The group of women and youths during the conference
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), in collaboration with the North Pakaraimas District Council (NPDC), recently hosted a four-day Women’s Conference and Youth Capacity Building Workshop aimed at strengthening capacity to support decision-making and understanding of the issues faced in the region.
The activity, which was funded by the European Union, saw more than 50 persons from 15 villages participating in the workshop, which was held in Kurukabaru Village, Region Eight from Monday, March 27 to Thursday, March 30, 2023. The sessions were facilitated by APA’s Policy and Administrative Officer Don Stoll, Governance and Rights Coordinator Laura George, Sherlina Nageer, Judy Winter, Rehana Thomas, and Surujani Robinson.
During the four-day exercise, participants discussed a large number of issues and came up with recommendations to address them. The women and youths came up with and presented recommendations to address the loss of culture and traditions in Indigenous communities as well as mechanisms to preserve the Indigenous way of life. They also shared their knowledge of environmental protection and conservation.
Additionally, the participants examined the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and how it impacts the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples in Guyana. During their examination of the LCDS, participants also recommended that systems be put in place to ensure that Guyana’s forest is managed by Indigenous people, pointing out that part of the Indigenous way of life is respect and care for the environment.
The women and youths also examined the education system and discussed whether it addressed the delivery of the curriculum to indigenous children. During this session, the youth participants highlighted the fact that English is not their first language and the Ministry’s assumption of their understanding of English sets their learning back.
Additionally, they pointed out the fact that the curriculum was not tailored to address the way of life of Indigenous peoples. One of the many examples given is the fact the Ministry of Education does take into consideration that many Indigenous children have not seen what the seawalls look like or that traffic lights are not relevant to their communities or that many Indigenous communities do not know what Diwali is or even part take in those celebrations.
The participants also documented social issues plaguing the communities and came up with recommendations to address them. They identified drug and alcohol abuse along with teenage pregnancy as the most prevalent issues affecting young people in their respective communities. In their recommendations, they called for regular awareness sessions to educate them on how to address social issues. Additionally, they proposed the establishment of training centres within the district to develop the skills of women and youth so that they could actively participate in the development of their communities.
Recommendations on how to get women and youths to participate in the leadership of Indigenous communities more actively were also proffered.
The women and youth participants also wrote to the NPDC requesting the formation of a Women’s and Youth Arm of the District Council so that they could better address and represent the issues affecting them.
