…as Minister defends no policy laid in National Assembly yet
Consultations are ongoing across the country with the aim of crafting a five-year strategic plan to address divisiveness among the population by promoting social
Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally
cohesion.
Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally told the media that the ministry is hosting consultative meetings with residents from a number of communities across the country with the intention of getting their views on what is needed to encourage persons to become united.
Ally was at the time explaining why no social cohesion policy has been laid in the National Assembly for consideration: “What we are doing in Social Cohesion now is a lot of sensitisation in the regions and get people to have a buy-in to what social cohesion is and so on.”
She explained that the Social Cohesion Ministry is a fairly new establishment and therefore a lot of work must be done to familiarise the public about the responsibilities of the ministry.
The minister said that at the end of the consultations, a five-year strategic plan will be compiled and then implemented.
Coordinator of the Ministry Sharon Patterson recently told the Government Information Agency (GINA) in an interview that young people are very important to the drafting of the plan: “We are attempting to meet with young people through media and online activity because they play a key role in the process, and the consultations have been rewarding so far with the regions and communities we have visited.”
She explained that the consultations are being held based on five themes that underpin the roundtable discussion on social cohesion that took place in September.
The first outcome is economic equity and opportunities. She envisioned that by 2021, persons belonging to different race groups, unemployed youth, low-wage workers in mining, agriculture and other sectors, should feel less economically unequal to others.
Outcome Two – Citizen Safety and Security – relates to safety for communities. Residents should feel safer and there should be a lessening of tension, personal, ethnic, racial and criminal insecurity among all groups.
Outcome Three – Social inclusion and tolerance – states that persons belonging to groups such as those with disabilities, the aged and infirm, homeless and indigent, persons from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and other minorities should feel equal to others and the discrimination and exclusion that they may feel should be reduced.
Outcome Four –Inclusive and participatory Governance – relates to persons in communities having a better understanding of the Constitution, the system of Government and institutions of national, regional and community levels, and should be more involved and have more confidence in the decisions taken that affect individuals and communities.
Outcome Five deals with harmonious ethnic and racial relations. The ministry is hopeful that by 2021, they would like to see a clear improvement in relations and interactions among the various ethnic and race groups in Guyana, and a positive appreciation of the cultural diversity of different groups at the national and community levels.
