On Sunday March 15, 2020, IDPADA-G’s Coordinating Council convened an emergency meeting of its General Assembly to discuss the well-being and safety of the African Guyanese community in light of the discord following the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

This Emergency meeting sought to address, in particular, the heightened racial tensions and racially motivated attacks against people of African Descent in Guyana. Members of the organization noted the restraint demonstrated by the African Guyanese community in the face of racially motivated attacks, and voiced fear for the safety of our entire community, considering the attacks on innocent school children, the security forces and random African Guyanese.

Within the United Nations framework, as the Country Coordinating Mechanism mandated to protect the interest of African Guyanese, IDPADA-G has compiled a report on this situation. Following a motion passed by IDPADA-G’s General Assembly, the organization submitted the report along with a petition to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the broader international community and the local Ethnic Relations Commission, to alert them to the recent acts of “racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” towards African Guyanese.

On Thursday March 19, members of the Coordinating Council along with the CEO and representatives of the secretariat visited the families of five students from Western Berbice who were injured during an attack on their school bus. In each case, words of comfort and tokens of support were shared with the children and their families. IDPADA-G pledged to continue their support by providing mentors for the students, and to provide counselling where needed.  It was gratifying to observe the show of appreciation from each family for this visit.