…call for rectification before budget passes
Several groups representing Indigenous peoples have expressed disappointment with the lack of budgetary allocation for the revision of the Amerindian Act of 2006, and they are calling on the authorities to have the situation rectified before the passage of the National Budget in Parliament.
The Executive Committee of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), representatives of the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC, Region Nine), the Upper Mazaruni District Council (UMDC, Region Seven), the North Pakaraimas District Council (NPDC, Region Eight), the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG), the National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF), and the Guyanese Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) all met on Thursday to discuss revision of the Act.
In a statement, the collective said revision of the Act has been on the Indigenous community’s agenda for a number of years, and that the administration had, on many occasions, promised to ensure that it happens. They noted that $10million had been budgeted in 2017 for the revision of the Act, but nothing has been earmarked in the 2018 budget.
At an earlier meeting, the leaders of the Indigenous peoples had agreed to set up a steering committee to guide the revision of the Act.
“The participants of the meeting agreed on the composition of the steering committee, the terms of reference for the steering committee, and the criteria for persons to be selected to the steering committee; that there would be trainings by facilitators to provide guidance on the process and content for the revision of the Act; and that villages would be clustered by regions and sub-regions, and even smaller groupings, taking into consideration geographical location, among other things,” a statement issued by the collective has said.
The body is hoping that funding would be provided by the Government towards the initial stages of the process, especially the holding of the first steering committee meeting.
The NTC, district councils, and organisations have up to December 15, 2017 to submit the names of their representatives to an Interim Coordinating Committee that has been named and tasked with ensuring that a first steering committee meeting is held no later than the end of January 2018.
Additionally, at the Indigenous leaders meeting, discussions were held to address issues related to the Commission of Inquiry on Lands, and mining activities affecting Indigenous people’s lands. The NTC and the APA have also signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing to collaborate on activities to advance the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples.
