Linden’s Deputy Mayor representing Guyana at UCLG Congress in Bogota

Deputy Mayor of Linden Waneka Arindell is presently representing Guyana at this year’s World Congress of the United Cities Local Government (UCLG) in Bogota, Columbia.

Arindell departed on Tuesday to participate in the World Summit being held from October 12 to 15, and continues with a study tour from October 17 to 20.
Her trip is fully sponsored by the Caribbean Local Economic Development (CARILED) Project Guyana, an organisation funded by the Canadian Government. The invitation for the World Congress was extended to Linden Mayor, Carwyn Holland, who agreed for the Deputy Mayor to attend.
Holland said Arindell’s appointment shows the elevation of the Linden community and municipality, therefore he urged the deputy mayor to use the opportunity to make representation for the twinning of Linden with Bogota. Speaking from the location on Friday, Deputy Mayor Arindell said she is happy to be a part of the initiative, noting that it is a great learning experience.
“The purpose of the Guyana local authority’s participation is to learn from experiences and best practices from other local authorities. It is used to strengthen the capacity of other local authorities by participating in various workshops. It helps with collaboration, because you get a chance to hear from other local authorities, how they have been functioning, their best practices, where they may have fallen short…It’s an opportunity for you to share, learn.
“It’s an opportunity for you to network with other mayors and municipalities and it’s a wonderful experience”, she added.
Held every three years, the event sees the interaction of over 3000 representatives from various towns and cities around the world. Other representatives from the Caribbean this year include Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.