Labour Minister urges African Guyanese to monetise cultural skills/talents
The Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, has encouraged young Guyanese of African descent to capitalise and monetise cultural skills and talents.
This was highlighted by the Minister during recent Emancipation celebrations hosted by his Ministry.
He said that while history is important it is equally as important for young Afro-Guyanese to concentrate on the present and future.
Some of the staff members of the Ministry of Labour at the event
“For you young people, what will take you for is concentrating on the now and the future, history is what it is, it is important, it is useful…. our culture, our arts it cannot be anymore, where drumming is just for sake the of drumming, dancing is just for the sake of dancing, we must reach to place whereby we can monetise whatever skillset we have and that is the challenge we have before us,” he said.
Just recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced an action plan to enhance Guyana’s local entertainment industry to international standards, so young upcoming and other local artistes can have greater benefits.
The President had indicated that the Government is mulling various ideas to push the entertainment sector to the next level, which include having an artiste exchange programme with Barbados, propelling local artistes to be part of cruise liners’ entertainment programmes, investing in the gaps in the industry to ensure that persons from all genres can thrive, and a special initiative with the private sector to raise resources for priority areas.
A number of other initiatives surrounding dance and other talents were suggested by President Ali.
Meanwhile, Minister Hamilton highlighted that thanks must be given to the first Africans who were brought to Guyana as slaves and those who bared the struggle and fought for freedom so that their descendants can benefit from equal rights and opportunities.
“Every place in this country, every sector you have prominently represented people of African descent whose fore parents, they came on slave ships to this country and for that we must celebrate, we must applaud our fore parents for persevering so that today we can sit at the highest table, at the highest echelons of Government in this country that we call Guyana,” he said.
The Minister also spoke of the rapid development of Guyana under the “One Guyana” vision of the President and the Government as a whole.
“In the last 2 years this country has moved from one place to a next, that we never expected and we never believed it could move and that is what we of African descent must focus on, development,” the Minister explained.
He further urged all Guyanese as we approach Emancipation, to celebrate this national holiday together.
“Guyana is land of many races, many cultures, many religious beliefs and we have already crossed the threshold where we celebrate those days together as Guyanese people,” the Minister added.
