Our President, Govt committed to easing racial tension in Guyana

Dear Editor,
We all share the horror and revulsion being felt across our country at the murders, last Saturday, of the two teenage boys on the West Coast of Berbice.
The prevailing poisonous political atmosphere which was instigated by APNU-AFC leadership has penetrated the society to the point where public trust in an impartial investigation is virtually non-existent.
The APNU/AFC leadership is still operating in elections mode, regardless of the cost to the national interest. They refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the elections and the ruling PPP/C Government.
The political polarisation of this society must stop immediately, and the inaccurate perception given of this crime by the Opposition Leader must be condemned. Guyanese, as we allow all wounds to heal – all wounds from the five months of electoral saga that precipitated this tragic event – let us allow our Government to engage the APNU/AFC Opposition, since they both have the capacity to bring this crisis to an end, and will do all in their power to ensure an impartial and transparent investigation into the recent atrocities that occurred in Berbice.
The reality means we now need to become very good at being diverse. We need to make our diversity an asset, rather than a risk and a liability; and, as Guyanese, we need to create a future in which our diversity strengthens us as a nation and a people. We need to understand very clearly what that reality of being perpetually diverse will mean for our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren.
We must do the right thing now, so all our future generations survive, succeed, prosper and thrive. That can be done, but it is not the path we will be on if we do not recognise the risks and dangers created by our instinctive behaviours, and then do the right things now to have our instincts help us succeed, rather than steering us to bloody, damaging and emotionally seductive and self-reinforcing division and anger.
Our President and his Government are committed to easing racial tension in Guyana, and have appealed to citizens to do everything possible to deal with race conflict in our dear Guyana. Race conflict is a very important issue, not only for this new Government, but for all Guyanese collectively. The Government, though, has a responsibility to chart policies and programmes that reflect the needs and aspirations of all the people of our country. In terms of public policy and programming, it is essential that policies are designed for all the people of our country, and that’s a great responsibility the Government has.
However, we must understand that peace and security is an essential factor of human life. A peaceful and secure environment is critical to every society, since it affects all aspects of economic and social development in Guyana, and is a necessary sin-qua-non to the realisation of human rights. These have direct effects on the creation of sound, competitive, and equitable economic development, which ultimately has positive impact on the whole society.
We should also remember that the Guyana we live in has become increasingly more complex, with new challenges developing not just on a daily basis, but every hour. Our country cannot develop or grow economically without peaceful coexistence among its population and within its borders. The fastest developing nations are among those with the best security structures or architecture, and having peace and tranquility thriving within them.
Guyana has recorded enormous development and viable economic progress over the last two decades. One key attribution to this positive move is the fact that Guyana is among the few secure and peaceful nations. This has propelled national production, trade, and investment in all sectors of the economy. We have all seen our new Government’s efforts and approach to return and develop a culture of stability for our country.
We must attract foreign investors and local investors. What we need here is development; we don’t need distraction on our path to progress. Hence, we must all act responsibly, especially those in the Berbice area. This a time for us to reflect as a nation, and redouble our efforts towards strengthening relations and ensuring that the laws of this great country are followed and carried out.

Sincerely,
David Adams