Well, now that we’ve finished tramping – and wining! – down the streets of Georgetown during the Mashramani festivities: which our governments have decided is how we’ll celebrate cutting the final colonial ties from Britain, let’s reflect a wee bit about what Republicanism means to us, shall we?? Right off the bat, we see that even though the jump-up festivity started in the newly-formed township of Linden – as in “Linden” Forbes Sampson Burnham — through the combination of Wismar, Mackenzie and Christiansburg — it’s now almost totally a “Georgetown thing”!! And this signals, as it always has, that Georgetown is Guyana, innit??
The second thing that struck your Eyewitness was the continued focus on carnival-like activities — cogged wholesale from Trinidad!! He knows it’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it also means a total lack of native creativity!! To celebrate OUR Republic Day, shouldn’t there be more things that’s OURS?? What about our newly-found oil wealth from the bottom of the Atlantic: couldn’t some group have a float, say, of a mock-up of an FPSO that brings up the oil and gas?? If wine-up is de rigueur, you can wine up on an FPSO as good as on the back of a truck, can’t you?? Then at least our citizenry might get an idea of what these behemoths, situated some 120 miles out in the Atlantic, look like!!
Then there’s Mad Maduro breathing smoke, fire and brimstone from the west as he threatens to seize our Essequibo. Couldn’t there have been some revellers depicting us taking on him and his army – including his Sindicatos! – and dragging them in chains to the stockades?? Said revellers could still wine-up as they drag the madman on the road!!
We gotta let Republic Day become an event that tells the story of our republic – the opportunities and the challenges – that can rally our people and make our slogan of “One Guyana” become real!!
And how about our beginnings – when Cuffy drove out those Dutch planters and the Dutch administration to declare Berbice independent?? Shouldn’t there be tableaux and staged encounters depicting this seminal event, so that it doesn’t remain between the covers of dry books?? Revellers could still wine as they drag the planters to the stockades and guillotines!!
And finally, we’re supposed to be a land of six peoples – with six cultures. As we celebrate our diversity, can’t we have floats depicting that reality; to SHOW, and not just TELL, about this unique aspect of our Republic?!!
Your Eyewitness can go on and on with illustrations of how we could be different, and not derivative – and still have a good time as we big up our Republic!! So, let’s get it on…shall we?
…of the UN’s remit
Just when your Eyewitness was ready to read the final rites over the UN as a body that can’t even PRETEND to fulfill its mandate of maintaining world peace – with Israeli genocide against Gaza Palestinians and a brutal war in Ukraine – up comes a gesture that betrayed a flicker of life!! Following up on Trump’s unilateral moves to impose a peace in Ukraine – as the US extracts its pound of rare earths!! – resolutions were moved in both the UNSC and UNGA.
In the more significant body – the UNSC, where we have a temporary seat – both the US and Ukraine, at loggerheads outside, tabled motions. The US’ motion didn’t condemn Russia for its invasion, but simply called for a negotiated peace — which is what Trump’s been pushing, even as it tees off the US’ European NATO allies!
We voted with the US, as 5 European nations abstained. The UNGA motions supporting the US were also passed – but don’t really count!!
The question is whether we just endorsed unilateral invasions??
…of soul
Roberta Flack just passed at 88. Her hits, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, accompanied by her virtuoso piano playing – brought soul to soul!! RIP.
