Dear Editor,
The President of Guyana’s recent visit to Brooklyn underscores the importance of engaging with diaspora communities and recognizing their contributions to national development.
His visit, however, has seen some fellow Guyanese individuals calling for the boycott of those Guyanese businesses who welcomed the President into their establishments. This call, purportedly aimed at holding President Irfaan Ali’s administration accountable for alleged injustices, discrimination, and abuses, has sparked controversy and division within the community. It is in this regard that I pen this missive to posit that it is imperative for fellow Guyanese in the diaspora to reject such a boycott.
Boycotting “we own” Guyanese business people in a foreign land is just plain stupid. How is that going to achieve anything good? We have hundreds of foreign-owned supermarkets popping up in every part of Guyana, and no Guyanese is calling for a boycott of those businesses, so why the self-hate and intended hurt on ourselves?
Instead of such a call, there should be advocacy for dialogue and constructive engagement as the path toward addressing all grievances and matters of interest to respective communities and our country, and fostering an agenda for prosperity for all.
The strength of any community lies in its diversity and unity. The Guyanese diaspora, comprising individuals of various ethnicities, backgrounds and beliefs, embodies this diversity which makes us Guyanese, which makes us unique, with the potential to be strong. Instead of fostering division through myopic and irrational foolishness, we must strive to build bridges that connect us and promote understanding and collaboration.
Boycotting Guyanese-owned businesses not only hurts and undermines the economic livelihood of these individuals, but also perpetuates division and animosity within the community. Boycotting Guyanese-owned businesses serves as a detriment to entrepreneurship, employment opportunities, and economic growth within the diaspora and in Guyana. Many of our countrymen and women, and our economy, benefit from remittances received from our diaspora. These businesses are often the backbone of local economies, providing employment opportunities, goods and services to the community, especially our fellow Guyanese, giving them a piece of home. By supporting these businesses, we contribute to the economic prosperity of our fellow Guyanese and foster a sense of collective empowerment.
Moreover, Many Guyanese-owned businesses have overcome numerous challenges to establish themselves in their respective services in a foreign land. By patronizing these businesses, we not only support their growth, but also celebrate their achievements and contributions to the community.
Guyanese boycotting Guyanese businesses is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a rational or constructive approach to one’s fellow countrymen on account of their actions that may have provoked real or contrived offence. Instead, we must promote dialogue, engagement, and peaceful activism as means of effecting positive change. By engaging in open and respectful discourse, we create opportunities for understanding, reconciliation and progress.
Moreover, holding President Irfaan Ali’s administration accountable for alleged injustices requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond boycotting our businesses. It necessitates engaging with policymakers, advocating for policy reforms, and supporting grassroots initiatives that address systemic issues such as discrimination, injustice, inequitable distribution of state contracts, and human rights abuses.
Instead of perpetuating division through boycotts, we must channel our collective energies and resources toward initiatives that uplift marginalized communities, promote economic development, and create pathways for social mobility.
I say again, that the call for a boycott of Guyanese-owned businesses within the diaspora is misguided, self-destructive, and counterproductive. Instead of fostering division and animosity among ourselves, we must strive to build bridges that promote unity, dialogue, and collaboration.
As we navigate the complexities of our shared history and collective aspirations, let us remember that it is through equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, bipartisanship on what is best for Guyana, having respect for the rule of law, unity, and solidarity that we can achieve true prosperity and progress.
Yours respectfully,
Jermaine Figueira MP
