Dear Editor, As I sit here and watch with dismay as the Amazon burns, and reflect on some of the other horrifying news of this time – Greenland lost 12.5 billion tons on ice in one day; Micro-plastics discovered in “extreme” concentrations in the North Atlantic; Nuclear monitoring stations went mysteriously quiet after Russian missile facility explosion, I wonder how did we get here, and where is the urgency of our response? There is little doubt that the news media have played a role in our diversion. No longer able…
Read MoreMonth: September 2019
Politics and identity in Guyana
By Ravi Dev As we stagger fitfully towards general elections between bouts of engaging the Courts to interpret what were once thought to be pellucid road signs, the discourse is seemingly inevitably becoming dominated once again by “race talk”. It would appear that the announcement of the demise of such an orientation in our political campaigns with the emergence of another generation of voters have been rather premature. Sadly, the questioning of the right of Indian-Guyanese, through their preferred party the PPP to seek national power – has reappeared. I…
Read MoreChild protection agency hosts training with hinterland parents
Recognising that the levels of abuse are exceedingly high in hinterland areas, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) recently conducted a training exercise with parents to prevent child abuse. The Agency said sessions were conducted in two communities within Region One (Barima-Waini) in collaboration with the Schools’ Welfare Department and other stakeholders. On the other hand, another session was facilitated in Agricola, Greater Georgetown. That training was conducted with support from Sol Guyana. CC&PA Director Ann Greene had previously said that there remained a gap between what the law…
Read MorePPP’s Pearson accuses Coalition Govt of creating ‘barriers’ to allocation of Indigenous lands
The APNU/AFC coalition Government is now making it more difficult for Indigenous peoples to obtain lands and land extensions by stipulating that they provide a Village Improvement Plan (VIP) as part of the process in the granting of their rightfully owned properties. At the launch of Indigenous Heritage Month 2019, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister, Sydney Allicock told the gathering that some Indigenous villages in the country have failed to adequately occupy the lands that they possess and utilise them accordingly yet they are applying for more access to lands. In…
Read MoreChris Elliman uses his camera to preserve his culture
By Lakhram Bhagirat “I have noted the need to preserve my culture and that is exactly what I want to do. I want to become a voice for the Indigenous community and I will use my camera to achieve that. I want to become that advocate and to share the stories that excite us, stories that show our way of life, stories that highlight the issues we face, and stories that preserve our culture,” said the vibrant Chris Elliman. Chris has been working for a number of years to share…
Read MoreClueless
…on energy Head of the Department of Energy (DoE), Dr Mark Bynoe, addressed a Christian Men’s gathering over the weekend, and summarily dismissed the idea of Guyana going ahead with a refinery to handle the crude oil we’ll be receiving as our share of the oil. Your Eyewitness wonders if Bynoe thinks that “church people” are so focused on the hereafter, they’re simplistic or stupid about things of the world. The fella had the arrogance to tell the people, “I think what most people are conflating is not if a…
Read MoreDawn Hastings-Williams downplays rumours of APNU prime ministerial nomination
With elections fast approaching and analysts expressing doubts whether the Alliance For Change (AFC) will even be allowed to keep the prime ministerial candidacy, rumours have been circulating about a potential People’s National Congress (PNC) prime ministerial candidate. Current Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams is at the centre of these rumours. A parliamentarian for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Hastings-Williams was elevated to her new ministerial post this year after the resignation of her predecessor, Joseph Harmon, owing to his dual-citizen status. When asked by Guyana Times International,…
Read MoreUnderstanding the earliest inhabitants
Prehistoric Warau of Guyana There is a well-known saying that goes something like this: “Until lions tell their own stories, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.” Unlike our knowledge of other nations’ history, little knowledge of the prehistoric story of our first peoples is known or understood among Guyanese, often leading to discrimination and stereotyping. However, the indefatigable efforts of Jennifer Wishart and others, seek to ensure that Guyana’s indigenous history has its own narrators. For this 2019 Indigenous Heritage Month Sunday edition, Sunday Times Magazine presents…
Read MoreIndia’s Chandrayaan-2 prepares for historic moon landing
All eyes will be on India as it creates history by landing its second lunar mission on the moon this Friday. The “Chandrayaan-2” mission was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 22, leaving the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh. It weighs 3.8 tonnes and has three elements: lunar orbiter, lander and rover. According to the ISRO, the touchdown is scheduled for late Friday afternoon, which would be early Saturday morning India time. The mission will be studying previously discovered water deposits.…
Read MoreBridge…
…ahoy!! Once again, our claim to fame as having “the longest floating bridge in the world” has been knocked for a loop after it was out of commission by an errant barge. And that, in itself, tells a story of our retarded development. We’ve got the longest floating bridge because it’s probably the ONLY floating bridge in the world across a major river that’s over a mile wide!! Which other country would nonchalantly allow such a major artery of its transportation and commerce to be at the mercy of a…
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