…or silencing?
There was a “Professional Social Work Practitioners and Educators Conference” last week at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. One Jamaican sociologist opined there’s a “culture of silence” operating in Guyana. The different focus of sociologists and social workers was brought out in a meta exchange that saw Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) Executive Director Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, claiming services should be provided to persons simply because they’re people. The sociologist, on the other hand, claimed social service policies were “created for persons who are not considered persons.”
It’s left to us mere mortals to figure out what the heck they’re talking about. So, dead readers, do we as a people tend to be silent about certain things – or possibly every thing? Let’s start with one topic that falls squarely in the bailiwick of social workers – who’re advocates for the disadvantaged. Suicide, anyone? Since this APNU/AFC government’s taken office, there’s been so much talking by so many groups about suicide; Guyana’s become a veritable Tower of Babel on the subject. No silence here!
Problem is…with all the breaking of silence on suicide followed by vigils, candlelight ceremonies, marches and conferences, etc not a single action has been taken to actually reduce the rate of suicide that has shot us to the top of the world’s rankings! For years we know the Gatekeepers” Programme – which trains folks in the communities to recognise the signs of suicidal inclinations – which may be verbal or silent – was the most effective interventionist measure. It was even launched by the last administration and recommended by several of the vociferous suicide-fighters.
So why hasn’t anything been done to even resuscitate the Gatekeepers Programme? Well, it looks like the talking IS the action in Guyana. No “culture of silence” here! And suicidal victims – who may or may not be “persons” – are left to their own devices. Which in Guyana is usually poison or rope. But since sociologists usually pontificate on the behaviour of groups at the macro level – “people” rather than “persons” – maybe the Jamaican sociologist meant “the culture of silence” – producing the “sounds of silence” – is more prevalent in some groups more than others in Guyana?
There are definitely some groups that do speak out – even coming out into the streets to make their point, while others are silent and bear their chafe. But is this “cultural silencing” – meaning part of their structural behaviour? Or are they afraid if they speak out they’ll be victimised or worse? And so situational and tactical?
Be as it may, this “silencing” hypothesis looks like fertile ground for some more investigating. And more speechifying.
…on racial politics
Maybe the Jamaican sociologist was referring to pour politicians’ “culture of silence” on our “racial politics”. They should take a peek at what went down in Britain and Brexit and also in Cleveland at the Republican Convention when politicians don’t get real. The establishment politicians thought they were more “sophisticated” than the folks that put them there.
And insisted that what ordinary blokes were experiencing in their living conditions and prospects for the future, wasn’t REALLY so. They, the politicians, from their well insulated cocoons, knew “better”. And “better” in Britain was to remain in the EU. Several of them had to fall on their swords when the matter was put directly to the “man on the Clapham Bus”!!
Over in the US, the pundits insisted that Trump would never make it past the primaries much less winning the GOP’s nomination for the presidential elections. Just watch deadening silence when the yahoos of America come together in unholy union to catapult Trump into the White House!
Might something similar happen here?
…and CANU CoI Report
With all due respect to Prezzie, he can’t very well paraphrase the findings of the CANU CoI’s report for the people of Guyana. Just as with the Rodney CoI, the ordinary in whom sovereignty ultimately resides, must be given due respect.
