Category: Features

Patrick I Gomes, Guyana’s Ambassador to Brussels, becomes the Secretary General (SG) of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) this month. Gomes was the clear winner for the job in November. It was testimony to the high regard people have for Ambassador Gomes and for Guyana. Congratulations Ambassador! Bayney Karran, Guyana’s Ambassador to the USA, is in the running to be appointed Deputy SG for the OAS in Washington. The fact that he is a serious candidate for this post is another concrete testimony to the high…

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It is not easy to pinpoint a definite time when the literary arts took off, spiralling to new heights, signalling a new era, heralding another golden age for the literary arts in Guyana. But over the past decade and a half, there was a renewed interest in the literary arts. This renewed interest is being consolidated year after year, so much so that some days literary events coincide with each other. For example, on 19 November 2014, while Stanley Greaves was in conversation with Dr Rupert Roopnaraine at Moray House…

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The Guyana Karate College (GKC) aims to promote self-defence and discipline, as set out in its mandate.  A non-profit corporation established under the Friendly Societies Act, GKC was launched in August 2006. In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Master Frank Woon-A-Tai, the World Chief Master, a ninth degree black belt and the founder of the GKC, said that GKC aims to develop International Karate Daigaku (the Art of Shotokan Karate following the teachings of Master Gichin Funakoshi) in Guyana. This is meant to be achieved through character development,…

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When visiting the Dharm Shala, it is difficult to miss the colonial wooden structure on the opposite side of the road.  A quaint Folk Victorian style house, characterised by its two and one-half storeys, shuttered stained glass windows, gothic carpentry details and square symmetrical shape, it is a white and brown residential property that has been standing for more than 80 years. Built in 1932 by humanitarian Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj, the building has been in the family for three generations and counting; it has remained the same with no structural…

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By Indrawattie Natram Danielstown village, situated between Sparta and Coffee Grove, approximately 12 miles from Charity, Essequibo, is a village with a rich history bought by freed slaves in 1840. The village is 174 years old and is presently celebrating its 7th Homecoming. The community has a special organisation called the Concerned Citizens of Danielstown Inc, which promotes as well as plan activities to bring the people of the village, and elsewhere, together. The Concerned Citizens of Danielstown Inc, whose parent body is located in the US, is an organisation…

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The companies we turn to every day for electricity, transportation, consumer goods, and even electronics face risks from climate change. Most need reliable water for production processes and products. Extreme weather and temperatures can hurt their productivity and damage their supply chains and assets. Business leaders understand that climate change can have real economic impact, and that their current business models may not be profitable in a 4-degree warmer world. They also see opportunity in innovating for a cleaner future. Several global companies, including Google, Walmart, and Shell, have started…

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In the ever changing landscape of Guyana, especially in the district of Georgetown, some striking old traditional wooden buildings can still be found. In the conservation of our wooden built heritage, strategies had to be adopted to make the use of historic buildings current so that they can survive for the benefit of future generations. This is so since the original use of the building may not have been sustainable enough to safeguard the future of the building. The term “adaptive reuse” is common among conservation enthusiasts. It is the…

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Memories of indomitable freedom fighters are preserved in what was once their humble abode Managed by the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, the home of the late Jagans was declared open to the public by their daughter, Nadira, on 30 April 2009, after Mrs Jagan died in March of the same year. The house was built in 1966, the year of Guyana’s independence, and designed by Dr Jagan. This was the family’s first owned home, as up to late 1966 they had been living in rented houses since returning to British…

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In honour of British Botanist George Samuel Jenman’s work to the Botanical Gardens, the Jenman Education Centre was officially launched in 2004 to raise environmental awareness, conduct environmental research and promote environmental activities. George Samuel Jenman was born in 1945 in South of England, but was taken as a child by his parents to the south of Ireland where he spent his boyhood. He started life as a young gardener and obtained employment at the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1871. On 6 September 1873 he left that establishment to take…

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By Petamber Persaud Part One   ‘Racing With The Rain’ by Ken Puddicombe, MiddleRoad Publishers, 2012. Reviewed by Frank Birbalsingh. Professor Emeritus Birbalsingh is an anthologist and the author of many scholarly publications including From Pillar to Post: The Indo Caribbean Diaspora, Passion and Exile: Essays in Caribbean Literature, The Rise of West Indian Cricket: From Colony to Nation, and two anthologies of Indo-Caribbean writing Jahaji and Jahaji Bhai. His latest book on cricket, Indian-Caribbean Test Cricketers and the Quest for Identity is now available. Birbalsingh is an acknowledged book…

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