In order for Guyana to truly achieve solidarity every individual must put aside their biases and embrace diversity. This assertion has been made by Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton. He made these comments during his address at the inaugural sensitisation meeting for regional and municipal councillors of Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10). Seventy stakeholders participated in the session, which was held in the conference room of the Business Centre in Linden.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, and Ms. Sharon Patterson, Programme Coordinator at the Ministry of Social Cohesion.
“We know that [Social Cohesion] is a process… It’s going to take some time before we achieve it, but our vision is for a unified Guyana where our diversities; whether it is age, sex, political [affiliation], whatever it is, are embraced, we learn to accept them, where our conflicts are resolved, where networks and collaboration with stakeholders are strengthened… equity is promoted in our society and the decision-making process results in equal opportunities and benefits to all of us in the society,” he said.
The Minister also noted that while social cohesion is enshrined in Article 13 of the Constitution which states that “the principal objective of the system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being”.
Meanwhile, Ms. Sharon Patterson, Programme Coordinator at the Ministry of Social Cohesion, in providing an overview of the Ministry’s mandate, she said that social cohesion “is a process of nurturing individual and community relationships in order to build a unified Guyana”. She also noted that the Ministry has embarked on a number of initiatives, including the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Social Cohesion 2017-2021 and has executed several projects aimed at boosting the earning potential of vulnerable and other groups.
During the interactive session, several persons expressed the view that the region needs to take the lead in fostering national unity.