Unlike most ordinary citizens, your Eyewitness tried to follow the goings-on up in Geneva at the UNHCR meet on the status of the IDPAD recommendations from 2013, now that the decade is coming to a close. For most it was just white noise!! Of course, he was most interested in the volleys between the Government representatives and IDPADA-G’s – not to mention some from the UNHCR Committee who assume they’re appointed to guard against automatic excesses of the big, bad Leviathan. That is, the State as represented by its Government. It’s not often you get to see two-against-one volleys – the Govt being the one!!
The UNHCR Committee ignored the maxim that “he who asserts must prove” and receiving complaints from IDPADA-G back in 2023, had summarised and sent them to the Government for a response – which they did. Your Eyewitness, however, was nonplussed by this allegation made to the Committee: “According to information received, Afro-Guyanese continue to live in separate areas, usually far from the rest of the population and often the least urbanised. These regions of the country are characterised by the inadequacy of infrastructure, substandard housing, roads and services, homelessness, inadequate social programmes to assist low-income families, remoteness from universities and other services required for their personal and economic development, as well as from fundamental health services.”
Afro-Guyanese the “least urbanised”?? What the heck?? Afro-Guyanese are the MOST urbanised group in the country – going back all the way to the mid-nineteenth century!! They are probably 80% of the urbanised population!! And as such have access to the only sole hospital in the country – the GPHC “Big Hospital”!! – as well as large regional hospitals in the other towns. Unlike the rural folks who’re consigned to “Cottage Hospitals”!! The Tertiary University – UG; the Palms for Senior Citizens; the Museums; the Parks and seawall amenities, etc, are all available to GTers!! Not surprisingly, this claim wasn’t regurgitated in IDPADA-G’s 2024 appearance!
Then there was this eye-popping claim: “No adequate resources have been invested in sports activities and programmes for young people of African descent”. With most African Guyanese living in urban areas, aren’t these towns and city where most sport facilities located?? Ow Man!! Then came this inswinger: “No action has been taken to ensure the full implementation of the right to adequate standard of living, including the right to adequate housing. On the contrary, the country’s facing a housing crisis causing the rise of prices and long waits for the processing of housing applications, which is not supported by mortgage lending institutions.”
Whatever else one might say about the PPP…you gotta give them credit for their housing drive…including easier mortgages!! And Min Phillips did say Afro Guyanese got 48% of lots – more than their population!!
…for media
The Committee – again ”acting on information received”, asserted: “The Government has failed to enable the media’s role as a public watchdog, through insufficient free, pluralistic and independent media, to allow for the reporting of factual, diverse and reliable information about people of African descent.” Now your Eyewitness would really like to know how the Government hasn’t “enabled” the media’s role as a public watchdog”!! Has the Government muzzled the Stabber or the Kaieteur Mews which have taken a reflexive antagonistic – in tone and content – reporting stance against the Government?? Have they not been giving them the same amount of Government ads as the other media outlets??
Hasn’t the Opposition organised their own “mainstream” media outlet in the “Village Voice”?? Aren’t the letters’ pages of the dailies – the most popular items – open to one and all? And finally, isn’t this age of “mediatization” – as the rise of social media which has eclipsed the old mainstream media – now dominated by the African Guyanese partisans??
Gwan da side!!
…DINKs?
Just when your Eyewitness thought he’d heard everything on the challenges to our 21st century economy – Gig economy?? Most extreme inequality in human history?? – he’s learnt about the DINKs threat!!
“Double-Income-No-Kids” families that’ll shrink inexorably populations!!
