At its 41st Republic Anniversary Ball held last Saturday, the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida (GACACF) honoured four Guyanese for the outstanding contributions they have made to the lives of fellow Guyanese both within the diaspora and in Guyana. Those honoured are as follows: (1) Dr Vincent Adams, chairman of the Linden Fund USA, who also provides key leadership within the U.S. Department of Energy.
In his feature presentation, Dr Adams spoke to the issue of service to Guyana by the diaspora, whom he insists need to acknowledge their origin and give back to the country. According to Adams, everything the diaspora accomplished is because of the values and grounding they had in Guyana, which they brought to the U.S. Those values and grounding helped them succeed. He added that it is their turn to plant seeds for the next generation. He also noted that the current elections climate in Guyana gives the country a chance to charter a new course with new leadership, since President Bharrat Jagdeo is not running for a third term in office, as is constitutionally mandated.
He said: “They are given an opportunity this year to elect a new leader to chart that course for Guyana in this fiercely competitive world”. He urged the audience not to be passive about their role in helping to develop the country, both economically and racially. On the issue of race, Adams noted the need for whoever will take the helm of the country after this year’s election to potentially bridge the racial divide, which he deems the current number one issue in Guyana.
“Every single politician who comes up here to the U.S., we should demand from them a plan as to how they would move the country forward economically and, of course, how do they (propose to) bridge that racial divide.” He added that politicians need to be accountable for their stewardship, rather than just have the diaspora pump monies into their campaigns. Adams was presented with an award for his contribution to both Guyana and the U.S. And he noted that it was rather humbling and emotional to be honoured in this way, since he feels the people who deserve the honour are those who guided him to achieve what he has today, namely his parents, teachers, other relatives and the community of Linden.
Meanwhile, newly installed President of GACACF, George Lyken, said he was inspired by Dr. Adams’s presentation. According to the GACACF president, Dr Adams tried to tell the diaspora that what was needed was for them to get more involved in the political vision of Guyana. He opined that although Guyana was so rich in terms of natural resources, the political and economic attitude of the people would result in them not profiting from their blessings.
GACACF is not a political association, and Lyken emphasized this point even as he noting that the organisation does provide a platform for political parties in Guyana to meet with the diaspora in Florida. “We are neither for nor against…we have entertained everyone…we make no distinction…we give you the same courtesy. We try to tell you, as Guyanese living outside of Guyana, how we feel and what we would like to see happening in Guyana,” the GACACF president said.
He is also hopeful that the upcoming elections would be conducted peacefully, and, whatever the outcome, the violence of 1962/1963would not be repeated. Lyken also called on Guyanese living in the U.S. to join the association, since there is need for new membership. The plan is to galvanize the youths through the establishment of a youth arm of GACACF. The association is also planning to establish a separate scholarship fund to award young Guyanese who excel academically. In the past, the scholarship would have been awarded during the Republic Ball; however, Lyken said, the membership decided on this new method. The newly-elected president of GACACF is also planning to launch a building fund so the association can have its own headquarters in Central Florida.
During last Saturday’s Ball, other honourees were Urla King, who is a dental hygienist in Orlando; Eldon Bremner, Manager of Pegasus Hotel in Jamaica; and Russel Permaul, who has been an Orange County Sheriff for some 31 years and is Commander of the Metro Bureau of Investigation.
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