Social cohesion plan now for Govt’s consideration

Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton on Thursday presented a Five-Year Strategic Plan for the promotion of social cohesion in Guyana to Prime Minister Mosses Nagamootoo. The handing over ceremony coincided with the Ministry’s celebration of Social Cohesion Day, with this year being the second time the event was hosted.

Minister Norton noted the plan is to take effect starting this year and will continue to see enhancement to the Guyanese society up until 2021.

Norton indicated that the plan encompasses five significant areas that will be addressed under this new approach. These include ethnic and political relations, social security, economic equality, community safety and security and political participation and governance.

Speaking at the event, Norton noted the importance of this new initiative stating that, “We now have a strategic plan which will allow us to have a more structured and systematic approach in advancing the social cohesion agenda.” He further pointed out that the plan also comprises an implementation outline that provides the directions needed for the execution of this effort over the next five years. The Minister went on to say that a part from the five-year plan, the Ministry has also undertaken several other strides to advance the social cohesion agenda in Guyana. Among the list of other efforts are community sensitisation sessions, diversity education and inclusiveness workshop, community meetings and the Harmony Village staged earlier this year.

The celebration of Social Cohesion Day to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry is also one such initiative.

Social Cohesion Day was designed to bring together a wide cross-section of Guyanese in celebration of the multicultural society that exists across the country.

The event hosted at the National Cultural Centre provided an avenue to showcase the various social influences present in Guyana and more specifically celebrated the fusion of various aspects of the multiethnic societies that co-exists as one Guyanese culture. The staging of cultural performances which reflected the heritage of each ethnic and religious group accurately portrayed the picture of social cohesion.