As part of its mission to combat discrimination and advance ethnic tolerance throughout Guyana, the ERC on Monday conducted stakeholder engagements in New Amsterdam, Rose Hall and Corriverton, and Orealla on Tuesday, an ERC release stated on Wednesday.
These exercises in Region Six were led by Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Chairman, Shaikh Moeenul Hack, and Commissioners – Norris Witter, Pandit Krishn Sharma, Reverend Rodwell Porter, Neaz Subhan, Chandrowtie Sarran, and Deon Dick (Ras Khafra) – along with staff of the commission. The commissioners and staff were divided into three teams for the outreaches on Monday.
According to the release, the ERC’s outreach began in New Amsterdam with visits to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, Berbice High, and Tutorial Academy, secondary schools. A stakeholder meeting was also held at the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council hall, which provided a platform for open discussion on community challenges and strategies for promoting harmony.
In Rose Hall, interactive sessions were conducted at Lower Corentyne Secondary School, and Corentyne Comprehensive High School, where students had the opportunity to learn about the commission’s work and the importance of fostering positive inter-ethnic relationships.
Another stakeholder meeting then followed at the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce where stakeholders discussed ways to address community issues collectively within Rose Hall.
The ERC’s final stop on November 4 was in Corriverton, where the team engaged with students from Skeldon Line Path, Skeldon Secondary, and the Islamic Institute, at Number 74, before holding a stakeholder’s meeting in the afternoon at the Corriverton Recreational Park.
On Tuesday, the full team ventured into Orealla where engagements were held with the toshao, councillors, and residents from Orealla and the neighbouring village of Siparuta under the Orealla benab. Attendees learnt about the role, functions, work plan, and efforts of the Commis-sion in the furtherance of its constitutional mandate.
The ERC also took the opportunity to engage with students from Orealla Primary and Secondary Schools.
The release noted that all of the school engagements conducted in Region Six centred on discussions on respect, tolerance, and inclusivity, with an emphasis on educating the youths about the importance of living in harmony with all of the ethnic groups residing in Guyana.
Throughout the engagements, the ERC Chairman reiterated the agency’s vision of a unified Guyana, where issues are addressed from a standpoint rooted in the collective well-being of all citizens.
“Our goal is to build a Guyana where people work together beyond racial and ethnic lines for the good of the country,” he noted.
