ERC launches Harmony Club at Kuru Kururu Primary School

– over 100 residents engaged in community meetings

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), in continued collaboration with the Education Ministry, on Thursday launched a Harmony Club at the Kuru Kururu Primary School, engaging more than 30 pupils in activities focused on tolerance, mutual respect and appreciation for Guyana’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
The initiative forms part of the ERC’s ongoing efforts to promote greater understanding and harmonious relationships among Guyanese while equipping young people with values that can contribute to a more inclusive and cohesive society.
Commissioner Ras Khafra (Deon Dick), in addressing the students, emphasised the importance of cultivating these values from an early age.
“This is one of the initiatives where we hope that young people like yourselves can be inculcated with certain values. As you grow older, we want you to carry those values with you and show love, tolerance, and respect for one another. We all come from different backgrounds, and we may have different beliefs, cultures and ways of doing things, but that should not prevent us from appreciating and respecting each other. Those are some of the values we hope this club will impart to you and that you will take beyond the school into your homes and communities,” he posited.

The programme has so far reached in excess of 300 children across the participating schools, providing young people with structured opportunities to develop a greater appreciation for diversity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. Beyond the classroom, the initiative is intended to create a wider ripple effect, as children carry these values into their homes and communities, sharing what they learn with parents, family members, peers and others with whom they interact.
Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development) Volika Jaikishun, highlighted the Education Ministry’s ongoing anti-bullying efforts and welcomed the Harmony Club as a complementary initiative that encourages students to work positively with their peers, families and wider communities.
Headteacher Vonetta Kellman also welcomed the initiative, noting the importance of helping children understand and appreciate both the similarities and differences that exist within Guyana’s diverse society.
The Kuru-Kuru launch marks another step in the ERC’s expanding Harmony Clubs initiative. Following the initial Georgetown pilots at Stella Maris, St Gabriel’s, Comenius, St Ambrose, and North Georgetown Primary, the initiative has expanded to Mahdia and Micobie in Region Eight and to Kamarang in Region Seven.
Meanwhile. The ERC also hosted an interactive stakeholder engagement at the NAREI Extension Centre in Kairuni, bringing together more than 100 residents, community leaders and other stakeholders from Kuru Kururu, Hill Foot, Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke, Swan Village, Samsville, Sandville, and Circuitville.
The engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to share concerns, experiences and perspectives on issues relating to ethnic relations, community development and social cohesion. The session also enabled the Commission to provide information on its constitutional mandate and functions while hearing directly from residents and other stakeholders about matters affecting their communities.
The stakeholder engagement was led by ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack and included Commissioners Norris Witter and Krishna Sharma, alongside acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Oma Devi-Sukhu.
Chairman Shaikh Hack underscored the importance of community engagement in ensuring that development is accompanied by inclusion, respect and equal consideration for all.
“Guyana is experiencing rapid development, with investments in roads, highways, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure intended to improve the lives of our people. However, development is most meaningful when the people it is intended to benefit are empowered to participate, feel included and valued, and live in a society characterised by peace, mutual respect, love, harmony, and unity. This is where the work of the ERC is important. Through our engagement with communities across the country, we seek to listen to people, understand their concerns and help ensure that no community or group is left behind.”
He added that the Commission’s engagements are intended to ensure that concerns raised by communities receive appropriate attention and follow-up.
“When we engage communities, it is not simply about listening. Where concerns fall within the Commission’s constitutional mandate, we will take the necessary steps to address or advance them.
Where matters fall outside of our remit, we will ensure that they are appropriately referred to the relevant agencies for consideration and follow-up. Our responsibility is to ensure that the voices
of communities are heard and that their concerns are directed to where they can receive the appropriate attention,” he said. The ERC will continue its regional outreach and community engagements as part of its constitutional responsibility to promote harmony, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and good relations among all Guyanese.