A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country and among his own people

Dear Editor,

It is said that “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country and among his own people.”

However, this proved untrue, as President Jagdeo received his deserved praise at Friday’s (September 16) “Day of Appreciation.” The event took place at the Guyana National Stadium, and almost all of Guyana was there. As expected, a few voices attempted to dishonour President Jagdeo. Such voices as those will always be a part of life, and it is good to confront them with solid evidence.

Their debunking comes from Lord Stern, Achim Steiner, and Dr Rajendra Pachauri, who are figures of stature, wisdom and credibility.

First, Lord Nicholas Stern described President Jagdeo in a most lofty manner. When he was congratulating the President of Guyana, for his 2010 Champion of the Earth Award, he openly declared: “I warmly congratulate President Jagdeo, with whom I serve on the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Group for Climate Finance. He has been one of the world’s foremost heads of government in advocating for a global low-carbon future; and his tireless advocacy, particularly on the urgent need to protect the world’s forests, has made a tremendous contribution to the international climate change agenda.

“I know that he shares my view that a future high-carbon world is one of disaster…” On this very occasion, Lord Stern was not the lone voice.

UN Under-Secretary General and UN Environmental Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner stated, “President Jagdeo is a powerful advocate of the need to conserve and more intelligently manage the planet’s natural and nature-based assets.

“He has recognized, more than most, the multiple Green Economy benefits of forests in terms of combating climate change (and) also in terms of development, employment, improved water supplies, and the conservation of biodiversity.” In this, one sees the outstanding fact that President Jagdeo is truly an authentic world figure. To those two persons, there is another. He is Dr Rajendra Pachauri, and he shares similar sentiments.

Dr Pachauri, whenever he has to associate with President Jagdeo, sees it as a privilege. In his view, Bharrat Jagdeo “… is clearly one of the most dynamic and far-sighted” persons he has met. This is because, as far as Climate Change is concerned, Jagdeo has done so much for betterment for the condition of the planet, and for the improvement of the human condition.

Now, one has to wonder: Why, where and how negative voices? It is ludicrous! One has to be happy that these voices were all ‘hushed’. How? Not only in the evaluations of Stern, Steiner and Pachauri, but in the voluntary and massive attendance alone.

Yours truly,

Brian Azore