It’s a new year, and with it comes the government’s reignited commitment toward the “One Guyana” agenda. Like many, I have wondered about the relevance of this project outside the scope of its public relations angle. It hits home like a knockoff version of our country’s motto – a confusing mirage, that becomes even more confusing in the face of our socio-political and economic realities. I have no idea what President Ali’s pet project is really supposed to mean, and I’m sure its originators don’t either, but I did want to take the opportunity to highlight some of the things that stand out for me as being truly divorced from this wishful ideology.
One that immediately comes to mind was when last year, the President was responding to concerns from the Opposition about anti-Black racism. The president responded by stating that the “old nonsensical narrative makes absolutely no sense in a modern progressive Guyana. Race and racism has no place in our society or our country, and those who continue to use it are misguided and far divorced from the reality of this country and where this country is going.” He had even gone so far as to state that Guyana does not have anti-Black racism. It is statements such as these that make me realise how completely divorced from reality the president and those who spew these arguments are. Racism and anti-Blackness are global issues predicated on centuries of discriminatory policies and actions by the State. Is the president saying that Guyana is an outlier? Are we so uniquely evolved that we are the only country in the modern world to have eradicated racism and anti-Blackness? If this was actually the reality (which anyone with a modicum of sense would tell you is not the case) that would actually be a country I would love to live in.
A Guyana that centres the rights and well-being of all its citizens is one that concerns itself with equitable distribution and access to resources. That has never been something that could be said about Guyana. From the way land has historically been distributed, and the communities that are comprehensively developed, to the awarding of government contracts, inequality is a common feature of our dear land. The minimum wage is not even a survival wage within our economy and the private sector, which is the not-so-invisible arm of the government, continues immense human rights violations to employees with little to no oversight or repercussions. Inequality has skyrocketed since 2020 due to global challenges such as the Coronavirus, climate change and food insecurity in conjunction with poor governmental responses and misguided priorities. Our economy is rapidly expanding, and businesses and the well-connected are earning more than ever, while inequality continues to escalate amongst the nation’s poor. So it really begs the question, as to who the One Guyana dream centres if it’s a dream founded on equality and acceptance?
I have long since stopped concerning myself with petty governmental politics. I am much more interested in how governmental policies impact citizens, and how resources are distributed. But it is also interesting to me how One Guyana can be assiduously promoted while there is still non-acknowledgement of the Opposition Leader and a fearless commitment towards being contradictory. Is the Opposition not part and parcel of the President’s One Guyana? Are they an alien subset aimed towards the ruin of his illusory dream? Inquiring minds would like to know.
I do not live in the idealised and conflicting idea that is presented of One Guyana. I live in a Guyana that necessitates inequality, and which yes, is quite racist. The reality of my homeland is one that I hope was better, but that hope does not blind me to the very real disadvantages and challenges here that are often made possible through State malfeasance and failure.
