Calling for mutual respect and constructive dialogue between government and community leaders, Toshao of Kako Romario Hastings yesterday took Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to task over his apparent angst with the Amerindian People’s Association and his suggestion that toshaos could opt out of the carbon credits scheme.
Speaking at the National Toshao Council Conference on August 20, Jagdeo said: “Any toshao who believes that this programme is not serving their people and their community is free to opt out because the APA doesn’t want you to collect this money. You’re free not to take it; the money could easily go to the villages that want it.”
Acknowledging the potential benefits of the carbon credits scheme, Hastings said, “As a young leader, I agree that it’s a brilliant initiative to generate revenue from our forests. Indigenous people rightfully deserve every dollar from these funds.” He emphasized that any disagreements with specific aspects of the scheme does not diminish the entitlement of Indigenous communities to the funds.
He further expressed concern over the notion that communities should have the option to opt out if they are dissatisfied. “I don’t believe any village or Indigenous person should be told they can opt out as if refusing the funds is an acceptable choice. That should not be the case and that should not be the dialogue. The dialogue should be respectful and indigenous people’s territories are where you find the majority of the forests that are standing so we deserve that money even if we don’t agree or fully agree. We deserve that revenue and we stand by that. It is benefiting communities, villages, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. We can have a fair, honest and respectful dialogue about it. It’s not really about attacking one another.”
Hastings also addressed the role of toshaos in these discussions, asserting that their opinions should be valued based on their leadership positions within their communities. He clarified that while he collaborates with the APA, his perspectives are offered as a toshao, not as an APA representative. “When we enter those halls, we do so as leaders of our villages, and our opinions are based on our roles as toshaos. We should be able to express our views respectfully and expect the same in return,” he stressed.
Highlighting the importance of mutual respect and constructive dialogue between national leaders and community leaders, he added, “Once we, as toshaos, enter that conference hall we are in the capacity as leaders for our villages. We are attending as toshaos, to say that to align me with the APA, indeed I have worked with the APA, we have done projects with the APA, supported a lot of the work that we do in Upper Mazaruni, but when we enter those halls we are entering those halls as toshaos first and foremost and so our opinions are coming as a toshao and not as an APA delegate or anybody else or trying to undermine anything. I think we have a right to an opinion and we should be mutually respectful to that. And that is something I look forward to, even being on the NTC executive or any other dialogue with the government agencies. We are leaders of our communities, we govern our communities, we are the chiefs of our villages and I see any dialogue on matters like these is from one leader to the other leader, a national leader to a community leader. I may not be very resourceful. I may not have all the technical persons on my side as the President or the ministers do. I may not have all the advisors, but at the end of the day, I’m still a leader with an opinion and most importantly I have to be the voice of the community and that is why that has to be respected also.”
President Irfaan Ali in an interview last evening defended Jagdeo’s position. “… That is part of the governance system of the toshaos, they have that ability to opt in and opt out, that is a fundamental right of the villages,” Ali said. “That is a fundamental right of the toshaos, that is not the vice president speaking loosely, that is part of the governance structure that is part of the international standard, that the villages, the toshaos have the option to opt in and opt out and he is not manufacturing something. That is a statement and a position of fact and respect, respect for the governance structure of these villages.”
Further, President Ali said he welcomed diverse opinions. “Disagreement is welcome, every day we see people who disagree with us in the media… that is okay, that’s what a democracy is about,” he said. “We don’t have an issue with persons disagreeing, but when you disagree, we also have a democratic right to present our case, we have a democratic right to explain our policy, we have a democratic right to defend ourselves.”
