The importance of bringing Region 10 communities together

Dear Editor,
Guyana is more connected now than ever before, from a digital point of view. The process is one of building our communities: coming together with people across cultures to share goals and ideas of our newly-elected Government.
This is a Government for every Guyanese, and there must be no need to fear coming together as “one”, since there is no need for distinction based on political persuasion, and no need for distinction based on religious beliefs or ethnicity. This is a Government for all of Guyana, and that is the way Dr Ali’s Administration will operate; hence, it is even more important now for us to come together and cement a great future for our children and grandchildren, in Region 10 and in every other region in this country.
Let us give our young people opportunities to create history in our regions and explore their vision for a community in which all individuals and families can achieve their human potential. In the past, those opportunities were limited.
One of the best things you can do as an individual who is part of a thriving and growing Region is to forget about your political persuasion and take an active role in your community. And yes! that means putting down your phone, leaving the confines of your beautiful and comfortable homes, and getting out there to meet and talk with people and your leaders.
Despite the limitations and difficulties that COVID-19 pandemic brings to community events, activities and gatherings, there still are great ways to connect with others, make new friends, nurture long-lasting relationships, and help other people in your community.
In the end, you can walk away from a live event with something as simple as a good feeling and a great memory, or something as amazing as a new friendship that lasts for years.
I appeal to the people of Region 10: community leaders, residents and members, to come together after more than fifty years as a region, in order to take collective actions and generate solutions to common problems. Community wellbeing (economic, social, environmental and cultural) often results from this type of collective action being taken at the grassroots level. Community development ranges from small initiatives taken within a small group to large initiatives that involve the broader community.
Our new Government, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his cabinet, is in the process of preparing the National Budget for the remainder of the fiscal year 2020. This budget is tipped to have something for every Guyanese.
Residents of Region 10, we have an opportunity to create effective community development with what should be a long-term endeavour that — if holistically integrated into the bigger picture, and initiated and supported by community members for the benefit of the community – could redound into an experience that leads to community development using a grassroots process by which our communities become more responsible, organised, plan together, develop healthy lifestyle options, empower ourselves, reduce poverty and suffering, create employment and economic opportunities; and achieve social, economic, cultural and environmental goals.
Let us together seek to improve the quality of our lives with effective community development. It can result in mutual benefit and shared responsibility among community leaders and members. Such development recognises the connection between social, cultural, environmental and economic matters; the diversity of interests within our individual communities; and the relationship in building capacity.
Bringing Region 10 communities together will help to build community capacity, in order to address issues and take advantage of opportunities; find common ground, and balance competing interests. However, it doesn’t just happen; capacity-building requires both conscious and conscientious efforts to do some or many things to improve our communities.
Often, when we think of community, we think in geographic terms. Our community is the city, town or village where we live. When community is defined through physical location, it has precise boundaries that are readily understood and accepted by others. However, that is only one way of looking at communities. Communities can also be defined by common cultural heritage, language, and beliefs or shared interests. These are sometimes called communities of interest.
Even when community does refer to a geographic location, it doesn’t always include everyone within the area. For example, many Aboriginal communities are part of a larger non-Aboriginal geography. In larger urban centres, communities are often defined in terms of particular neighbourhoods.
Most of us belong to more than one community, whether or not we’re aware of it. For example, an individual can be part of a neighbourhood community, a religious community, and a community of shared interests all at the same time. Relationships, whether with people or the land, “development” often carries an assumption of growth and expansion.
During the Industrial Era in the 60s and early 70s, development in Region 10 was strongly connected to increased speed, volume and size. However, many people are currently questioning the concept of growth for numerous reasons in our region – a realisation that more isn’t always better, or an increasing respect for reducing outside dependencies and lowering levels of consumerism. So, while the term “development” may not always mean growth, it always implies change.
Region 10 Leaders, our community development process must take charge of the conditions and factors that influence our community, and change the quality of life of our members and residents. Let us all allow community development as a tool for managing change; we no longer need mediocrity.
• a quick fix or a short-term response to a specific issue within our community;
• a process that seeks to exclude community members from participating; or
• an initiative that occurs in isolation from other related community activities.
Our community development must be about community building; and, as such, the process must be as important as the results.

However, one of the primary challenges of community development is to balance the need for long-term solutions with the day-to-day realities that require immediate decision-making and short-term action. We need community consultation – providing opportunities for people and/or residents who are affected by, or interested in, a Council decision or directorate initiative to participate in the activity and/or the decision-making process in order to enhance the final outcome.
We are blessed with Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works; and Nigel Dharamlall, the Minister of local Government and Regional Development. These two gentlemen have a personal relationship with Region 10. Like so many regions across the country, they have seen and experienced our struggles first hand.

Sincerely,
David Adams