ERC expands Harmony Club to Kamarang Primary

– engages Reg 7 stakeholders

In an effort to further strengthen its youth outreach programme, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) launched yet another Harmony Club on Thursday, this time at Kamarang Primary School in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) during one of its outreaches. The outreach also included a stakeholder engagement with community leaders and residents at the Kamarang Community Centre. Leading the team were Commissioners Ras Khafra, Pandit Krishn Sharma, Ashton Simon and Norris Witter.

The Harmony Club initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Education Ministry, seeks to introduce young learners to the values of tolerance, mutual respect and appreciation for diversity. By creating a structured platform within schools, the programme encourages students to develop attitudes and behaviours that support peaceful co-existence and national unity. The principal of Kamarang Primary School, Alex Crammer, welcomed the establishment of the club, noting that its activities will be supported by class teachers. Moreover, the Learning Resource Coordinator attached to the Ministry of Education for Region Seven, Rebecca Reid, expressed strong support for the initiative and highlighted its value in shaping positive attitudes among young people.
“The Harmony Club provides a meaningful space where students can learn to work together, listen to each other and develop the attitudes that promote peaceful co-existence,” she said. During the launch, the ERC Commissioners underscored the importance of initiatives that build understanding and break down barriers that may lead to discrimination.

“We found that division exists in Indigenous communities, even though you may not see many other Guyanese from different backgrounds. There are still differences, and so the Harmony Club initiative was developed to prevent conflict,” Commissioner Ras Khafra noted. Thirty students will participate in the Kamarang Primary Harmony Club and will serve as “Harmony Ambassadors”, engaging in interactive sessions designed to promote tolerance, inclusion and respect for diversity. The programme began in 2025 with five primary schools in Georgetown participating in the pilot phase and continues to expand nationwide.
The introduction of the initiative in Region Seven follows the successful establishment of Harmony Clubs at schools in Mahdia and Micobie recently.
In addition to the school engagement, the commissioners and ERC team met with village leaders, residents and representatives of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) during a stakeholders’ meeting at the dining hall of the Kamarang Community Centre. The forum brought together representatives from the villages of Kamarang/Warawatta, Kako, Jawalla, and Waramadong, including several Toshaos and deputy Toshaos. Participants shared perspectives on social cohesion within their communities and offered constructive recommendations on addressing local challenges. Community members also called for more frequent engagements by the Commission to strengthen awareness and dialogue on issues of national harmony. Commissioner Norris Witter emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in fostering peace and understanding across Guyana.
“In a society like Guyana, with a population of over eight hundred fifty thousand, the ten commissioners would not be able to effectively promote peace and harmony without the support of each and every citizen,” he outlined.
Such engagements, in keeping with the ERC’s mandate, are vital in ensuring that community perspectives are integrated into national strategies aimed at promoting harmony and good relations across all regions of the country.