The Parliamentary Opposition has stated its commitment to work with the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G) for the betterment of all Guyanese.
A joint release by IDPADA-G and the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, stated that this declaration took place at a meeting that was convened at the request of IDPADA-G. It was at this meeting that the Parliamentary Opposition resolved to collaborate on policy initiatives to achieve greater equity, cohesion and human security for all Guyanese. This it was noted, is in keeping with the state’s obligations under the UN Decade for People of African Descent.
According to the release, the Assembly discussed its work and critical policy initiatives for which the organization seeks to advocate in the final year (2024) of the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent. The IDPADA-G chair, Vincent Alexander, also briefed members of the Opposition on the work the organisation had accomplished from its launch in 2018. He also took the opportunity to set out the circumstances surrounding the “abrupt and unexplained cessation” of the organisation’s government subvention in September 2022, noting that work has continued thanks to donations and more recently, a grant from an international donor.
The government has been at odds with IDPADA-G and has said it has not properly accounted for monies it has received. IDPADA-G has denied this.
The Opposition and IDPADA-G yesterday both acknowledged that while the UN Decade targeted issues related to African descendants, its plan of action, if implemented by the State, “will bring relief and progress to all impoverished and vulnerable communities in Guyana, regardless of ethnicity.”
The release noted that in accordance with its decision to collaborate with IDPADA-G, the Opposition undertook to consider advocating for the Assembly’s proposals to: 1) rebuild the “frayed fabric of our society” by the implementation of a new National Service programme that ensures that Guyanese who volunteer are deployed across the nation to build communities, expand agricultural production, and prepare youths to defend the nation.
2) Launch a national history project to write the history of Guyana enshrining the contributions of all ethnic groups, training master trainers to teach this history to teachers and to develop a nation-wide public education programme that ensures that all Guyanese know how this nation came to be and who they are as a people.
3) Resuscitate Villages Councils as a means of the citizens protecting and beneficially occupying their lands, including Ancestral lands (lands purchased and/or granted to the manumitted people of African descent) thus sparking growth and development of village economies.
4) Advocate for the collection of data disaggregated by ethnicity as the basis for policy formulation and implementation so as to rectify the fast-growing disparities in all sectors of Guyanese society.
And 5) Support the call by the UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent for a second Decade devoted to addressing the goals of Recognition, Justice and Development.
