The Christmas season is a time that is usually full of joy and celebration. In Guyana we have grand traditions of “smashing” the house and putting it back together again, visiting loved ones and generally going the extra mile. People from all backgrounds and belief systems celebrate Christmas in some way or another. As surface-level as our famous multiculturalism is, one of the things I have always enjoyed about Guyanese is our ability to celebrate together around significant religious and cultural observances.
This year, things are bound to be a little different but the overall atmosphere of the Christmas season remains intact. It is commendable how resilient the human spirit is but one hopes that the tests through which it continues to be put on would not continue to be so infuriating. Sometimes it seems as if we are operating in a state of constant stress and disorder.
There have been many unexpected changes and challenges that shook the foundations of our small nation and the rest of the world this year. So while it is certainly good to be happy to have survived the chaos that was 2020, we must also channel our collective energy to realize new lifestyles and be as the new year approaches.
Many things were revealed to me during this time, but among the highest realizations was how calm we really have been and how comfortable we are in that stagnation. The associative effects of the political and rhetorical impact of the electoral close in March and the COVID-19 pandemic have explained the current and well-maintained ethnic and structural inequality in our society.
The ethnic fear, insecurity and contempt among the three great races were expanded upon during this period. While the events, dialogues and beliefs that have developed have made me a little less hopeful of our future relationships, I believe in our ability to grow. Achieving this growth, however, would not be a walk in the park. It takes active personal and collective deconstruction and I believe that refusing to see ourselves as part of the problem has severely restricted us going forward.
To achieve that we must first begin by honestly recognizing the issues we have and working to deconstruct them. Greater honesty is needed in recognizing the issues we have and holding others to account in that process. Many do not want to admit the inherent privileges they have when belonging to certain ethnicities, classes or social groups. Older generations are often thrown under the bus as the only ones who think or act in ways contrary to our shared humanity.
The reality is that the younger generation is not much different. They are too active buying into the myths and stereotypical beliefs of different races, but no one wants to be seen as part of the problem. We want to believe that we are contributing to meaningful dialogue and change without recognizing our own role in the damaging ethnic hostility and apathy that pervades our country. Automatically looking at one another as enemies has been the norm for so long that it is deeply rooted in us. In addition to our social issues, we have also had to grapple with the economic implications of the pandemic, which of course tends to exacerbate social inequalities.
Even before the pandemic, Guyana was struggling with high rates of under / unemployment and abuse. These rates are significantly higher now and from all appearances, they will continue to rise. Those who are disadvantaged and old are the ones most affected. Several months in and there still seems to be no real plan on how to proceed properly. The government follows suit as countries leaning towards ruin have adopted a stance of personal accountability and promotion of hygiene. These are certainly places where one can start, but it must not be part of the whole COVID-19 government response.
From the outset Guyana has tried to balance the scales between the importance of life and the importance of the economy. Of course as it is about the economy, business interests always take precedence and when a coin is thrown at what is more important, they always win. The rich and the middle class have not experienced this pandemic the same as the rest of the population. This of course drives the response towards it as those who die or become ill are considered expendable or necessary sacrifices in the legendary march towards herd immunity. Personal and corporate interests continue to be prioritized over the interests of the people they are elected to serve. One can always hope for a change in priorities, but hope will only take us so far.