Dear Editor,
I recently re-read the Stabroek News editorial of November 30, 2024, which lamented the erosion of independent thought observing that “despite the vast amount of information available, there is a growing concern that many individuals are not thinking critically about the world around them.” The editorial attributed this deterioration mainly to the state of modern media and the proliferation of sound bites, viral posts and partisan news sources. Guyana is not the only place subject to the tyranny of social media, catchy soundbites and sensational mainstream media. This is a global phenomenon. What concerns me is the sinister dimensions of this phenomenon in Guyana. In our case, it’s not just an erosion but a deliberate dumbing down of the population and silencing of independent thought.
One of the instruments in use is, paradoxically, the courts. As a friend of mine who is a lawyer pointed out to me, almost all of the recent libel cases have been brought by Government officials against Guyanese citizens. A tell-tale example is the case that was brought against a citizen for referring to someone as a ‘jagobat’. Clearly, the plaintiff knew that that case had no chance of being upheld by the courts. Winning the case was not their goal. Their message to the Guyanese public was: if you criticize us or oppose us, we shall sue you. We have the Government’s treasure chest at our disposal and we shall make you pay dearly. As my friend suggested, our libel laws need to be amended to strengthen our democracy and make them less available as a weapon to smother public dissent.
These tactics have had impact. Many people, especially those working for the Government or otherwise dependent on the Government in their livelihoods, will voice their concerns and criticisms only in private conversations. Their fearful behaviuor will one day come back to haunt them. Mature criticism is not just a partisan matter. Open exchange of views and criticism is healthy for our development.
I am particularly disturbed by what I see happening at the university level. The job of a university is to prepare the next generation of leaders and professionals to manage and develop themselves and their communities. The neutral and enlightened environment of the university provides favourable conditions for addressing the issues confronting the society. You would imagine that engagement on institutional challenges, including constitutional reform would be a high priority, given the universal acknowledgment of this as a primary weakness in Guyana. The Turkeyen and Tain Talks series initiated by a past Vice Chancellor would be a fitting forum for such engagement, in my view. I have made sustained efforts, writing concept papers and letters to the UG Students Society and various faculties, trying to initiate a dialogue.
All my overtures have failed to yield fruit. In one letter I received in 2023, an official of the UG Law Students Society declined to get involved. Knowing that lawyers play a dominant role in our legislative bodies, it is highly possible that five or ten years from now, these very same people who don’t see the immediate relevance of being informed on the subject of electoral and constitutional reform will find themselves in decision-making positions on the subject. What a distressing prospect!
Apparently, the thinking in the upper echelons of the university is that we must focus on growing the economy and when Guyana achieves development, ‘the market’ will force the necessary institutional changes. Markets do not function in isolation. They are supported by laws, accounting procedures and a general institutional setting designed in their favour. It is widely recognized that our systems of governance, GECOM, the powers of the Presidency and the operations of commissions are in dire need of reform for economic stability and development. Anyone who believes that the market can be relied upon to force these needed improvements after opportunistic elites have become entrenched is either naïve or mischievous or has unrealistic expectations of how markets work.
It is our civic duty to know the details of how our governance institutions work and play a role in making necessary improvements. Constitutional reform is an ongoing feature of a developing society as conditions change. In this election year, I call on the university administration and student bodies to take concrete steps to address this aspect of our higher education in a meaningful way.
Sincerely,
Dr. Desmond Thomas
