eric Phillips, Elsie Harry, Judy Semple-Joseph, and Dr. David Hinds.
The release noted that Cuffy250 believes that 178 years after formal emancipation, the African Guyanese community still confronts structural barriers to full emancipation. “These barriers are manifested in the challenges faced by African Guyanese particularly in the socio-economic sphere. While the community has made strides in the face of these challenges, the inability to compete in the private economic sector has served to blunt those successes,” it said.
“It is against this background that Cuffy250 brings together the African Guyanese community to begin a movement towards the revival of the spirit of self-realisation that was so pivotal to the struggle against slavery and colonialism and for the survival and advance of the community,” it further said.
Cuffy250, the release said, is an African Guyanese organisation dedicated to the empowerment and revitalisation of the African Guyanese community through Public Education and Community Engagement. Towards this end it seeks to help in restoring African-Guyanese communities to their former strength particularly in the areas of education and the economy; rekindling a sense of dignity and self-respect to African Guyanese communities; raising the consciousness of African Guyanese about African Guyanese and Black contributions to Guyana, the Caribbean and world civilisation; and encouraging African Guyanese to take leadership roles in their neighborhoods and villages.
Persons interested in early registration for the forum are asked to call 231 7888, the release added.
