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PRESS RELEASE –MARCH 31, 2005
ERC MOVING AHEAD WITH ITS WORK PROGRAMME
The Ethnic Relations Commission is moving ahead with its work programme for 2005.
During this month, teams from the Commission, including Chairman Bishop Juan Edghill, Chief Executive Officer Ms. Christine king and Head of the Public Education and Awareness Department Raschid Osman, along with Commissioners, visited Government ministries. These included Agriculture, Home Affairs, Health, Human Services and Social Security, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Office of the President, Public Service, Central Housing and Planning Authority, and Local Government
The Commission met with Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments, and visited departments to speak with staff members. Ministry officials were cooperative. The general feeling gleaned from the visits is that public servants are functioning commendably, in the face of long-standing vacancies and acting appointments. Permanent Secretaries speak of a commitment to the job evidenced by officers working long hours with no complaint. And many officers speak of the positive style of management practiced by Permanent Secretaries. The Permanent Secretaries also spoke of little or no ethnic tension at their Ministries
On these visits, the Commission made it clear that its aim was not merely to bring about ethnic parity in staffing, although this is desirable, but to ensure, as much as possible, that equal opportunities are made available to workers, including opportunities in recruitment, the awarding of scholarships and contracts, and promotions.
Many Ministries complained about the long wait for vacancies to be filled and for promotions to be approved by the Public Service Commission.
The awarding of contracts and scholarships and land allocation was of particular interest to the Commission when it visited the relevant ministries, and these procedures were looked at. The Commission was assured that the procedures are transparent and could stand up to scrutiny.
The ERC’s Film Festival is also ongoing, with positive responses from students and youth groups.
Institutions at which films were screened include the CentralHigh School, St. Mary’s Secondary, Houston Community High, Bishops’ High, Lifeline Counselling Services, Trinity Methodist Youths, Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders, and Charlestown Secondary.
Facilitators engaged the young people in discussion after each showing. The youths showed a keen interest in ethnic matters and asked that the Commission revisit them. Many felt the film festival should be taken to adults, as while they relate positively to other ethnic groups at school, it is at home that they come up against adults with racial prejudices.
At one school students expressed regret that when general elections are in the air, the two major ethnic groups that make up the population seem to be at daggers drawn. They are hoping that elections scheduled for next year will not bring with them the mayhem that has now become a tradition when Guyanese go to the polls.
A Conflict Transformation Workshop with political parties will be held mid-next month. All parties concerned agree that the process is most useful.
Last Wednesday, there was an official handing over of office and training equipment purchased with a Cdn. $ 25, 000 grant to the Commission fromthe Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Canadian High Commissioner Bruno Picard and CIDA’s Head in Guyana, Murray Kam were at the handing over in the Commission’s boardroom.
High Commissioner Picard said his Government was pleased to be associated with the ERC and its work, and that he is impressed with the Commission’s programme.
The High Commissioner said he is encouraged by President Bharrat Jagdeo’s statement that ethnic politics in Guyana is coming to an end.
At the handing over, also, the Commission apprised the High Commissioner about how it came into being, and about its work programme for the year.
This programme includes visits to Government Ministries and other agencies to look at employment practices; a film festival for students and youth groups; poster, essay and debating competitions among schools; and visits to the regions to inform communities about the ERC and its services.
The Commission expressed appreciation of the Canadian Government’s inputs to assist the ERC’s work programme, saying that the office and training equipment will go a far way in allowing the Commission to fulfill its mandate effectively.
The ERC is also working on its staffing complement to carry out its duties. New staff members include Attorney Tracy Gibson in its Legal and Investigation Office and Shannielle Hoosein in its Documentation Centre. A retired Assistant Commissioner of Police is to join the ERC shortly as a Field Investigator to look into complaints, and a Dispute Resolution Officer has already been identified.