Dear Editor
DURING the 2018 budget debate there was a furore in the National Assembly about the existence of International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly- Guyana (IDPADA-G). This organisation went through a gestation period from November 2016 to October 2017 after President Granger, in his address at the annual Cuffy 250 Forum,

mandated the forum to be responsive to the UN’s declared decade for People of African Descent by organising the African Guyanese community in pursuit of the realisation of the theme of the decade: Recognition, Justice and Development. In the 2018 budget, the organisation was granted a subvention of G$68M to establish a secretariat and coordinate the efforts of the African Guyanese community in their endeavour to realise the theme of this United Nations Decade.

The organisation, also known as the Country Coordinating Mechanism for the Decade, held its first Annual General Assembly on December 17, 2017. At that meeting, its charter was approved; its membership confirmed; its operational plan for 2018 outlined and its coordinating council, committees and sub-committees established.

In keeping with the charter, the assembly appointed Vincent Alexander as chairman and Drs. Simpson DaSilva and Norman Ng-A-Qui, Johnathan Adams, and Esther Gittens as members of the coordinating council. Dr. Mark Kirton was subsequently co-opted to the council.

The council held a Special General Assembly on May 6 at which the appointment of its Executive Director was ratified, and Ms. Olive Sampson was installed as the CEO/Secretary and member of the coordinating council. Ms. Sampson, an activist for the causes of people of African descent both here and abroad for many years, brings years of leadership in senior management to this position.

The assembly also received a report on other ongoing activities of the council including the setting up of the secretariat at a building it secured at 121 Regent Road, Bourda, where it will soon open its doors to the public. The assembly already has received over one dozen project proposals from African Guyanese groups; two of which have been identified for funding. These projects are capacity building ventures focused on African Guyanese youth and women.

The assembly’s operational plan is streamlined under four headings: Policy, Programme, Projects and Special Projects with four sub-heads: Employment, Economy, Education and Equality/Expiation. IDPADA-G will seek to influence the direction of Government in those areas as well as foster African Guyanese community self-activism around these issues.

IPADA-G, since its conception in late 2016 and its inception in late 2017, has established the foundation for the work which it intends to pursue during and beyond the decade. In addition, during this period, IDPADA-G established a COMPACT among African Guyanese organisations under which it has been making representation on behalf of African Guyanese individuals and organisations requiring urgent representation to address wrong-doings and injustices that have befallen them.

IDPADA-G looks forward to working with Government and all Guyanese in its quest to redress the historical and current injustices that have bedevilled the African Guyanese community and to build a just Guyana for all.
Regards
IDPADA-G
The Country Coordinating Mechanism
United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent

Published in the Guyana Chronicle