PUBLIC FORUM APRIL 15, 2005

In his opening remarks, Chairman Bishop Juan Edghill said the Ethnic Relations Commission was moving to get Guyana to talk about the ethnic question, how it impedes development, and how this could be overcome. He described the weekend workshop with principal players (Parliamentary Political Parties) in the country as the development of a process and not an event, not to harp on the past, but to muster the will to come up with workable solutions.

The forum was hosted by the Ethnic Relations Commission, with the support of the UNDP’s Social Cohesion Programme.

International Conflict Transformation facilitator Mr. Roelf Meyer told the forum that he was Deputy Minister of Police during the worst period of apartheid in South Africa. Later, as Minister of Defence and Minister of Constitutional Affairs, he saw the bad things caused by apartheid. He said he was prepared to make a shift in his mind. This was not easy, as apartheid had been there for more than 300 years, not necessarily institutionalized at the beginning. And though the change came in the mid-nineties, some things are still to be resolved.

He said the solution to the Guyanese problem lies with the Guyanese people, and while he was not here to tell Guyanese what to do, it could be useful for him to share his own experiences in the South Africa situation.

In the local situation, he said, all who struggle must be blamed. The country is large enough to create wealth for all. But there is a major factor missing from the process. And that is TRUST.

The problem in South Africa was the white minority being in power when the nation also included a black majority. And to change this, the element of trust had to come into play. The Whites and the Blacks had to trust each other. At the beginning of the process in 1990, there was more violence in the streets than ever before. Then businessmen and religious leaders came together and intervened. They called on politicians toreach a peace accord. A peace secretariat and various committees were formed, and all were very active at all levels.

Mr. Meyer advised civil society in Guyana not to underestimate its power. “Don’t ask for power to act,” he said. “Just act. It is in your hands to bring about change.”

In the Plenary Session, three groups came up with the following positive moves:

: A heightened public awareness and education programme about ethnic matters and moral education and comparative religion in schools.

: Community work initiated by civil society, and demonstrations of unity, including peace marches.

: As there seems to be insufficient accountability, with much of the society excluded from the decision-making process, there must be a multi-polar political structure, including the citizenry, with the necessary machinery to accommodate this, that is further constitutional reform.

: Higher moral standards and efficiency from those in high office, with more religious acknowledgement, to work towards the system of Government that best serves the interest of the people.

: Courage among decision makers and civil society to do their duty without fear and to realize that there is another way.

: A statement coming out of the Public Forum, a decisive one on the way forward.

Facilitator Meyer said he was impressed with the energy and passion coming out of the plenary, a sign that people were really prepared to engage the issues at hand.

He said the South Africa scenario showed that where civil society is inactive, democracy takes a beating. He said civil society, with unions, business, academics and the church being the main players, thrive on a cause. And they must know what the cause is.

“For 300 years we in South Africa thought we had to be protected, and that paradigm drove us to divide our country. Then we realized that there must be a new paradigm --- not a question of ethnic protection, but simply protection for the individual.

“And this was our new paradigm for bringing about change,” Mr. Meyer concluded.

Some 73 representatives from 49 organisations were represented at the public forum. Organisations included the Guyana Consumers Association, the YWCA, The Guyana Agricultural Workers Union, the Guyana Labour Union, the Guyana Public Service Union, the Progressive Youth Organisation, the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union, the Guyana Evangelical Fellowship, the Salvation Army, Bahai Faith, the Guyana Association of the Visually Impaired, the Indian Arrival Committee and the Pan African Movement.

The forum was held in the Savannah Suite of Le Meridien, Pegasus, in Georgetown.

Co-facilitators were the UNDP’s Chris Spies and Lawrence Lachmansingh.