The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has been promoting a diversity challenge on social media in an effort to promote harmony.
“Now more than ever, we need to unite. This is a time we need to unite as a people, and we need to remember that there is strength in unity. We need to avoid anything that would allow us to be divided around this political time and [uplift] each other during this pandemic. It simplifies unity….instead of persons sharing negative things on Facebook, this is a good thing for you to get involved in. What better time to do this when we have more time in our homes to reflect on harmony during this time and to call on persons to remember our motto, ‘One People, One Nation and One Destiny,’” Renne Chester, the head of the ERC Public Education and Awareness Unit, told Sunday Stabroek.
The initiative, which was launched on April 27th, takes inspiration from the #DontRush challenge that was recently viral on social media apps TikTok and Instagram.
For the #DontRush challenge, participants show off videos of transformations from their at-home wear to going-out looks, set to the song “Don’t Rush” by Young T & Bugsey featuring Headie One.
The ERC’s diversity challenge sees its participants switching from their regular outfits to the traditional wear of whichever ethnicity they belong to or choose to represent, set to the ERC’s song, “Let Harmony Come In.”.
Chester said that with Guyana being a multi-ethnic society, the challenge serves to encourage persons to celebrate their culture and participate with friends and family of different ethnic backgrounds.
Despite its recent launch, not many persons appear to be aware of the challenge but some have taken it up.
Participants can inbox the ERC on its Facebook page or like its page, tag the agency in their video and include the hashtag #ercdiversitychallenge in their post.
The ERC intends to continue to promote similar challenges throughout 2020 and 2021.
Though its office remains closed due to the current pandemic, persons who feel discriminated in anyway because of their ethnicity can still file a complaint by filling out a complaint form online at the ERC website (erc.org.gy) or download the MY ERC APP to their mobile devices. They can also be contacted via an email to its Investigations Unit at investigate@erc.org.gy or the Public Education and Awareness Unit at peau@erc.org.gy.
