“Be actively involved” in national consultations – Pres Ali urges churches

…underscores importance of instilling values in youths
…says church has to be more involved in school system

President Dr Irfaan Ali has called on churches to be more involved in key national discussions, especially ongoing consultations on social media and its consequential effects on children. The Guyana Government has launched a nationwide discussion on the risks of social media for children with a series of public consultations across various regions already yielding more than a thousand recommendations and feedback.
Engagements with civil society bodies and other stakeholder groups are ongoing as a special taskforce prepares to review and finalise the suggestions and comments received into a national action plan. Addressing the Centennial celebrations of the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on Saturday in Georgetown, President Ali believes that the church also has a role to play in these efforts.
“I want the church to be actively involved in the consultation on social media. The church must be actively involved in this. I want the Seventh-Day Adventist Church to partner with us,” he stated. According to the Guyanese leader, a nation that develops economically but neglects the character formation of its youth risks undermining its own future. This, he outlined, is where the church has to become more involved in the school system. The President pointed to examples of school children watching and filming classmates fight and then upload same on social media, thinking it’s a form of normalcy. This practice, he notes, even occurs in hinterland regions as they get easier access to the internet.
“Something is seriously wrong from the home, from the community and from the minds of these children. And you have to call a spade a spade, because the Bible teaches us that if all of them understood that while they, together, collectively, look on as a wrong is being done in front of their eyes, there are consequences spiritually to that. This is an issue and a challenge that we have to address…because it’s being normalised…”
“…You must strengthen value-based education. The future of any nation rests in the hands of its young people. While schools teach knowledge and skills, values also must be taught and reinforced. The church can continue to instil honesty, discipline, respect, humility and responsibility in our youth,” Ali posited. This was one of five areas in which the Head of State suggested that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church can continue to make a valuable contribution to enhancing citizens’ lives.

Strengthening the family unit
The second area he highlighted was strengthening the family unit. The President stressed that the church has a unique role in supporting marriages, strengthening parenting and nurturing healthy family relationships. He believes that strong homes create strong communities, and strong communities create strong nations. The Guyanese leader further called on the church to promote ethical leadership, noting that the organisation has a powerful voice in public service, public life, and community leadership.
“The church role in national life and national development and national leadership is critical for the survival of the church. Because if your values are to be intertwined with national development strategies, then the church must not be reactive but proactive in this role,” he stated. Fourthly, Ali underscored the need to deepen community service and social responsibility through care and compassion. He further suggested that the church nurture spiritual resilience and national unity, especially in the face of uncertainty, anxiety and division. According to President Ali, embedding these areas into the framework of the church system is even more critical today – at a time when the country is undergoing unprecedented economic development.
“Regardless of what development and what wealth come before us, we have a soul that we must protect as a nation. We must have a value system that we protect as a nation. We must have principles that we will protect as a nation. And those principles, values and the soul of the nation, I will say, without a shadow of a doubt, rests in faith, love, unity and the will of God,” he posited. Contending that economic transformation alone does not guarantee national success, the Head of State went on to highlight examples around the world of countries that became wealthier, richer and more prosperous but not necessarily stronger, happier or more united.

“This is why institutions such as a church become even more important during times of national transformation. The church serves as society’s moral compass. It reminds us that true development is always about character, is about integrity, is about compassion, is about justice, [and] is about responsibility to one another. Transformation is only complete when it strengthens not only the economy but also the moral foundations upon which a nation stands. The church, therefore, has a critical role to play in helping Guyana navigate this new era,” the Guyanese leader asserted.

Witness
Meanwhile, turning his attention to the milestone 100-year celebrations, President Ali extended congratulations to the Caribbean Union Conference, which he says has stood as a witness to faith, service, education, health, community development and the proclamation of the gospel over the past century.
“The Caribbean Union Conference enters its second century with an extraordinary legacy behind it and tremendous opportunities ahead of it. The same faith to sustain institutions for the past 100 years will guide it into the future. The same commitment to service that built this legacy will continue to inspire generations yet unborn,” the Head of State noted.