On Wednesday, Guyana joined with other countries in various parts of the world in celebrating Emancipation. For the slaves, the road to freedom was long and arduous, they having been kept in bondage and forced to endure inhuman conditions as unimaginable atrocities were meted out to them. But freedom did dawn, with the expectation that the mental and economic shackles would be forever banished.
Unfortunately, over time, the shackles manifested themselves differently, as others are still being forced into situations that enchain them from opportunities for advancement. Obviously, this can never be compared to the dreadful and cruel blot on humanity that slavery was. With growing disparity across the world, millions are being dumped further into poverty even as they relentlessly struggle to eke out an existence.
A natural characteristic of mankind is to seek opportunities for self-improvement in order to be better positioned to mitigate life’s ongoing challenges. This is painfully demonstrated by migrants taking to the seas, and refugees being trapped in lands while wallowing in despair. In those circumstances, their dignity is snatched, as they are forced to be consumed with mere survival, as the world appears to be closing in on them.
This is the reality in a now modern and constantly evolving world more than 18 decades after Emancipation. What continues to be both bewildering and unacceptable is that many of the current global situations can easily be addressed, or even avoided in some cases. This, however, does not take away from the complexities of others, taking into consideration pertinent factors.
With that in mind, even a cursory examination of some of what transpired here in Guyana over the recent years could be seen as a manifestation of the points made. The current Government, while on the campaign trail for the 2015 elections, had vehemently articulated to the effect that Guyanese were experiencing tremendous difficulties. It pointed fingers to the then Administration, claiming that it seemed oblivious or disinterested, while making accusations of preferential treatment.
The counter-arguments were that the country was basking in unprecedented development and sustained economic growth, evident from the advancement of ordinary Guyanese and the rebuilding of the social and physical infrastructure.
During that period, the business climate was seen as very healthy, and job creation and employment high. Today, the situation seems reversed, as many jobs have been lost and the economy is contracting even as Government keeps adjusting downwards its own positive projections.
But how is this relevant within the context of current-day shackles on human development? The obvious answer is that all administrations are expected to derive innovative mechanisms for the creation of enabling environments to help spur economic activities for human advancement. While this is largely dependent on the availability of resources, it is crucial to have a holistic vision that is not rooted in political partisanship.
This is where contentions have been fiercely aroused after the 2015 elections when some 2000 Amerindian Community Workers were relieved of their job, and thereby deprived of earnings. Similarly, and this has been extensively dealt with, the closure of estates has led to the termination of thousands of sugar workers. Those actions, alleged to have been executed without any proper assessment and contingency plan to mitigate the consequences, have plunged many thousands further into poverty.
By the same stroke of the brush, the harsh reality is that those affected, in trying to scale the walls of poverty, suddenly find an anchor fastened to their ankles. The effect of this now imposed immobility is not just confined to the affected workers, but extends to their families and the many who depend on such industries. Many are now trapped, and that would naturally infuse humiliation, as dignity evaporates as they are rendered unable to provide for their families.
The mental and economic enchainment which have been swiftly derived may be prolonged, thereby exacerbating despondency, as avenues for a way out seem non-existent, with the immense potential to erode willpower. This, in the local context, epitomises the fact that some of what broadsides humanity may be preventable through a more prudent, humane and bipartisan approach to policy-making.
While advancing humanity must not be toyed with, the unfortunate reality is that it is being used by some for preferential purposes; and when protectionism is factored in, an already bad situation worsens. This precipitates many undesirable situations, including modern-day slavery. This compels the question of whether lessons were learnt from history. Not wanting to suggest that nothing was imparted, it may be more practical to state that the lessons are probably being ignored.
For some, this may best offer an explanation as to what has transpired within the country over the past few years. A burning question may be: why exacerbate economic challenges when there might have been possibilities for avoidance?
