TIMES INT'L

GUYWID: Empowering women to be independent

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

By Lakhram Bhagirat One of my favourite poets, Maya Angelou famously said, “if you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain”, and that is exactly what the women of the Guyanese Women In Development (GUYWID) has been doing for almost two decades. They have been transforming the lives of women across Guyana not because those women cannot help themselves but because those women are the most vulnerable, since the people around them who seek to control them are dragging them down. Quite…

Pensioners get G$1000 increase

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…other measures to benefit ordinary citizens noticeably absent At G$300.7 billion, the National Budget for 2019 was presented on Monday to the National Assembly. But through it all, measures that can directly benefit the small man are noticeably absent. The only thing that Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who spoke almost uninterrupted for five hours during his budget presentation, announced under ‘measures to increase workers’ income was the increase in the income tax threshold to G$780,000 per annum (G$65,000 monthly). This is an increase per month of G$5,000, as the salary…

Guyana delegation makes strong case for lifting of greenheart import restrictions in the UK

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana delegation in the United Kingdom (UK) has made Guyana’s case for the lifting of the greenheart import ban which was placed by UK Environment Agency (EA) in 2015. The delegation which included Guyana Forestry Commission’s (GFC) Chairman of the Board, Joslyn Dow; EU-FLEGT Secretariat Head, Kenny David; GFC Deputy Commissioner, Andrew Mendez, of McVantahe Inc; among others, made a combined presentation to Andy Powell of the UK EA and Clare Marsden of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The presentation focused on the many accomplishments of…

Who’s the plantain?

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Satiricus was still in a state of euphoria! He now understood how MLK must’ve felt when he shouted, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I am free at last!!” He was strolling towards the Back Street Bar and realized he must’ve yelled out aloud, since several persons near him jumped back in shock!! He smiled sheepishly as he ducked into the Bar. “Fellas, I can’t tell you how a weight has lifted from my shoulders since I quit the KFC!” said Satiricus, as he sat down with…

Help & Shelter – providing a safe space for battered women since 1995

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Violence, particularly violence against women, takes a heavy toll on everyone and everything around us, and here in Guyana, it is estimated that one in every three women experience some form of violence and, quite often, it is at the hands of those who promised to care for and protect them. After the number of reported cases of violence against women and children started to significantly rise, in 1994, Help & Shelter was founded to tackle those cases. Since then, the Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) has become the forerunner in…

Sisyphus, his rock…

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…and Guyana …and Guyana You remember the ancient Greek story of Sisyphus; don’t you, dear reader? A real “wise guy”, Sisyphus thought he could pull a fast one on the Gods. But he was inevitably exposed, and sentenced to rolling a huge boulder to the top of a hill…only to have it roll downhill and he having to repeat the task. Again and again for all eternity. Those of us who lived in Guyana under the PNC during its first incarnation, and now again, know the feeling; don’t we? You…

T&T woman imprisoned in Syria writes to family members

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

(Trinidad Newsday) Relatives of a woman locked up in a Syrian prison for just under a year wants the state to assist in having her repatriated. Adill Ramirez, who last communicated with his mother, Summer Ramirez in January last year spoke with Sunday Newsday after receiving a letter from her on Thursday. Ramirez said that the letter is penned in his mother’s handwriting. He said his mother was held trying to cross into to Syria trying to make her way back home. Both Ramirez and her husband Chris Lewis left…

The Naomi Factor

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

08Guyana is filled with immensely talented people but the creative space afforded to them is very limited. One of those talented young people is Naomi Murray. Naomi is one of Guyana’s go to fashion designer, especially among young people. She has the knack for creating over the top prom dresses but is not only limited to just that. Naomi’s fashion creation is limitless and has the ability to make every head turn. Here are a few of the elegant evening gowns created by Naomi and be sure to check out…

Character assassination will become more rampant during General Elections period

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Campaigning for General Elections due in 2020 has begun in earnest, and with it the attempts at character assassination that has become part of the parcel. The go-to claim is usually ‘racism’ and I strongly believe this is a result of lazy intellectualism. My experience is of a Guyana where most differing perspectives are due to economic and social positioning rather than ethnicity and some are based on social conditioning within ethnic structures, however, recent statements attributed to the Minister of the Presidency where he asserts there will…

No Confidence!

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Guyana’s Opposition pushes for no-confidence debate before budget presentation Days after the parliamentary Opposition filed a no-confidence motion against the coalition Government, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that the Party wants its motion debated before the reading of the 2019 Budget. The Opposition has contended that November 26 was already scheduled to be private members day, where their matters take precedence. However, the reading of the National Budget has taken over that day; with the result that another private members day must be scheduled. Jagdeo expressed fears…