Seemingly mindful of the importance of the critical role of the Diaspora in his administration’s ‘One Guyana’ agenda, President Irfaan Ali used his recent visit to India to underscore the significance of the overseas-based Guyanese community, particularly their potential role in the social and economic development of Guyana, in the country’s ‘oil and gas’ era.
While President Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ policy is yet to benefit from a documented policy framework, it appears to be driven, in large measure, by an acceptance of the reality that a socio-economic ‘makeover’ utilizing the anticipated returns from the country’s oil and gas earnings, will require both the broad range of skills and intellectual resources, as well as the potential of overseas-based Guyanese to add momentum to the country’s all-round development agenda. A January 9th official release on what the President had to say during his appearance at a public event, part of his recent official visit to India, stated that the President “is now embracing a diaspora integration model which flows from the belief that the country’s diaspora should not be treated as entities peripheral to nationhood, but rather as an integral part of national development.”