| By Kiana WilburgSeveral professors, psychologists and members of civil society have come to the conclusion that it is not onlyOba Osogbothe politicians of the People’s Progressive Party who cannot be trusted, but even those of the Joint Opposition.There was consensus among many of them that the elected representatives have failed to improve the quality of life for all citizens. They believe that rampant corruption and the brazen use of state terrorism underscore the urgent need for a new movement – a Civil Society movement.“The politicians have had their chance…and every day the state of affairs gets worse than the day before…We cannot be treated like a convenience. It’s time for civil society to be heard,” one of the attendees expressed.This, among other strong perspectives, was articulated on Thursday last by members who attended the “think-tank” support forum for civil society by the Guyana National Civil Society Council.The forum was supposed to be held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, but strong moves by the government blocked this, and as such it was unable to be continued at the Centre. The Council was left with no other choice but to move its discussions to the Secretariat of the Guyana National Council on Public Policy at `58 High Street,Alexis Sanchez Jersey, Kingston.A section of the audience at the Summit.Government had issued a statement calling on the public to boycott the event and even questioned the integrity of the council as well as the Chairman of the Summit Organizing Committee, Dr. Phillip Mozart Thomas.On Thursday, Dr. Thomas examined a number of matters,Aaron Ramsey Arsenal Jersey UK, including the prorogued parliament, the behaviour of the judiciary, the government and the political opposition. But it was during the break session where members of the audience articulated their concerns to this publication and stated that despite efforts by the government “to destroy the movement” they will continue to fight for the initiative.One member at the event said,Billy Price Jersey, “I think the summit is a wonderful thing and an important initiative in the history of our country. Article 13 of our Constitution provides for such an institution, and I think that the Civil Society Council is the instrument that is going to really create the balance of power in our country.“We have been for the longest while, the recipients of decisions made by government, and civil society has in no way been allowed to effectively voice its concerns and opinions, and I think this is the opportunity that we have in Guyana now to deal with such issues.I don’t care about what government has to say. The government has been allowed to do what it wants for the longest while and we have had enough. We are demanding meaningful consultations that will speak to solutions not the traditional blame-game.”The businessman asserted that irrespective of what government does, he believes that the nation has been severely damaged by corruption and currently it is at its worst stage.A Caribbean-based professor was very eager to share his take with this newspaper. He opined that it is a tragedy that government can decide at this point to call for a boycott of a very crucial conference to support civil society development and discussions.“I can only interpret government’s reaction to the movement to be an act of fear,” he remarked.Oba Osogbo, an associate clinical psychologist of the Guyana Psychological Association stated that beyond the recent actions of the government and its paranoia, the issue at hand is improving the quality of life for any citizen of the country.He said that it is such a fundamental right that every Guyanese must refuse to be pummeled by malfeasance.“Whatever strata we are from we must demand a certain dignity and quality of life and whether it is this organization, or that political party or any religious group, that demand must not cease, and this is for me why I am here. It’s a question of the quality of life we have here in Guyana.”A Councilor of the Civil Society Movement added, “Government’s actions have really angered us. There comes a time when you just can’t take the disrespect anymore. Honestly, the government’s treachery can be seen as spitting on the people and telling us to be quiet or there will be consequences. We don’t trust the politicians to make decisions on their own anymore”.There were many who expressed great concern about the threats made against the fourth estate and the domination of the airwaves. Some were particularly expressive about the actions of the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, as it relates to his expressed knowledge of credible threats against this newspaper.One academic who spends most of her time in the United Kingdom said, “It is beyond me that such a sick person sits at the helm of our legal office. It is unbelievable. In a normal democracy, there would have been massive protests and outrage over his actions.”She said that there are a lot of unique things about Guyana. The academic opined that perhaps the most frightening is that most of the citizenry are “still under the hypnosis of this wicked government.”“They have practiced the art of telling you one thing but doing ten other corrupt things while you are sleeping. And when it is revealed by the fourth estate,Brian Poole Falcons Jersey UK, they receive death threats and the rest of the country keeps quiet,Jae Crowder Jersey, because they too become even more afraid. If that is not characteristic of a nation suffering from state terrorism, then I don’t know what is. This movement is imperative, because it will serve to wake up the people, remove them from under the wicked dogmas, principles and spells of the government. We can’t continue to sit idly by and allow this mental slavery to continue or else we will be just as liable as the beast holding us back.”Another member of the audience, an entrepreneur,Discount Football Jerseys, commented extensively on the performance of the political opposition. The opposition he said “likes to talk too much.”“They’re always complaining, ‘Oh I don’t have resources’ and ‘I don’t have this and I don’t have that’. They lack the fire; they don’t have zeal. The opposition also lacks consistency. And they are not proactive. You only see them talk about something when the fourth estate gives them a bread crumb to follow. They need to take the lead, be zealous and provide recommendations, and also include civil society. Let’s get on with the solutions and stop the tit-for-tat games,” the businessman concluded. |
