– PM in stern warning to media entities
By Samuel Sukhnandan
Government has sent a stern warning to media entities, urging them to ensure that children do not become objects of sensational news.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said news organisations should desist from carrying negative stories regarding children, and adhere to the laws of Guyana which speaks of the rights of children.
“Children are not the object of sensationalism. If they make the news, they have to make the news in a positive way. And the media has a responsibility, not to help with the demoralisation of our young people, particularly children, by identifying them and exposing them to ridicule and condemnation,” the Prime Minister declared.
Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the Child Rights and Independence Workshop at Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown, Georgetown, Nagamootoo highlighted that the constitution has provisions which cater for children not to be identified in court proceedings.
“Judicial processes of Guyana are not permitted to identify children when they are victims. And recently, we issued an advisory to all newspapers that they should not identify children who appear in court proceedings, either by name or photographs,” he stated.
Through the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) and the Government of Guyana, the Prime Minister said, the nation can bask in the glory and satisfaction that much has been achieved.
But, he declared: “We still have a far way to go. Statistics will show that education has not ceased to be an obsession of this country, but we have a far way to go until we can provide free university education for all our children.”
“After 51 years of independence,” he said, “we cannot be diverted from the need to provide the best opportunities for our children.”
Aleema Nasir, Chairperson of the RCC, explained that the workshop is intended to explore, with the school children of Guyana, the history and significance of Guyana’s Independence, linked to a theme of human and child rights.
Nasir noted also that the legacies of colonialism will be discussed, as would the human rights of Guyana’s children, particularly education. Other related themes that will be examined are leadership, youth empowerment, models of child poverty, community development and children in public policy.
The event was attended by several school children; child rights activists; Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Chairperson of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indra Chandarpaul; European Union (EU) Ambassador, Jernej Videtic; and Cultural Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Ruel Johnson.
