Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Chairman, Dr John Smith has appealed for the independence of the recently-reconstituted body to remain intact as members find their footing. He made this call at Saturday’s engagement with media operatives, and urged those practising the profession known as the fourth estate that they should be wary of “fake news”. While calling for responsibility in journalism, he told media personnel that the ERC was answerable to the Speaker and Members of Parliament. “Let us work together to produce harmony. We are not answerable to and do…
Read MoreYear: 2018
Resort tragedy: Family calls for thorough investigation into teen’s death
A post-mortem examination conducted on the body of 18-year-old Ronaldo Gomes has confirmed that his death resulted from his being struck by a boat last weekend while swimming at a resort on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Conducted by State Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on Wednesday morning, the autopsy found that the teenager died as a result of asphyxiation and incise wound to the neck. Gomes’s body – hands and neck – bore marks that are consistent with injuries caused by the propeller of an outboard engine. Based on the findings of…
Read MoreDynamic Tassa Group: Modernizing traditional music
By Rupadai Seenaraine Music is an art that is used to determine the cultural identity of many people and it has evolved throughout the centuries since its existence. In fact, we see changes every day in the way it is portrayed to suit varying audiences. Tassa drumming is one such musical art form that has nestled its way into Guyana via the indentured immigrants and has evolved throughout the region. While the practice is something that many enjoy on celebrative occasions, it is something that is also appreciated by all…
Read MoreHow could Guyana best utilise its massive earnings from oil
Dear Editor, Having reviewed Tuesday’s presentation, Rystad’s analyst showed that, with an oil price of US$70 per barrel, annual revenues from offshore activity could reach US$20 billion shortly after 2030. Based on my interpretation of the breakdown of revenues, it looks like a vast majority of those numbers come from free cash flow and Government profit oil. These are very impressive figures, especially in the context of the current size of our economy, and this new fortune can be the catalyst for exponential growth and transformation at unprecedented levels. But…
Read MoreConscripted by (western) modernity
By Ravi Dev Some years ago, taking my son to write his CAPE Literature exams, he waxed enthusiastically about the poet Olive Senior, whose “Gardening in the Tropics” was an assigned text. The Jamaican, of mixed racial and cultural heritage, used the everyday West Indian activity of “gardening” as an extended trope to analyse the brutal colonisation of the Caribbean by the Europeans, and their influence in the formation of our identities. Gardening does involve “rooting out”, “discarding”, “cultivating”, “nurturing”, “grafting”, “hybridity”, and so many activities that are also at…
Read MoreBartica man jailed for 28 years for murdering mechanic
Twenty-two-year-old Ryan Jones, also called Rayon Jones, was on Tuesday sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon to 28 years’ jail for killing a 24-year-old mechanic on June 9, 2016 when he burglarised the mechanic’s home at Madewini, Timehri. The victim, Puranand Baljit, had been stabbed 10 times, and died as a result of his injuries. Jones, of Fourth Avenue, Bartica, who was recaptured after escaping from the Lusignan prison in an outbreak that occurred in 2017, pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter on Tuesday, after being originally indicted for…
Read MoreUnleashing Crabwood Creek’s STEM potential
Quite often, smaller communities are underestimated in relation to what they have to offer and in order to break that mindset, Shahad Hussain has created the Crabwood Creek STEM Club to show the small Region Six community has the potential to shine. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is not a new concept, but it is now really taking off in Guyana, and is an absolute necessity for the technology age. With this in mind, the 22-year-old Shahad began following the work of STEMGuyana and when time…
Read MoreLet’s discover Paruima
Paruima is an Amerindian settlement with a population of about 800 persons and is located in the Upper Mazaruni District of Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Paruima is said to be the only Arecuna speaking community in Guyana. The journey to get to this scenic village is a long one from Georgetown but worth every second of the ride there. If you are up for an adventure you can take the approximate 1 hour 15 minutes flight from Ogle to Kamarang as opposed to the direct flight to Paruima. If you opt…
Read MoreSTEMGuyana model generates interest from Caribbean representatives at IDB 8th Annual Conference
STEMGuyana co-founder Karen Abrams generated much interest in the organisation’s model for STEM engagement of Guyana’s youth, which she presented to an energetic audience at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) eighth Annual Meeting. Abrams, whose presentation was titled “Robots In The Caribbean”, showcased STEMGuyana’s activities in four quadrants: preparing the robotics national team, creation of social good apps, the training of STEM club trainers and expansion of the STEM club network throughout the country, and the management of a national robot building and Scratch coding competition throughout the country. Abrams…
Read MoreA basic ‘cut and paste’
…Jagdeo says of APNU/AFC Govt’s Green State Development Strategy In reiterating his disapproval of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) that was created to replace the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said it would only put pressure on the treasury, and if the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) returned to office, it would be automatically scrapped. Jagdeo described the draft strategy, which he has had a look at, as one that was a basic ‘cut and paste’ of best practices from around the world, essentially lacking the…
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