Former Commonwealth Secretary- General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, is of the firm belief that Guyana is drifting away from its democratic principles and what the country needs to take it forward is a national coalition.Sir Shridath Ramphal during his interview with Kaieteur NewsSir Shridath made these assertions, among others, during an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News at a luncheon held by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Pegasus Hotel last week.At that forum,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, Presidential Candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC),Wholesale Jerseys China, David Granger, provided to members of the business community, the Opposition’s plan to promote the diversification and improvement of the Guyana economy.Mr Ramphal, who attended that meeting,Wholesale Jerseys Cheap, was subsequently asked to give his take on democracy in Guyana and if he feels, based on his observations, that it is being undermined.He said that democracy is above everything else, a state of mind and it is, of course, enforced by strong institutions.“But what we need is a state of mind in the whole country among the politicians, the parties and the people. We must have a country in which there is freedom of thought, expression and freedom to act and pay respect to the rights of others and to make that a kind of credo where we really believe it and act it out.That is the foundation of any democratic state and Guyana has been drifting away from that from all sides. The recipe for the restoration for democracy, I will say that it has to start with changing the mindset that currently prevails,” the distinguished Guyanese scholar added.Speaking to the way forward in that regard Sir Shridath said that as the nation gears for the May 11 elections, it is important that the process of changing the mindset begins during the election process.He also said that it must be done in a manner that does not see the nation descending further into the state it is in. Rather, he said, the country for its advancement at all levels must rise to a higher level of thinking.On the note of corruption in Guyana and even globally, the former Foreign Affairs Minister said that it is indeed corrosive and any new government in tackling corruption will have to take some institutional steps that rid the population of that disease which affects everyone.Granger at the forum had spoken to the end of the “winner takes all” politics in Guyana.On that particular point,Jerseys NFL Wholesale China, Sir Shridath said that while the concept is an unfortunate one, it was actually inherited from the British but emphasized that it is clear that it does not work for everyone.“Britain has elevated itself as the motherhood of democracies… It has been a homogenous society; it is changing and already Britain has had to enter coalition politics. Guyana’s constitution has itself moved away from the initial Constitution which I drafted. But when I left Guyana in 1975 the Constitution was changed and part of the processes of change,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, I am afraid, enhanced the winner takes all style,China NFL Jerseys,” the former co-chair of the Commission on Global Governance asserted.He emphasized that the winner of the upcoming General and Regional Elections must make moves to “rethink a lot of things” in the Constitution. Additionally, Sir Shridath said that the political system is in fact making changes of its own and that is in the form of coalition politics.“And a national coalition is the direction in which the country has to go,” he added.In terms of economic security, Mr Ramphal said that Guyana has to transition into a climate of development through foreign investment and local entrepreneurship and rise out of its present condition to one of prosperity.He asserted that Guyana’s natural resources are enormous but there is a serious need to have an economic and political environment where the nation can rise to that level of success for all.The academic sought to add, “We don’t have that right now.”Sir Shridath concluded that while there are a whole range of things to be done by the next government to achieve the points raised, he said that if it is one thing Guyana seriously needs now, “is a larger voice for the people.”

Guyanese environmental and community activist, Sydney Allicock, has received the Ansa Caribbean Award for Excellence at a ceremony held in Trinidad last Saturday.In the presence of the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago,Wholesale Stitched NFL Jerseys, the President of the Senate, Senator Danny Montano, and Minister of Local Government, Senator Hazel Manning, and three hundred other guests, Allicock received his award along with the two other winners.Sydney Allicock delivers a speech after receiving the Ansa Caribbean Awards for Excellence at the Trinidad Hilton Saturday.The other awardees are Kathleen Coard, professor of anatomical pathology at the University of the West Indies and Adrian Augier, a poet, playwright and Carnival artist from St Lucia. Each laureate received a gold medal,Authentic NFL Jerseys Cheap, a citation, and a cheque for (TT) $500,000.This is the third presentation ceremony hosted by the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence. Since 2006, awards in Science & Technology, Arts & Letters, and Public & Civic Contributions have been given to outstanding Caribbean people.The laureates are nominated by Country Nominating Committees,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, comprising leading academics,Cheap Jerseys Online, professionals, and respected persons from Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago. The nominees are then adjudicated and selected by a regional Eminent Persons Panel, after research is done into their achievements and status among their peers, and potential for future work.Prof Coard is known by her colleagues as “the mother of cardiovascular pathology” in the Caribbean. Her work has virtually created the discipline of pathology in the Caribbean, and she is a world renowned authority on the subject. She said that although she had received other awards “the Anthony N Sabga Award marks the zenith of my career so far.”The Arts and Letters laureate, Mr Adrian Augier, is a St Lucian development economist who has worked at the World Bank, and with the government of St Lucia. He is credited with starting two theatrical companies in St Lucia, and creating a viable platform for cultural industries in the region. He is also a poet and Carnival artist.The Public and Civic Contributions laureate, Sydney Allicock, is a member of the Makushi Tribe, one of the indigenous or First Peoples of Guyana. He is credited with having created a developmental model of environmentally benign tourism which encourages partnerships among locals,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, business, government, and international agencies.Allicock is credited with improving the state and status of the indigenous peoples and the environment, and creating sustainable economic activity outside the state apparatus. He is also a member of Guyana’s Low Carbon Initiative, and the Iwokrama Conservation agency.The Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago nominating committee is Mr Brian Lewis, an Architect,Cheap Jerseys China, and members include Prof Bridget Brereton, Prof Julian Kenny, Mrs Diana Mahabir-Wyatt and others. The Regional Eminent Persons Panel is headed by Mr Michael Mansoor, and includes Sir Ellis Clarke (Trinidad),) Justice Christopher Blackman (Barbados), Sir K Dwight Venner (OECS), Sir Shridath Ramphal (Guyana) and others.In his keynote speech at the Hilton on Saturday night, Dr Sabga announced that from being a biennial event, the awards would now be made yearly.The purpose of the awards, he said, was to “make Caribbean people aware that the science, art civic and entrepreneurial ideals that will build better societies are right here in the region, and to find people who embody that promise”.

… Guyana/Congo forestry agreementGuyana has inked a significant agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo, to increase cooperation between the two countries in the field of forestry and wood industries.The five-year Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and Congolese Minister of Forestry and Sustainable Development Henri Djombo, will pave the way for the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries.The agreement will see the two countries establishing and developing cooperation to address sustainable forest management,holesale Soccer Jerseys, REDD+ initiatives and the enhancement and development of processed wood and wood-based construction industries.Recognising the importance of sustainable utilisation and the preservation of forest resources in the economic and social development of the two countries,Cheap NFL Jerseys, which boast large areas of pristine rainforest, the bilateral cooperation in the technical, industrial and managerial aspect of the forest industry will significantly enhance the development of the two countries, the Ministry of Agriculture said.Other initiatives will include exchange visits by delegations from the two countries and exchange of information on science and technology relating to forest, tree seedlings,Wholesale Soccer Jerseys, genetic material and other forest resources.It will also see group studies and human resource training and collaboration in research and production and joint surveys.The two countries will also explore trading in timber and other forestry products and the training of technicians and other experts in forestry-related disciplines.Guyana and Congo have also established a joint working commission which will be headed by two Co-Presidents.The commission will be assisted by a Secretariat provided by the Director of Forest Resource Development of the Ministry of Sustainable Development of Forest Economy and Environment of Congo and the Guyana Forestry Commission.The Congolese Minister and his team were on a three-day fact finding mission to Guyana in July 2010 and another on May 10,Wholesale Adidas Hockey Jerseys, this year,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, during which they were exposed to the country’s vast forestry resources.During the visit,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, Congolese Minister of Forestry and Sustainable Development, Henri Djombo, committed to adopting Guyana’s sustainable development model.President Bharrat Jagdeo and Persaud recently visited the Congo for a forestry forum.

The First Assembly of God Church in Wortmanville, on Sunday last,Cheap NFL Jerseys, commissioned a $55M multi-faceted, community-based facility “Generation Next”, which will offer training, recreation and support programmes aimed at empowering mainly children and other vulnerable groups.At the opening,Cheap Jerseys From China, Senior Pastor Raphael Massiah,NFL Jerseys China, who unveiled the ceremonial plaque and whose initiative the venture was, emphasized that fathers should generally assume a positive place in society, and that is imperative that the family should be a strong unit.“We are operating at a time when we are witnessing the disintegration of the family.” Massiah posited that men that seemingly aren’t supposed to become fathers end up being fathers.With respect to the facility, the pastor said that he had had the vision for the past ten years. He recounted when he had consulted the members of the board they had all questioned whether he was of sound mind.He added that persons need to stop talking about problems and do their utmost to find solutions.Meanwhile, special invitee Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand said that the government is committed to ensuring that the poor and vulnerable are taken care of.She stressed that parents also need to take up the mantle, but added that where parents fail the church has to take charge.Manickchand lauded the fact that a church has contributed such an important fixture to the society.Also present at the ceremony were Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira and Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green.“Generation Next” is run by a Board of Trustees whose members bring varying skills and knowledge to the table. The administrator would report to the board of trustees and manage the daily operations.The facility contains a state-of-the-art culinary centre – which will provide hot meals for the destitute – two computer laboratories and a well equipped training facility for hands-on guidance in the development of skills in areas of woodworking,Wholesale China Jerseys, masonry and electrical installation.The main target groups that would benefit from this venture are males and females between the ages of 12 to 40 years old.Those targeted will be from low income families,cheap jerseys from china, school dropouts,Cheap Stitched Jerseys, street children and youths that are seeking development from the immediate area and neighbouring communities.

After weeks of delays into the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry for the much-publicised treason matter involving three accused, the first witness was called to give evidence in chief as proceedings finally got underway yesterday before Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.charged with the capital offence is serving Major in the Guyana Defence Force, Bruce Munroe,Cheap China NFL Jerseys, his wife Carol-Ann Munroe,NFL Jerseys Cheap, and former reserve officer in the Guyana Defence Force, Leonard Wharton.As promised, a prosecutor has been appointed to deal with the matter, in fact the Director of Public Prosecutions,Cheap Jerseys From China, Shalimar Ali-Hack, in association with Sonia Joseph,China Jerseys Wholesale, is handling the matter.Former Army Lieutenant Quincy Critchlow was the first witness called by the prosecution.The witness gave detailed information about his relationship with the Munroes. He was questioned by the DPP for about an hour and a half,Cheap Soccer Jerseys For Sale, thereafter the matter was adjourned.On the next occasion he is expected to continue his evidence in chief. The witness is presently in protective custody.On the last occasion,Cheap NHL Jerseys, Police Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh had informed the court that he was instructed by the DPP that the state was only in possession of an audio tape and not a video recording as was reported earlier.Lawyers for the defendants, Attorneys Nigel Hughes, Gregory Gaskin and