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2 Times Sunday Magazine

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May 10, 2015

Times Feature

W

hen asked to answer for his party’s track record as far as rigging of elections is concerned, APNU+AFC presidential candidate David Granger refuses to speak directly to that concern and whether it justified the people’s behaviour and the post-election violence that occurred under the PNC. The 1968 election was completely fraudulent, and two new dimensions were added to the electoral fraud in 1973. These were the intervention of the army and postal voting. The PNC, as part of this massive fraud, introduced the use of proxy and overseas and postal voting and also the country’s army to guarantee a fraudulent two-thirds majority.

In his book “New Road”, comments are made by Granger to justify the role played by the GDF in 1973 that saw it removing ballot boxes from the places of poll and transporting them to its headquarters in Georgetown so that they could be counted. Credible observers, in-

Caught on camera: Soldiers carrying confiscated ballot boxes during the PNC's rigged elections

been mistaken to signal that the PNC have embarked on the process of a free and fair election.

The PNC deliberately subverted the powers of the Elections Commission and there were also orchestrated actions by the government to frustrate the opposition parties.

The PNC strategy was to take full control of the elec-

Guyana for the election.

The Caribbean Council of Churches was also not allowed to observe the election. Its secretary general was abused, and this body was referred to as foreign meddlers by the PNC. External observers declared that the 1985 election, contrary to the hopes of many Guyanese, did not reveal any departure from the

killed three men while they were trying to defend the ballot boxes that contained their votes.

The PNC-led APNU/ AFC presidential candidate has even gone so far as to say that there have been no elections in Guyana since his party demitted office that have been free from flaws or fair, proclaiming that all elections won since the PPP/C’s victory in 1992, have been rigged by the leading party.

Military and civilian violence

After the PPP won the 1992 elections, all hell broke loose with the PNC supporters. Robberies, killings, burning of tires on the roads and road blocks were common during political protests. Many Guyanese have lived through the fear of

from the Georgetown prison. These criminals referred to themselves as ‘freedom fighters’ and held sections of the population hostage as they robbed and wantonly shot their way to the fortunes of targeted citizens.

On several occasions, linkages were established between former soldiers and policemen, as with ‘Blackie’ and his gang. Citizens became terrified to be without protection, and this led to many Guyanese owning their own firearm.

APNU’s current presidential candidate, David Granger was the person who objected vigorously to the army's intervention at Buxton when the police failed to deal with the open activities of the criminals, during the roadblocks on the East Coast, citing military protocols as an excuse. The

There were instances where ranks in camaraderie turned blind eyes to the victimisation of citizens, breaking strikes, and pre-dawn terrorising of several unarmed communities during the seventies and eighties.

Was it coincidental that coordinated army manoeuvres would find soldiers in homesteads of unarmed citizens who had no one to whom they could complain? Later, kick-down-the door bandits in military outfits invaded the very communities which were targeted for manoeuvres.

Yet the army, which was always around the homes in these communities, never arrested anyone for the impersonation and banditry. One is quickly led to conclude that there was a sort of collaboration between renegade soldiers and

Guyanese took to the streets to protest rigged elections during the PNC's rule

cluding those from the USA who published their fact book on Guyana, described the election that gave the PNC a two-thirds majority as “severely rigged”.

Following the death of Forbes Burnham in August 1985, his successor Desmond Hoyte instituted certain changes in the electoral process – overseas voting was virtually abolished, proxy voting was restricted and postal voting was abolished. These reforms taken at face value could have

toral machinery as they did in 1968, 1973 and 1980.

Its planned strategy included the expulsion of polling agents and the stuffing of ballot boxes with fictitious ballots and the intervention of the military. Desmond Hoyte and the then PNC government refused to allow an international team of observers drawn from the International Commission of Jurists, The Americas Watch and the British Parliamentary Human Rights Group to visit

patterns of behaviour from the 1973 and 1980 elections.

The army was out again in full battle array, seizing boxes in many parts of the country, particularly in the rural areas.

Granger, who was a distinguished member of the military in those days, is well aware of these incidents that were spearheaded by his predecessors and his very friends in the PNC. He had even claimed the soldiers performed “splendidly” when they shot and

Protesters gathered outside Parliament Building to voice their concerns against rigged elections under the PNC

not being safe in their own homes during those times.

Following the 1997 elections, the PNC again brought its supporters into the streets in protests, which escalated into citizens being beaten, and buildings burnt.

Crimes continued with an incredible upsurge since the February 23, 2002 “Mash” breakout of inmates

unanswered questions are manifold, as David Granger seems to continue to conveniently shield military inaction behind ‘protocols’.

In 2006, violence continued with the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.

In 2011, APNU led protesters that broke the law and forced the police to open fire with rubber bullets.

the bandits. Let us also remember the armed People’s Militia of the PNC regime and their invasion of unarmed communities at the break of day in make-believe manoeuvres. The kind of banditry that rocked the East Coast for three to four years was déjà-vu for many, reminiscent of the seventies and eighties.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine

3

Times Feature

Elisabeth Harper on motherhood

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professional and now the prime ministerial candidate of the PPP/C, Elisabeth Anne Harper has a lot on her plate. However, one role she is never too busy for is that of being a mother.

Harper started her education at St. Gabriel’s Primary School in Georgetown, after which she attended St. Roses High School. In 1986, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in French with a minor in Spanish from the University of Guyana, passing with Honours. She also attended the University of Oxford where she attained a certificate in Diplomatic Studies in 1990.

Harper’s distinguished service to Guyana, which spans almost 40 years, was recognized by the government in 2011 when she was awarded one of Guyana’s most prestigious national awards, the Golden Arrow of Achievement, for long, dedicated and distinguished service in the Guyana Foreign Service. A dedicated daughter of Guyana, whose whole life has been spent in service to country and people, Harper hopes to contribute even more in the future.

A devout Christian, Harper is married to Mark Harper. Between them, they have five children, all adults today.

Despite a busy work schedule, Harper happily fulfils her role as “mom”.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Harper explains how she balances work and family.

Sunday Magazine: What can you recall when you first became a mother?

Harper: “It’s a feeling

Elisabeth Harper

Elisabeth with her family

that will stay with me for as long as I live – exhausted, but overwhelmed and proud at the sight of my five pounds six ounces baby girl – so tiny but beautiful. I went into hospital a scared 17-year-old and came out with an eagerness to begin caring for my child; to start this new adventure and to put into practice all that I had been reading about during my pregnancy.”

Sunday Magazine: What principles have you instilled in your children?

Harper: “My children were blessed to have an amazing grandmother – my mother - who loved her children unconditionally and taught us the value of family. I have tried to emulate my Mom’s example in raising my own children – to be kind, show compassion to people who might not be

With her husband, Mark Harper greeting persons

as fortunate as they are; to have and show respect for those responsible for administering authority over them – not only in the home; to work out their differences with each other (and others) in a peaceful way; to be responsible; to be true to themselves; never compromise on their morality and no matter what to always strive to keep the family together.”

Sunday Magazine: What challenges do you face as a mother and how do you overcome these?

Harper: “There are always challenges to being a mother. I have experienced many. I always feel that I could have done more for my children and that in itself is a huge challenge – overcoming that feeling of guilt. The challenge of being a mother is how to be a parent, an adviser and a friend.

I have learned to combine these by listening, supporting, encouraging and guiding my children in their decision making.”

Sunday Magazine: What would you credit for being a successful mother?

Harper: “I would credit being a successful mom to the nurturing and upbringing which my sisters and I received from our parents.”

Sunday Magazine: How do you balance family time and work time?

Harper: “I have been blessed with a very supportive family. My husband and children have understood when my work has had to take priority and that in itself has allowed me to focus on my job. However, I have always been sensitive to the needs of my family and have put them first when it was necessary to do so.”

Sunday Magazine: What advice would you give

to other mothers?

Harper: “Love your children unconditionally.

Encourage them by being approachable to share their feelings with you. Don’t give up on them. Try to see your child from your own eyes as a child, what you wanted and what would have made you feel happy, secure and loved. Never discipline in anger. Excessive force is not necessary to discipline a child. There are better ways to chastise. For example, privileges can be temporarily taken away. The most important thing is to make them understand what they have done wrong so that they could avoid repeating it.

No parent is perfect. We have to continually work on our parenting skills and to be vigilant, especially in helping our children to deal with peer pressure. Also, we have to be conscious, and guide our children in these times where technology and ideals are advancing and changing rapidly.

We must never give up on our children – no matter how challenging the relationships might be at times.”

Sunday Magazine: If you become prime minister, how will you use your office to help others and to help build your country?

Harper: “Upon becoming prime minister, I will work with all of my Cabinet colleagues to address the concerns of all Guyanese.

There are some key issues that I plan to focus on - domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, support for the elderly and disabled and the youth. Our young people must be able to reach their full potential, provided with opportunities to further their careers and attain

their personal goals. They are the future of our country and must be encouraged to feel they are a part of the building of our nation.”

Elisabeth Harper joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976 as a clerk in the Registry. She has since acquired a wealth of experience in international affairs and other governmental matters, serving in every major department of the ministry with a wide scope of responsibility. She served as Foreign Service officer I in the Administrative Division (1981-1984), Foreign Service officer II in the Protocol Division (1984-1988) and Foreign

and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis.

She has served as a Commissioner on the National Commission for Disability.

Harper has immense experience in negotiating issues on behalf of Guyana both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. She has been a member of Guyana’s Delegation to numerous meetings of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Amazonian Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO, the Latin American Economic System (SELA), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS),

Harper happily unites with President Donald Ramotar to help develop our nation

Service officer III in the Political Affairs Division with responsibility for Latin America and the Caribbean (1988-1991).

She was head of the Frontiers Division (19901991), Counsellor at the Guyana High Commission in London (1991-1995), Director of the Department of the Americas and Asia (1996-2001) and Director General(2001- 2015). As Director General, she has also held the important portfolios of Ambassador to CARICOM and Non-resident High Commissioner to Trinidad

the Rio Group, the United Nations (UN), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Commonwealth.

Since 2010, she has chaired the CARICOM Intergovernmental Task Force to revise the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. The Task Force has made significant progress in the drafting of Protocols for Government Procurement, Contingent Rights and the accommodation of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to provide for deeper integration by groups of members.

4

Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Feature

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lections of 1964: The CIA fostered riots in 1962 - Black Friday: Indian businesses razed in Georgetown. The goal is to remove the "communist Jagan", leader of the PPP. 1963 Public Service 80 day strike. Electoral system changed from "First Past the Post", used throughout the British Empire and Britain to Proportional Representation (PR) because this would deny a majority to the PPP. The PPP secured 45.8 percent of the votes; the PNC won 40.5 percent while the UF obtained 12.4 percent.

The Governor did not ask the PPP, party with the larg-

ters Ayanganna, where boxes were opened, empties and premarked ballots stuffed.

The result of the fraudulent election officially gave the ruling PNC 37 seats, PPP 26.5 percent 14, Liberator Party (LP) 2, and People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), no seat, in the 53 Member National Assembly.

The PNC took 243,803 votes or 70.1 percent of the votes cast; the PPP got 92,374 votes or 26.5 percent; the LP 9,580 votes or 2.75 percent; and the PDM 2,053 votes or 0.6 percent. There were 1,766 spoilt votes.

(With the PNC now with over 2/3 seats it could change

Bharrat Jagdeo proved to be a resilient leader during his years as president of Guyana

est number of votes to form the government and, against their pledge, the PNC coalesces with the UF to form the government.

The PPP had to demit office

1968: U.S. declassified documents states baldly: "After Burnham was elected Premier in December 1964, the U.S. Government, again through the CIA, continued to provide substantial funds to both Burnham and D'Aguiar and their parties. In 1967 and 1968, 303 Committeeapproved funds were used to help the Burnham and D'Aguiar coalition contest and win the December 1968 general elections. --BOLD-When the U.S. Government learned that Burnham was going to use fraudulent absentee ballots to continue in power in the 1968s, --BOLD- it advised him against such a course of action, but did not try to stop him."

Registration of under-age African Guyanese voters was also a factor.

Through his elections rigging, Burnham awarded his PNC 55.8 per cent, PPP 36.5 per cent and UF 7.4 per cent of the votes.

1973 Elections: Having ejected the UF, in addition to proxy and under aged voting the PNC introduced a new and more blatant form of rigging: the army seizure of ballots in areas out of Georgetown, prevented opposition agents from accompany the ballot boxes (killing 2 in Corentyne) and sequestering the boxed at army headquar-

non-entrenched clauses of the constitution at will. The elections constitutionally due in 1978 were postponed so that the PNC could rig a referendum to change the constitution to create an Executive Presidency for Burnham. The new Constitution was promulgated in 1980, and new elections held the same year.)

1980 Elections: At the close of the 1980 poll, a virtual military coup was executed. A combined force of the military, police and PNC thugs, working in unison, took charge of the ballot boxes in a massive display of military might designed to defeat the will of the people and maintain the PNC in power. PPP polling agents were not allowed to accompany the ballot boxes. The PPP elections agent and counting agents, plus the PPP member on the Elections Commission, were prevented at gunpoint from entering counting stations.

The PNC awarded itself 77.7 per cent votes - 41 seats, PPP per cent 19.5 - 10 seats UF 2.9 per cent - 2 seats.

Forbes Burnham died just months before elections were due in Dec 1985. His PM Desmond Hoyte became President and then the presidential candidate.

1985 Elections: Overseas observers were denied accreditation and as occurred in previous PNC-controlled elections, the ballot boxes were whisked away by fully armed GDF soldiers and supposedly taken to the counting centres where they "vanished" for many hours only to reappear full with rigged ballots in fa-

vour of the PNC. According to these results, 294,801 or 73.8 percent of the electorate turned out to cast their ballots. Not surprisingly, the PNC once again announced a massive landslide victory with 228,718 or 77.6 percent of the votes cast. The PPP was given 45,926 votes or 15.6 percent, UF 9,810 votes or 3.3 percent, the WPA 4,176 or 1.4 percent and a total of 1.1 percent for all other parties combined.

These figures gave the PNC 42 seats in the National Assembly, the PPP 8, the UF 2 and the WPA 1. The PNC picked up 12 additional seats by "winning" all the regional council elections. Hoyte was also re-elected as President as a result of this "landslide", as large as anything Burnham had awarded himself.

1992 Elections: After years of lobbying and agitation, the U.S. through the good offices of President Carter, pressured the PNC government of Desmond Hoyte to accept the PPP and other Opposition parties' key demands for a new Voters List and for a return of the old practice of counting votes at the place of poll. This would now eliminate the stuffing of ballot boxes by the army or other agencies. The Carter Centre observed the elections.

When all the votes were finally counted, the final results showed the PPP/Civic wining 162,058 or 53.4 percent of the valid votes, while the PNC received a total of 128,286 or 42.3 percent of the votes. The other parties received the following amounts: WPA - 6,068 (2 percent); TUF - 3,183 (1.2 percent); DLM - 1,557; URP 1,343; PDM - 298; UJI - 134; NRP - 114; UWP - 77; and NDF - 68.

Based on these results, the 65 seats in the Parliament were allocated thus: PPP/ Civic - 34; PNC - 27; WPA -1; and TUF - 1.

The PPP under Dr Cheddi Jagan was returned to office after 28 years in the 1992 "free and fair" elections.

1997 elections: Janet Jagan had succeeded her husband Cheddi Jagan as President and was the candidate for the PPP. Desmond Hoyte represented the PNC. Polling day was generally peaceful, as thousands of police personnel oversaw the proceedings. Teams of international observers from the Commonwealth, Carter Centre and OAS were also on hand. Voter turnout was large and, in the wake of the results giving the PPP (allied with the Civic group) the victory in another ethnically dominated election.

The National Assembly national seat breakdown was PPP 55.2 per cent and 34 seats; PNC 40.52 and 26 seats and Guyana Democratic Party 1 seat. The PNC claimed the elections were rigged even though certified by all observ-

ers. They rioted in the streets and forced the government to accept and "Accord" brokered

by CariCom" which reduced their term by 2 years and accept massive constitutional changes.

2001 Elections: The PPP was led into the elections by Bharrat Jagdeo who had acceded to the Presidency after the incumbent Janet Jagan stepped down. The number of valid votes cast in the general elections was 393,709 of which the PPP/C scooped up 209,031 53 percent 34 seats; the PNC/R 41.8 percent 164,074, 27 seats; GAP/WPA captured 2.4 percent 9,500 of these votes, 2 seats and ROAR .9 percent 3,664 votes and 1 seat.

The PNCR once again claimed the elections were rigged, contrary to the reports of international observers, and even though the "forensic audit" after his 1997 protests proved there was indeed no rigging. Street protests by the PNC surged into massive violence and arson as Desmond Hoyte appealed to the Disciplined Forces to support their "kith and kin" – PNC supporters. For the next seven years, armed gangs launched attacks on the government and its Indian supporters, even as the army was

His Excellency Donald Ramotar affixes his signature to the document after taking the oath of office of President

The United Force: 2,694votes, 0.8 percent and 1 seat.

Bharrat Jagdeo was returned to a second term. With the retirement of the heads of the Police Force and the Army who had supported the PNC/ APNU and who both immediately formally joined the latter, the armed threat was neutralized by 2008.

2011 Elections: In 2011 Bharrat Jagdeo stepped down after two terms and General Secretary of the PPP Donald Ramotar became that party’s presidential candidate.

In the PNCR Robert Corbin stepped down and selected Ex-Brigadier General David Granger as his successor presidential candidate.

in the following three years.

The operations of government were brought to a standstill.

2015 Elections: Clear and Present Danger

Towards the end of 2014, the combined Opposition of APNU and the AFC threatened to move a no-confidence motion which they would have been able to pass and which would have brought down the government.

President Ramotar used his constitutional power to sidestep that move by proroguing parliament and scheduling elections on his initiative for May 11 The military-dominat-

The fighting spirit was not diminished

encamped in their base village of Buxton.

2006 Elections: The elections were held in an apprehensive atmosphere as the country was still very tense from the continued onslaught

by PNCR affiliated bandits.

Bharrat Jagdeo was the PPP's candidate and Robert Corbin, successor to Desmond Hoyte was the PNCR candidate.

There were 336,375 votes cast and the People’s Progressive Party–Civic captured 183,867 votes with 54.6 percent and 36 seats, People's National Congress–Reform 114,608 votes, 34.0 percent and 22 seats. Alliance for Change: 28, 366 Votes, 8.4 percent and 5 seats. Guyana Action Party–Rise Organise and Rebuild Guyana: 4,249 votes, 1.2 percent and 1 seat.

Granger ran his campaign by recruiting large numbers of Disciplined Forces members in and out of the formal party structure. He formed a coalition with four minuscule parties to form A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) which contested the elections.

Out of 346,717 valid votes cast, the PPPC secured 166,350 votes, 48.6 percent and 32 seats; APNU 139,678 votes, 40.8 percent and 26 seats; AFC 35,333 votes, 10.3 percent and 7 seats.

For the first time in history, by the operation of the Guyana Constitution, the PPPC captured the presidency having secured a plurality but not a majority which the two opposition parties secured and thus controlled the parliament as they voted in unison

ed APNU formed an alliance with the AFC, which promised to deliver 11 percent ‘Indian votes’.

In the meantime, Granger has accelerated the recruitment of ex-military personnel into his apparatus and, with the military, police and bureaucracy all dominated by their traditional supporters Guyana is presented with a situation that could result in violence if the PPPC wins an outright majority, which is most likely.

Some fear that the situation could be worse than the post 2001 scenario because of the increased militarization of the opposition and complaints

by David Granger of a "dirty electoral list" that could be an excuse for precipitating violence in the event they lose the elections.

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 5

Times Women

Mothers in Black and the Alicea Foundation

for her work in promoting road safety in Guyana, and from 2007 to 2009 she served on the Guyana Traffic Advisory Committee.

At the same time, she served as vice president of the Guyana National Road Safety Council. She was also a member of the Crime Stoppers Steering Committee from 2008 to 2009. In 2004, she was given a PAHO/WHO Volunteer of the Year award for road safety advocacy.

She continues to spread awareness on road safety.

Recently, Denise was invited to participate in the Child Road Safety in the Americas Congress, during the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, addressing the importance of public health and sustainable development of child road safety in the region, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Her presentation focused on preventing deaths among youths, and emphasized the lack of

L

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo commends Denise on the first protest by Mothers in Black

osing a child is the hardest thing a mother has to endure. For Denise Dias, the loss of her eldest child remains inconsolable. However, instead of allowing herself to succumb to grief, Denise, inspired by her late daughter, has been bravely advocating road safety locally and internationally.

Dias was born in England to a Guyanese father and English mother. She grew up and was schooled in England. In 1975, she left for Guyana to join her family.

In 1983 she served as general manager of Houseproud, a craft store. She later set up Creations Craft, a retail handicraft store, with her husband Dennis Dias, and they later diversified their businesses by establishing DD Signs along with Connections Travel Agency.

She is the co-managing director with her husband in all their businesses.

Dias’ first child, Alicea, was already accomplishing much at the age of 17: working as an aspiring graphics student. She had written CXC and landed a part-time job at an advertising agency. Dias recalled that her daughter was an excellent artist and was offered a job in Trinidad with a graphics company to work as a junior graphic artist.

“That’s the reason we started DD Signs. She was to go away in Trinidad to work with the graphics company there and then finish off her studies in Canada and then take over the business. Trinidad was where she was going to go the following Friday she met with her accident, but she didn’t get to,” Denise recalled in an interview with Guyana

Times Sunday Magazine.

On Aug 23, 1996 Denise received a tragic message no mother would ever want: her daughter was struck by a drunk driver on the East Coast public road, a short distance from their home.

Alicea was dead before she could reach the hospital.

The driver who killed Alicea fled the scene.

Eyewitnesses took note of his license plate and reported it to the police who arrested the suspect about three hours later. About

Dias' daughter Alicea

eight months before, Dias learnt, the same suspect had struck down and killed a 52-year-old man who had six children. That case was still pending when Alicea was killed.

The accused appeared in court for Alicea’s death but was released on $700,000 bail. Shortly after posting bail, the accused left the country using his Bahamian passport, even though the police were alerted that this could have happened: that he would flee. The man remains on the run.

“Alicea’s death high-

lighted many areas of societal breakdown and law enforcement inadequacies and inefficiencies, but more importantly, I refused to allow my daughter to become just another statistic. That’s when I formed the Alicea Foundation,” Dias declared.

With friends, family and other persons who had lost loved ones on Guyana’s roads, the idea of the foundation was put together within a month of Alicea’s death.

It was formalized with the registration of a non-profit company in January 1997.

Its goal was to work for the introduction of much needed road safety legislation, and the enforcement of existing laws.

Among the improvements in road safety attributable at least in part to the Alicea Foundation is the motor bike helmet law, which had existed but never enforced. It was reactivated in 1997. The Foundation’s proposals for a seat belt law, the radar gun to detect speeding and the breathalyzer were all subsequently implemented as a result of the joint activism of the Alicea Foundation and Mothers in Black.

“Mothers in Black was formed in July 2000 after a horrific crash on the Linden Highway whereupon eleven persons were killed. Eight of them were children. I was enraged. I made contact with the many mothers whom over the years I had given solace and court support, and asked that they join me the following Friday outside parliament building where we had a peaceful protest with placards and pictures of our dead kids,” Dias recalled.

Dias has been recognized

road safety education in our schools and the need to reintroduce road safety patrols by implementing proper school guard crossing training with teachers, parents and students.

“I’m wishing all Guyanese mothers a very happy Mother’s Day. I am looking forward to spending Sunday enjoying quality time with my beautiful children, Dominique and Deje,” Denise enthused.

“We mothers are so blessed to give the gift of life; however we should all collectively ensure their safety.

In closing, a message from Mothers in Black and the Alicea Foundation: ‘We are mothers against drinking and driving. We are mothers who condemn speeding. We are mothers asking drivers to make their vehicles a no phone zone. We are mothers who have lost our loved ones slaughtered on our roads.

We are asking for our present laws to be enforced’,” she declared.

6 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Book World

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

South Ruimveldt Park Primary, Central High schools win in two-day ‘Readathon’ observing the event

By Petamber Persaud

W

orld Book and Copyright Day is commemorated April 23 each year. Guyana’s formal participation in this event is recent but the country’s contribution has always being significant --and that’s saying a lot for a developing country.

In general, observances of any sort are seemingly perfunctory something to guard against in this instance where the stakes are extremely high. This is not to say that this particular occasion is not celebrated in some places with elaborated planning, due pomp, publicity and international endorsement.

An occasion like this is too important to leave to tokenism. The book, in all its forms and manifestations, and in all its complexities -including literacy, comprehension, reading skills, expression skills and writing skills -- are vital to a society that is working towards progress and development of each member of that society and to the overall bet-

a conversation with the students while using relevant examples to get home the point.

Dr Jonas also gave a personal account to illustrate the impact of copyright on all stakeholders. She explained and expressed how she felt when the book, “English B for CSEC CXC A Caribbean Examinations Council Study Guide”, was pirated just as it hit the market. That was after she had put in “tremendous work and huge amount of time” in the making of the book.

Apart from content, which is the writing, the making of a textbook also includes design and layout, proofing and editing, binding, covers and cover designs, illustrations and diagrams, and marketing, all of which are specialized and separate fields.

For World Book and Copyright Day 2015, the National Library and its partners – the Ministry of Education and Repsol -staged a two-day ‘Readathon’ on April 23 and 24.

The event took the form

Winners of the primary school group, South Ruimveldt Park Primary, proudly display their trophy and certificates

other, they showed how well they read, how much they absorbed, how much they comprehended and how well they were able to express what was read.

What was read? “Alice

titles identified.

The schools participating at the primary level were: 1. North Georgetown Primary 2. St. Margaret's Primary 3.

Winfer Gardens Primary 4.

West Ruimveldt Primary 5. St. Gabriel’s Primary 6. South Ruimveldt Park Primary

1st place - Central High 2nd place - North Georgetown 3rd place - Tutorial High The first place schools received a scanner for the school as well as a trophy while the second and third

Responsibility programme, which focuses on the improvement of three areas in Guyana: Education, Environment and Health.”

The main aim of World Book and Copyright Day is to focus on books, to promote reading, to encourage

The winning primary schools were: 1st place South Ruimveldt Park Primary 2nd place - Winfer Gardens Primary 3rd Place - North Georgetown Primary

Repsol donated textbooks to the National Library

terment of that society. Too much is at stake here.

Moreover, as such, World Book and Copyright Day must be featured prominently on the calendar of each country, especially since the bigger picture includes and involves crossing borders and languages, and literatures and cultures.

The National Library of Guyana, over the years, has found innovative ways to celebrate the event. One year, trees were planted in the compound of the institution as a gesture of replenishing the earth of trees from which we get paper that is utilized in the making books.

On another occasion, the library, offered lunch and lecture on copyright to schoolchildren. This went down smoothly in that the lecturer, Dr Joyce Jonas, converted her message into

of an engaging and fun game not unlike the television “Jeopardy”. It was heartening for the organizers to witness the enthusiasm displayed by the students. In trying to outdo the

in Wonderland” was the book selected for the primary school students and “Backfire” for students of secondary school. Participating schools at each level read selected chapters from the

The schools participating at the secondary level were: 1. Central High 2. North Georgetown Secondary 3.

North Ruimveldt Secondary 4. Cummings Lodge Secondary 5. Tutorial High The winning secondary schools were:

First place Central High secondary school students pose with their trophy and certificates, and with members of the various organizations and individuals involved

The textbooks donated by Repsol on display

placed schools were each rewarded with a trophy. Each student was given a certificate of participation.

The judges were kept on their toes from the first gong, right to the resounding end – the joy of the winners was unrestrained.

The panel of judges was made up of Ms Samantha Williams from the Ministry of Education, Ms Sharifah Razack of Repsol/ EPA, and Ms Merle James of the National Library.

Apart from sponsoring the complete twoday event, Repsol donated 80 History, Geography, Biology, English and Social Studies CSEC textbooks, which would augment the library’s well used/overused supply.

This “project was a partial fulfilment of Repsol’s Global Corporate Social

publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

Copyright is to encourage more creativity, bettercrafted works and hence more elucidation, learning and entertainment.

Copyright breeds innovation…

In 1995, World Book and Copyright Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s Happening: • Guyanese author Imam Baksh won the 2015 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature with his manuscript, “Children of the Spider”.

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 7

Times Heritage

Flag identifying the British Guiana colony (From 1875 - 1906).

The Blue Ensign was introduced in 1800 and has also been used

by British government departments and, since 1922, yacht clubs

Flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Used from Feb 27, 1781 - Feb 1782; Apr 22, 1796 - Mar 27, 1802; Sep 20, 1803 - 1875)

Flag identifying the colony of British Guiana (From 1906 Dec 8, 1954). The ensign is an official flag associated with a British military or civilian ship that also became associated with British overseas territories during the colonial era

Flag identifying the British Guiana colony (From Dec 8, 1954 - May 26, 1966). At the time, the Union Jack was usually displayed on the canton, while symbols specific to the country were displayed on the fly (this is called defacing the fly)

M

ost of us are aware of the country having been ruled by several different European powers over the course of our history, before the territory became independent Guyana.

As such, the flag of our state - a symbol of a territory - has also seen changes during our history.

One of the first flags to be flown identifying what was

then the new territory was, according to worldstatemen. org, the red, white and blue flag of the Netherlands.

The flag was flown from 1616, when the Dutch first settled in Essequibo, until Feb 27, 1781 when the British occupied the three regions of Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo and replaced it with the British flag, also known as the “Union Jack”.

But when the territory was restored to the Dutch in 1784 after French occupation of Berbice from 1782-1784, the red, white and blue flag once again became the colony’s national flag. There is little evidence or information of a French flag during its twoyear occupation.

However, from Apr 22, 1796 - Mar 27, 1802 the British once again occupied

Government House circa 1950-1959

Market boats at Georgetown stelling (n.d.)

the colony and again replaced the flag with its Union Jack.

Then the territory changed hands again on Mar 27, 1802 when the colony was once again restored to what was then The Batvian Republic (Netherlands).

The Dutch flag once again replaced the British flag, until Sep 1803 when the territory was once again occupied by Britain. The colony was eventually ceded to Britain by the Netherlands in 1814.

A new flag was instituted in 1875. The new flag was a British Blue Ensign. It depicted a deep blue background

Independent Guyana flag (1966 - present). After the collapse of the British Empire, and the independence of its many colonies, the newly independent states created their own symbols of nationhood

Flag of the Netherlands (Used from 1616 - Feb 27, 1781; 1784 - Apr 22, 1796; Mar 27, 1802 - Sep 20, 1803)

upon which the Union Jack at the upper left hand corner (upper hoist quadrant or canton) and a circular image of a ship at right (the fly) remained as the colony’s flag until 1906 when it was altered.

The alteration retained the Union Jack at the canton and a circular image at the fly, but also included an oval image, in the centre of the disc, of a ship with the colony’s motto Damus Petimusque Vicissim (Latin for “we give and we seek in return”).

This remained the colony’s flag until Dec 8, 1954 when it was again altered to depict

another image of a ship and a different placement of its motto, though the Union Jack remained at the quadrant.

This arrangement remained until Guyana became independent in 1966. The independent Guyana’s flag was adapted from a design proposed by American vexillologist (a person who studies flags), Whitney Smith.

Although technically, the official flag of British Guiana is said to be the Union Jack, the ensigns used to identify the territory remain a historical aspect of flags in our national heritage.

8 Times Sunday Magazine

May 10, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Travel & Tourism

A

ccessible through a tiny creek, Buffalo Pond, near Karanambo Ranch on the Rupununi River, is covered almost entirely with hundreds of Victoria amazonica lilies. The air at the pond is filled with the light, sweet fragrance of the lilies.

This small, shallow oxbow pond can also be quite busy when several species of heron (Capped, Striated, Boatbilled, Black-crowned Night-) and egrets (Snowy, Great, Cocoi) visit.

Wood Storks, Black-collared and Great Black Hawks lurk in the trees at the water's edge while a few Giant River Otters can also be seen popping their heads up beside distant lily pads.

Buffalo Pond offers adventures and an idyllic opportunity for birding and fishing enthusiasts to experience nature one-on-one.

Paddling through hundreds of Victoria amazonica in the pond (Photo by Andrea and Salvador de Caires)

Birds at Buffalo Pond near Karanambo ranch (Photo by Kathy Hedegard)

Victoria amazonica at Buffalo Pond

Breathtaking sunset at the pond (Photo by iamfisheye on Flickr)

Serene creek on the way to the pond (Photo

by Andrea and Salvador de Caires)

Buffalo Pond is a seasonally flooded pond and nesting ground for water birds and arapaima near Karamanbu

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 9

10 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Feature

Snippets from the Past

Part 12

PNC practices of structural and institutional racism in independent Guyana (1968 – 1992) (Continued from last week)

MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SECTOR CORPORATIONS

I

n last week’s Guyana Times newspaper column ‘Snippets from the Past’ the framework for the institutionalization of racism by the PNC regime towards the majority East Indian population was outlined.

The conscious and deliberate manipulation and control of the sources of state power - political, economic, bureaucratic and military were used to the extent that the full resources of the state were used in a manner to marginalize and make politically irrelevant the East Indian populace.

This process of the marginalization of the East Indian extended into the economic management of the country through a centralized mechanism and the near absence of a private sector space. The subjugation of this East Indian

Source: Official Gazette jor economic assets and activities were in the public sector.

Even today when there is debate on the PNC’s discriminatory policies towards East Indian in job opportunities during its rule the argument is made that the East Indian population was not interested in public sector jobs. This

FOREIGN SERVICE APPOINTMENTS

portant criterion for appointments and promotions”.

He further writes: (“Decolonization and Militarization in the Caribbean – The Guyana Example”) “The Government is the largest single employer of labour and the allocation of jobs are [sic] not entirely unaffiliated to one’s ethnic origin. “

Distribution of Public Service Ministry scholarship

An examination of scholarships given by the Public Service Ministry during the years 1973 – 1998 reveals that out of a total of 3,154 – 731 were Indians and 2423 were Non-Indian. Thus, not only were there overwhelming discrimination against the East Indian in the areas of job opportunities but this extended into the allocation and awards of Government of Guyana funded scholarships.

Housing

majority was furthered deepened by the presence of a strong black bureaucracy and military.

Management of the economy

State ownership placed the resources of the private sector under the control of the PNC regime. This gave rise to general racial patronage and offered state employees almost unlimited opportunities for improving their socio-economic position through the filling of highly paid prestigious jobs.

Expanded state administrative bureaucracy brought in its wake expansion of the job providing capabilities. It provided the regime with enormously expanded control over the distribution of economic resources which was used in pursuit of the PNC power base and to the detriment of East Indian sections of the Guyanese society.

As part of the PNC overall program towards the government owning and controlling the country’s national resources, the government in 1971 nationalized the bauxite sector, the following years witnessed a series of take over and nationalization including the nationalization of Bookers Mc Connell Limited.

Within a period of five years the state of public sector expanded from 20 percent to some 80 percent; this resulted in an increase from 8 corporations in 1970 to more than 30 public enterprises in 1977. Thus, one of the pillars on which state control was consolidated was the control of jobs and 80 percent of the country’s ma-

for Enterprise, Clonbrook Front for Clonbrook Back, Vryheid’s Lust for Success/ Better Hope and De Kinderen for Meten-MeerZorg/Uitvulgt.

In 1977, a number of housing schemes with Government assistance (Mortgage Finance Bank) was established and out of a total of 873 housing units constructed only 31 or 6% were obtained by Indians. The US Country Report for Human Rights Practices for 1982 writes “there were also indications that discrimination favouring Afro-Guyanese occurred in the allotment of government housing and in the disbursement of land from the state”. Professors Ken Danns and Lear Matthews writes (Communities and Development in Guyana) “but in the wider selfhelp housing scheme the best offers have been given to Black (Afro-Guyanese) areas whose members “have relatively easy access to scarce resources”.

Food Stuff Hardship

dren collapsed and died queuing for flour.

Militarization of Society

The police, security and armed forces were expanded to protect the PNC government and to suppress the opposition. In 1964 the police and army totalled 3,770 i.e. the ratio of military to population is equalled to 1:234. In 1977, the police and the army totalled 21,751 a ratio of 1:37 relative to our population. Militarization of the society followed as an adjunct to the Doctrine of PNC Party Paramountcy through the creation of a National Service, the Peoples Militia, Pioneers and an armed youth arm of the PNC. It is known that recruitment to the police and other defence institutions as well as the public service in general are dispensed by the PNC as political patronage to its supporters. The regime is not prepared to recruit into the armed forces individuals (East Indians) who are in the opposition to it. The sons and daughters of party activists or some party activists themselves are rewarded with employment in the Military service. (Ken Danns: Domination of Power in Guyana)

In the case of the distribution of scarce commodities the Ministry of Trade and the Guyana National Trading Corporation as a matter of policy have consistently ensured State Terror – 1980s that the state employees received Ralph Premdass (Ethnic their supplies before non-state em- Conflict and Development – The ployees even know of their avail- Case of Guyana) “State Terror had ability. What is left over is given become entrenched and pervasive to the PNC distribution outlets as a mode of maintaining the PNC i.e. the KSI (Knowledge Sharing in power. In rural areas where East Institute).

Indian predominated, it assumed Thus, even at the level of pur- a decidedly racist form. Rape, burchasing basic food stuff the citi- glary and arbitrary arrest by the sezen is forced to go to the PNC. curity had become so prevalent that The hardship generated, austeri- East Indian villages became placty measures and restricted avail- es of terror. The police were viewed ability of essential items affected not as a solution but as the source of PUBLIC SERVICE APPOINTMENTS

Perhaps the most glaring, blatant and visual PNC discrimination against East Indian took place in the area of housing.

Source: Official Gazette Firstly, in 1978 a sugar workpuerile and specious argument er could only obcannot stand the scrutiny of con- tain an intertextual relevance. It was clear est- free loan of that if 80 percent of job opportuni- $3,000 for housties were in the hands of the state ing construction the East Indian population did not from the Sugar have many choices or job availabil- Welfare Fund ity elsewhere, hence they would a fund to which have needed jobs within the Public a sugar worker sector. contributes. In Ken Danns (1983) in com- 1977, the Guyana menting on the growth of the pub- Bauxite Company developed a the poorest sections and those out lic sector writes that during 1965 home improvement scheme for its of the formal structure (i.e. East – 1981 the public sector employ- workers whereby its worker ob- Indians) most harshly. (Khemraj ment including the armed forces tained $18,000 – the first $6,000 is Rai – Managing Political Conflict grew from 30,000 to 135,000 and given as grant, the second $6,000 in Guyana).

The 1980 and 1982 US Country another 10,000 was employed by was given interest free while the on Human Rights the regional system. He further remaining $6,000 carries an inter- Reports Practices states “the rural prewrites that “politicization of pub- est of 3 percent per annum. lic bureaucracy is accomplished by Strategic lands near sugar es- dominantly East Indian areas have suffered more HOUSING TABLE B (LIST OF ONGOING HOUSING PROJECTS) from these shortages than have the urban largely Black areas”.

The PNC ran food distribution outlets at times gave preferential services to Afro-Guyanese supporters.

Guyana Human Rights Association in 1981-1982 also speaks of racial discrimination in the distribution of esSource: 1980 Budget Speech – Appendix VIII sential food stuff.

GHRA further named 2 of tates communities predominantwidespread and intensive party ly peopled by Indians have been 3 persons who died in food lines penetration, senior appointments awarded to the black military for since February of 1981 – Parbattie in these bureaucracies are sanc- construction of housing units to Narine, age 56, mother of 10 died tioned by the PNC party and the act as buffer zones to East Indian in a line for cooking oil; Somwaria possession of a party card is an im- activities e.g. Melanie Damishana Milton, age 52, mother of 11 chil-

Source: Official Gazette the problem. East Indian homes in particular became a target of official search and seizure because as the economy deteriorated and inflation reduced the real earnings of the police and security forces “the need for public plunder as a source for revenue became compelling”.

East Indian homes became the main target of booty and the police knew that theft and torture committed against the Indian community were likely to go uninvestigated or ignored by the courts. The fact remain that everyone knew what was happening and nothing was done to stop the plunder.”

The violation of civil rights of the East Indian population for the most part directly related to the control of the state by a minority government.

It is the extremely extensive control of jobs in the state sector, backed by a disproportionately large military organization that makes this possible.

The 1982 US Country Reports on Human Rights Practice sums it up as follows “The PNC and its leaders have imposed a racially oriented, minority government on the nation”.

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 11

Times Feature

Letter from a friend of Moses Nagamootoo

(Dr Gary Girdari, publisher of the Guyana Journal from NY, is an old friend and supporter of Moses Nagamootoo. He feels the politician was squeezed out of the PPP in 2011 unfairly. What follows is his assessment of Nagamootoo’s subsequent actions)

A

nd in one swoop, he became antiPPP. Voilà! Today you’re for; tomorrow you’re against. One wonders what the scenario might have been had he been the selected PPP presidential candidate; but then this is hypothetical and conjecture, and intended to be rhetorical.

Moses went on the proverbial warpath and lashed out against the PPP. He certainly had a lot of ammunition being deep in the party for most of his life. He assumed the warrior posture in speech, attitude and behaviour akin to jingoist anger, a kind of higher probity.

If one pauses and fastforward….

Moses’ pronouncement that “we must forget the past” means

Gary Girdhari

written and spoken about these. Notably, he authored: • “The Three Trials of Arnold Rampersaud: a true story narrative” • “Fraud (a Synopsis of Guyana's 1980 Elections)” • “Paramountcy over the Media in Guyana” PNC election riggings are well documented for anyone to examine, for example: • “British TV Documentary: Making of a Prime Minister (PNC rigged elections)”

A Wismar building set on fire during political unrest

that Guyanese should not think of the past – not of the PNC past to be specific – to bury that part of history. While this may be existential political praxis, it is very stunning to Guyanese as a whole, and perplexing to me specially. George Santayana has become clichéd. He wrote (in “The Life of Reason”): “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Caveat Emptor!

Moses more than anyone in the PPP (with the exception of Cheddi and Janet Jagan) was in the trenches tooth and nail to expose the atrocities and ignominies of the PNC regime. He has

• “The Trail of the Vanishing Voters: A look at how PNC rigged elections in Guyana” (I was in the UK and I saw TV documentaries in astonishment and shame).

How then can he opportunely ask the Guyanese people to forget!

Phenomenology 101.

For his role especially during the Burnham years, Moses was harassed and violated by the PNC. During the heyday of the WPA he was the only non WPA politician to share platforms with Walter Rodney (and Rupert Roopnarine and others). He knows of: • PNC riggings of elec-

tions • the X-13 plan • the “ballot box martyrs” • Arnold Rampersaud incarceration without trial • Hamilton Green power role • the House of Israel violent destabilizing tactics at WPA meetings • the murders of Ohene Koama and Edward Dublin • Joshua Ramsammy who was shot • Vincent Teekah’s murder • the murder of Father Darke, and of so many more organized brutalities and mayhems.

Yes, Moses knows everything. He was/is a master journalist, writer and author, and a superb politician. He must know! He cannot, should not, forget.

And he dares not ask any Guyanese to forget! Too many Guyanese in all walks of life (including diehard PNC supporters) suffered, and this was the principal push factor for unparalleled Guyanese initial exodus to foreign lands. Such a chauvinistic statement to “forget the past” is without any intellectual justification or rationalization, and can only be seen as self-serving.

So Moses knows the history, and David Granger said that he is unaware of any wrongdoings of the PNC. Granger is reported to say that he does not have knowledge of any (1968, 1973, 1978 referendum, 1980, 1985) rigging or of any of the aforementioned PNC evils. But at the same time he (Brig. Granger who was the head of the military) said that the military did their job “splendidly” [in removing the ballot boxes and taking them to GDF headquarters for the count].

David Granger is adamant in denial, and Moses plays possum.

Moses knows, and Granger has no knowledge! How disingenuous!

As a people, Guyanese cannot and should not be hoodwinked to have convenient memory loss for expedience and deception.

History is most important as a guide to peoples’ development, as a tool for self-concept, self-esteem and self-determination.

Should the world forget the Armenian genocide? The Holocaust? Slavery – especially in America and the Caribbean? The Trail of Tears … and so on...?

The answer is unambiguously a resounding no.

Why then ask the Guyanese people to forget? Even if one were to stand on high moral ground, seeking restorative reconciliation, one would

have to adhere to the cardinal principles of acceptance first, apology, asking forgiveness, and then be forgiven. Thus far no one in the PNC (past or present) has done even the first of these.

Granger’s quip, “I am not Burnham” is very suggestive of his awareness of Burnham’s reign, which deteriorated into de facto dictatorship, economic ruin, and delusional madness. Yet Moses fantasizes to stand on the high moral ground to appease, and Granger pretends. How misleading, Machiavellian and duplicitous!

I am reminded of a quote from Albert Einstein: “Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.”

May 11 is just around the corner. The people must choose. The system allows one choice. Both sides do have many shortcomings.

So it boils down to deciding on the better of the two – the PPP or the conjoined opposition.

Is the PPP guilty of corruption as is repeatedly claimed by the opposition?

In my mind this is quite possible. However, the claims are many but the evidence is short. Does the opposition help in progress and do they have a way forward? I don’t know – at the time of writing a “leaked” Manifesto does not say very much.

Has the PPP done a good job since 1992? The answer is yes in most instances – in

Moses Nagamootoo

and three-storied buildings; shops became stores; parlours became restaurants; shopping areas developed into malls; petrol stations proliferated; banks expanded nationwide; donkey carts disappeared and vehicles replaced them; bicycles were no longer essential forms of transportation; motorcycles replaced them. Hotels littered the skyline; canefields were converted into housing schemes with metropolitan-style homes; TV and radio stations took to the airwaves; information technology replaced conventional databases; schools and hospitals were constructed around the country, making education and health care accessible to the general population. The list of improvements is endless and credit must be given to the government for its vision, energy and management of the state of the economy.

The small man became the real man, indeed. Working class people became middle

sis of a democratic state is liberty.” Renowned economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen in his book “Development as Freedom” implores that our lives must be measured by the degree of freedom we enjoy. This freedom to me is of exceptional and fundamental importance in the landscape of Guyana. Many have been jailed, tortured and have died, in the pursuit of this freedom. Let us not ever forget!

For all of his partial failings, Abraham Lincoln must be admired for what he said: “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”

We all have our biases and prejudices brought about by different constructs in our lives. I believe as Albert Einstein: “Never do anything against conscience even if the state [or a party/politician] demands it.”

The Guyanese people must decide. Despite the many constraints, are the people and the country better off now or not? The people must examine the totality of things and decide which of the contending parties has served and will serve Guyana better. Their future is at stake. A voter has one vote. This should be cast wisely – with the head, not just with the heart.

The great universal teacher, Buddha, cautions

Food protests

infrastructure, education, healthcare, housing and more. Justice Charles R. Ramson (SN April 3, 2015) (allowing for some degree of poetic license) summarizes thus: “Tracks became roads, roads became streets, streets were made into highways; shacks became houses; houses became two-

class and higher. This developmental trajectory, if compromised, would signal retrogressive consequences.”

I may add that the most important, for me, is the return of democracy – the freedom to move, speak freely, write – in the press, radio, TV, and generally in the society at large. Aristotle said so many years ago: “The ba-

and entreats: “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense.”

To the Guyanese electorate, I say: • Do your sacred duty!

• Vote wisely.

• Let your conscience be your guide.

12 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Feature

N

Employees say we have done it!

EW GPC continues to excel in Guyana and the Caribbean, and stakes a claim to be the only pharmaceutical manufacturer and exporter in the region that is United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant.

The company manufactures more than 200 products, including the world famous Limacol, at its East Bank Demerara plant. After privatisation in 1999, the company has added over

Export Leader, US FDA and Quality

The company is not only the undisputed leader in the domestic market; it exports over 60 percent of its output to North America, Europe, The Caribbean, South and Latin America. Recently, the company has started to export to Haiti as well.

NEW GPC is pursuing a vigorous export-led strategy, which drives continuous improvement and adherence to the highest internation-

Audit inspections and found compliant thereby clearing the way for continued exportation to the USA.

Pre-qualified Government Supplier

NEW GPC regained its old position as the largest supplier of pharmaceutical products to the government’s health sector. This came after years of hard work and significant investments in production and warehousing facilities.

NEW GPC has the most extensive and modern 100,000 square feet warehousing facility which is used for storage of government’s pharmaceuticals and which is granted free of charge to them. This facility is easily the best in the Caribbean, meeting international standards and comprising of three temperature-controlled zones.

The strength behind the legend

eighty (80) new products to its range and has a further 25 new products in the pipeline which includes statins, proton-pump inhibitors, anti-fungals, anthelmintics and anti-parasitical formulations.

al standards for quality in a fast paced environment.

The company is "Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)" compliant - the gold standard in a highly regulated industry and has undergone two recent US FDA

None of the achievements would have been possible without the company’s most valuable asset, its employees. The focus therefore shifts to Human Resource (HR) practices at NEW GPC and to the employees themselves.

As a pharmaceutical manufacturer it is twice as important to attract and recruit the most suitable candidates, and retain those with institutional knowledge, ex-

In their own words My experiences at NEW GPC INC. JOY AUSTIN – MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT I have worked with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation, now NEW GPC INC, for over 30 years.

I am proud to say that I have grown from strength to strength enjoying various benefits in terms of Medical Scheme, Pension, company loans, subsidized meals and allowances. NEW GPC INC. is a family oriented company. We manufacture products of a very high standard and I am a proud ambassador of this family.

MYRTLE SINGH NURSE AID/OSH OFFICER I have been employed for over 25 years. During these years I have no regrets. The management has always taken care of my needs. During my years I can proudly say that I have gained knowledge from the many external and internal training courses that I have benefited from. I enjoy free transportation from home to work (return), subsidized meals and many more benefits. I am allowed to be a member of Union to represent my interest.

perience and skill. HR practices are therefore intertwined with training and continuous staff development. The corporation maintains one of the largest internship programs with UG for students of Chemistry and Pharmacy.

Management also recognises that a highly motivated workforce is key to its success and as such places equal emphasis on staff welfare and remuneration. Employees typically receive annual bonuses, up to four weeks vacation leave (five in some instances) with pay, leave passage assistance (LPA) equivalent to one month’s salary, subsidized meals and meals allowances, employee discounts, uniforms and allowances, free transportation for East Coast, West Coast and Georgetown based employees, full safety gear, pension, medical and various other fringe benefits such as cricket tickets, bursaries etc. The

company has a high rate of job satisfaction, which is evident in arguably the lowest rate of staff turnover for large companies in Guyana.

The relations with the unions, GLU and CCWU are, not surprisingly, excellent. Through these and creating a collegial atmosphere, NEW GPC has been able to buck the trend of migration of qualified Guyanese and has retained and expanded core competencies to the benefit of all concerned including our country.

NEW GPC is part of a larger group that employees more than 500 people and

therefore directly contributes towards the upkeep and security of 500 families.

Equally important is that there exists in Guyana a Guyanese company with the people, experience and competencies to manufacture essential medicines. Not many can boast of having a pharmaceutical manufacturer/ exporter in their own country. The NEW GPC is also the owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors cricket franchise, which is part of the Limacol CPL Twenty/20 League that brings excitement and joy every year to local fans.

REVENDRA PERSAUD PHARMACIST Being employed at NEW GPC INC. over the last two years has indeed been wonderful.

Since I have been here, I have experienced nothing but professionalism from all the staff at all levels. I would like to express that this Company is one of a kind and takes good care of its employees. Working here is so far the best working environment of my life. I am also excited that NEW GPC INC. has bought the CPL Franchise “Guyana Amazon Warriors” to Guyana.

LEXTER DATSON SENIOR TECHNICIAN I have been working with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation now NEW GPC INC. for the past 17 years. I have never had any problems with this company. Over these years. I have achieved my own home and transportation, thanks to Management and a very good salary I am receiving.

VIOLA SERTIMER CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY I am proud to say that my company has been a contributor to the economy for a number of years and is one of the oldest companies in my country. We have enjoyed a number of benefits such as internal and external training sessions, free transportation, subsidized lunches etc. We have a family relationship with each other and always feel like a second home. continued on page 13

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MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 13

Times Feature

In their own words WENDY BAIRD MACHINE OPERATOR

from page 12

My experiences at NEW GPC INC. IRIS CUMBERBATCH QC INSPECTOR

I have been with NEW GPC since 1987.

I have always enjoyed working I have been with this with this company since we work company for over 35 years as one family and we enjoy the and I am proud to be an ambassador for NEW GPC time that we spend together. I also INC. enjoy seeing the products that we manufacture on the shelves of our ANNZETTE THOMAS local supermarkets and MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR pharmacies.

I have worked with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation since 1990 until it was privatised in 1999 and with the new management. Under their leadership, GPC has been transformed into a state of the art pharmaceutical plant. Management always ensures that their staff are happy we work in peace and understanding. My children can enjoy their own personal bank account as a result of the company's Bursary Award Scheme.

SELINA OUTRAM-BHOLA PAYMENTS OFFICER II am proud to say that I have given NEW GPC INC. 25 years of service. I can attest to the high moral standards, honesty and integrity in which the company has conducted its business.

Having worked these many years, I have known management to be highly professional in all of their business decisions. NEW GPC is truly a leader in Guyana.

MAXINE BESS CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY I have been with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation now NEW GPC INC. for the past 27 years. During this time I have attained a wide scope of knowledge working under the supervision of various managers. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy benefits such as health, transportation, salary increases and bonuses under the past and present ownership.

VAULDA ANTHONY GENERAL HELPER I have been at NEW GPC for over 17 years. I am a workers representative for one of the unions, representing workers interests. I am proud to say that we enjoy decent salary and other fringe benefits. The Management of NEW GPC INC. is always approachable and willing to discuss anything regarding workers.

AUDREY PERSAUD BATCH LEADER I have been working with Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation since 1987. I have no problem with this company. I was able to achieve land and I am now proudly building my home. I was also able to educate all my children with the salary I receive from this company.

SUKDEO PERSAUD PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDANT I have worked with the Company NEW GPC INC. for 24 years. We have a wonderful bunch of staff of mixed race working and we are a very happy to work for NEW GPC INC. GPC INC. who transformed the company into a profitable organization and expanded on its range of products. There were improved working conditions in terms of salary and other conditions of employment for employees at all levels.

SAVITRIE HARIPRASAD LINE ATTENDANT I have been working at NEW GPC INC. since 1990.

I have enjoyed working with this company and have no regrets.

Management has always been good to me.

VAULDA MURRAY MACHINE OPERATOR I have been employed be Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation now NEW GPC INC. for over 36 years. I am proud to say that I was sick for over 8 months last year, (2014) just an example to show how we live as a family, I was not dismissed and I enjoyed all the benefits as usual, I am proud to be an ambassador of NEW GPC INC. A Guyanese owned company.

CHARLENE JORDAN BATCH LEADER I have been employed with the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation now NEW GPC INC. since 1987. I have no regrets working with this Company. I find the management of NEW GPC INC and their Board of Directors to be very employee friendly. Our interests are always taken care of. I am proud to be a NEW GPC INC. Ambassador.

FAY SCOTT-SMART PERSONNEL MANAGER I am a proud ambassador of NEW GPC INC. the leading pharmaceutical manufacturing company in the Caribbean. NEW GPC INC. is a closely-knit family. Our employees are over most valuable resource and we treat them with pride and respect. We enjoy benefits, which many other companies desire to have. We can be considered the envy of others due to the fact that our staff turnover is very low. All my children are bursary awardees of NEW GPC INC, which they get yearly.

THORLA STEPHNEYTROTZ - SECRETARY I am proud to have been with NEW GPC INC. since 1987. I have worked as a line attendant from the beginning and now I work as an administrative assistant. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy benefits such as medical scheme, transportation from home to work (return), pension scheme, subsidized meals, salary increases and bonuses. I am covered by the union and have company loans granted whenever the need may arise.

VINCE GRIFFTH PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDANT It has always been a pleasure working for NEW GPC INC. for the last 24 years. The company was not profitable in the days of Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation.

However, since the privatization to NEW GPC INC. There were improved working conditions in terms of salary and other conditions of employment for employees at all levels. Management of NEW GPC INC. has consistently invested in its human resources through training from both local organizations and foreign consultants. We have also benefitted from annual salary increases and other emoluments such as bonuses; paid vacation allowance, free transportation etc.

14 Times Sunday Magazine

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MAY 10, 2015

Times Feature

Remembering Guyana's 1992 Elections An excerpt from "Beyond the White House," by Jimmy Carter

In 2007, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter wrote "Beyond the White House," about his post-presidency work with The Carter Centre. In it, he reflected on a number of election observation missions, including the Centre’s first to Guyana, in 1992. An excerpt from the book, published by Simon and Schuster, is reprinted here.

T

he most personal danger I have felt since leaving the White House was in Guyana in 1992. This small nation on the northern coast of South America was then and still is the most completely divided that I know. About 9 percent of its citizens are Amerindians living mostly in the vast forests, and another 80 percent are divided between descendants of indentured servants from India and descendants of African slaves, both brought in by the British during colonial times.

"The most personal danger I have felt since leaving the White House was in Guyana in 1992.�

President Carter The major political parties are largely separated along these racial lines, as are many of the basic professions.

The Indo-Guyanese hold a slight majority, but the Afro-Guyanese and their People's National Congress (PNC) party were able to control the government from the time of national independence in 1966, assisted by the government of Great

Jagan in discussions

Britain and the CIA, both of which considered Cheddi Jagan, leader of the opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP), to be a Marxist.

In 1990, Mr Jagan came to The Carter Centre; claimed that previous elections had been fraudulent, and asked us to help ensure that the next one would be honest and fair. We agreed, provided the ruling party would also accept our presence as observers. For several months, President Desmond Hoyte objected strongly, but public opinion became so greatly aroused that he finally agreed, just one month before the election was scheduled. Bob Pastor and his team developed a list of minimal election standards, and I went to Guyana to discuss them with the president and others. Three of the most important were to have an accurate voters' list, a politically balanced election commission, and votes counted at the polling places.

These issues had been hotly debated for almost thirty years and were very difficult for the ruling party to accept. Finally, as I was

preparing to leave the country and declare that we could not participate, President Hoyte accepted all our provisions. The election was delayed until October 1992, and government officials also invited observers of the British Commonwealth, with whom they had enjoyed a close and friendly relationship.

As usual, we deployed our two-person teams throughout the country before Election Day, and I went west along the coast toward the border with Venezuela to visit a few polling sites in a riverain area inhabited by Arawak Indians, travelling from one village to another in a small boat.

On the way back to Georgetown, the capital, we flew over the famous site of the 1978 mass suicide of Jim Jones and more than nine hundred of his cult followers.

When we arrived at the airport, our small plane was surrounded by members of the security forces, who informed me that riots had broken out all over Georgetown, and that I must go to the U.S.

The day-long siege of the Elections Commission headquarters in Georgetown by a violent and angry crowd claiming they were not allowed to vote nearly caused Guyana's elections to collapse. (Photo courtesy of Guyana Chronicle)

Embassy, where I would be safe.

Instead, I went to my hotel room and called President Hoyte, who assured me that the police were in charge and order would soon be re-

Cheddi Jagan taking the oath to become president after the PPP won the 1992 General Elections

on the second floor. When I arrived, accompanied by three Secret Service agents, the building was surrounded by several hundred rioters, who had already broken all the windows with clubs and

ruling party would lose by about 14 percent, and early the next morning I went to visit both presidential candidates. They agreed to refrain from any public statements and to accept the

Police cordoned off Robb Street in Georgetown, Guyana, after dispersing a stone-throwing crowd in front of the Freedom House, headquarters of the People's Progressive Party. (Photo courtesy of Guyana Chronicle)

stored. Bob Pastor informed me that the PNC were obviously losing the election, and that some of their supporters had been induced to disrupt the process. I decided that the election should continue if possible, and sent word to our observers to monitor events and, after the polls closed, to go to their assigned places to gather quick count results. Our senior observer, Jennifer McCoy, told me that the election centre had come under attack by an angry mob, some of whom claimed to have been denied a ballot. She had visited the building and tried to work out a solution with the PNC party chief, but the riot continued.

The election centre was where all of the communication equipment and computers, on which election results would be tabulated, were located. It was a twostory wooden building with many windows, with the electronic equipment housed in an isolated central room

stones. There was only one Guyanese police office present, a woman wearing a uniform but without sidearms.

We went upstairs and found that all the computers had been transferred to one of the more isolated hotels for safekeeping. I phoned the hotel manager, who told me that the computers could not be operated there unless "a battalion of troops is sent to protect us against the mobs trying to stop the vote count." I called the president again. I told him that I was in the unprotected building and that there was no way to complete the election unless the workers could return with their computers. Also, I told him that our Secret Service would contact the White House if I didn't receive immediate protection from the mob outside.

Calm was restored after another hour, and the computers were tabulating returns by midnight. Our quick count showed that the

final results, which were announced three days later.

Cheddi Jagan was sworn in as president after what was considered to be the country's first free and fair election since independence.

After his death five years later, his wife, Janet Jagan, became president, but she resigned in 1999 because of poor health.

The Carter Centre has remained in close contact with the people of Guyana and has helped them to work out a long-range plan for economic and political development. A young deputy finance minister, Bharrat Jagdeo, was assigned by the Jagans to work with us on this project, and he performed this duty superbly. When Mrs Jagan became ill, Jagdeo was chosen to succeed her as president, and he was elected and then reelected in 2001 and 2006.

Unfortunately, many of the divisions in Guyana remain.

guyanatimesgy.com

May 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 15

16 Times Sunday Magazine

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May 10, 2015

Times Art

The newly installed totem pole at the National Park seeks to tell a cultural history and encourage appreciation of our urban green spaces

T

otem poles are monuments created by some indigenous cultures to tell the stories of their ancestry, history and people. These stories are often told using human, animal and spiritual symbols.

The Wakili Totem Pole, located at the National Park, tells the story of the close relationship between people and nature at the dawn of time, and the current need to conserve our natural resources if we are to survive and thrive.

The symbols used include endangered animals representing air, water and land. Symbols and legends from Guyana’s indigenous cultures are also used to speak about the balance between humans and the natural world, and our responsibility as environmental stewards.

The totem pole was sculpted by Oswald Hussein, a Lokono (Arawak) artist from St. Cuthbert's Mission

President Donald Ramotar (right) hands a prize to Hussein at the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition 2014

(Pakuri in Arawak).

Hussein draws inspiration from his native Arawak cultural traditions often depicting scenes based on stories his mother told him when he was young, about “animals, humming birds or fish [...] and the sun and rain gods which mark events in

our lives”.

The Wakili Totem Pole in the National Park was officially commissioned in April 2015. The totem pole tells of the delicate balance that exists between man and nature, which is expertly captured in the hand-chiselled characters, animals and

spirit guardians depicted on the 20-foot tall purpleheart pole.

This totem pole is but the first installation in the "Art in the Park" initiative said Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), Damian Fernandes.

He also explained that the initiative was essentially encouraging an artistic renaissance in the parks, and utilizing our urban green spaces (zoo, National Park, Joe Vieira Park and the Botanical Gardens) to serve as a blank canvas to the artistic community. Art in all its forms, whether theatre, painting, sculpture, poetry, photography, could be brought into the park for the enjoyment of all visitors.

The initiative is part of a larger effort to rehabilitate and modernize the zoo under the Three Parks Initiative, which was launched by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud. At the launch, Minister Persaud made several commitments, which have seen lights being installed along the full cycle track, walkways upgraded, playfields raised, internal drainage canals restored, security enhanced and other major infrastructural developments in the National Park, Botanical Gardens and Zoological Park.

Several organizations, including WWF-Guianas, have expressed interest in collaborating with the PAC and local artists to produce installations, both permanent and temporary, within the parks.

The Wakili Totem Pole was sponsored by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T). Several other local businesses such as Jetoo's Lumber Yard, Rambarrans, AH&L Kissoon, and Kingdom Apiaries, supported the project.

“With your help, we can all begin to live this

"Dancing Woman. Celebration after harvest -Mashramani"

"Anaconda - Our largest snake"

"Frog - The first to show signs of environmental problems" (upper image) and "Arapaima Our largest fresh water fish, or “fish mother” in some cultures"

"Benab - Rainforest shelter and meeting place"

"Orio - Water spirit protector of our wetlands and rivers"

story, and work together to achieve this balance in our everyday lives.

Spread the message of the Wakili Totem pole, support your Parks and Protected Areas,” encouraged GT&T in its pamphlet on the totem pole.

(Information from GT&T and Ministry

"Cock of the Rock. Silent beauty of the rainforest"

of Natural Resources & the Environment)

The Wakili Totem Pole at the National Park

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MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 17

Times Tech

Europe ditching Android for Apple A

pple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus continue to convert Android users to iOS, with the Google OS' market share dropping in Europe's biggest five markets.

In the first quarter of 2015, iOS' share of sales climbed to 20.3 percent across Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, while Android fell to 68.4 percent, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

The figures show Europe has moved closer to the US for the proportion of users for each mobile OS: in the same period, Android grew to 58.1 percent of smart-

Tech BYTE

M

phone shipments in the US, while Apple declined slightly to 36.5 percent.

According to Kantar, in Great Britain Android's market share fell 4.8 percentage points year-onyear, accounting for 52.9 percent of all shipments. iOS climbed 6.9 percentage points over the same period to 38.1 percent, spurred by new users abandoning their Android phones: 25.6 percent of new iOS owners in Great Britain switched from an Android device, Kantar said.

Meanwhile, Windows Phone sales also declined year on year by 1.2 percentage points to eight percent.

F

Among the biggest five markets in Europe, France was the only area where Apple saw a year-on-year decline, falling from 23.4 percent to 19.4 percent.

Windows Phone may have been one of the beneficiaries, growing its share by

Microsoft makes Office 2016 Preview available for download

icrosoft on May 4 launched Office 2016 Preview, making it available to download for users who want to get an early look at the latest iteration of the company's productivity suite.

This new version includes several new features for home and business users, and is designed to work seamlessly across a wide range of devices, including Apple's iPad, Mac OS X, and Android tablets.

There are several new features coming to Office 2016, which are aimed at both users at home and in the workplace.

Here's a look at some of the more notable items of interest for end users.

Real-time Collaboration will allow users to co-author documents with others straight from within the application. You'll be able to see where each author is in the document and the changes being made as they occur.

Real-time collaboration is already available in Office web apps, but now comes directly to your desktop.

Modern Attachments in Outlook will now allow users to attach files from OneDrive and automatically configure the permissions the recipient will have, all without having to leave Outlook.

Smart Applications have been added and are designed to "learn" as you work.

For example, Clutter is an Exchange feature that now works directly with Outlook for home users. It uses machine learning to analyse email patterns and de-clutter your inbox based on the priority of messages.

Tech BYTE

12.9 percent to 17.5 percent over the period.

In addition, in Germany, Android's share fell 5.7 percentage points to 71.3 percent while iOS and Windows grew to 18.3 per-

Microsoft promises that new Excel data analysis will be faster and let you pull, map, analyse and visualize your data more easily. It will also include one-click forecasting based on your data series, along with the inclusion of Power Query, Power Pivot functionality, and new modern charts and graphs.

To install the Office 2016 Preview,

you don't need to be part of the Windows Insiders program for testing Windows 10, but you do need a PC running Windows 7 or higher. In addition, you cannot have Office 2013 and 2016 installed side-byside, so you will need to uninstall Office 2013 first.

This preview isn't meant for the average user, but rather enthusiasts and power users who are familiar with Microsoft Office. The final version is expected to be released later this Northern Hemisphere autumn, following the expected launch of Windows 10 this Northern summer.

If you're keen to start testing it out and providing feedback to Microsoft, head to the Microsoft Office 2016 Preview page to get started.(Gizmag)

SmartRim takes sideways approach to preventing wheel damage

ew driving noises can be as deflating as that of a car wheel scraping against the curb when parking.

It means you've misjudged your distance from the sidewalk and inflicted some ugly and potentially expensive damage on your wheel. The SmartRim is a device aimed making this a thing of the past.

The SmartRim was created by technology entrepreneur Steven D. Domenikos with a view to giving drivers a clear idea of their proximity to curbs and other unsighted car wheel obstacles. It employs a sensor that measures the time taken for ultrasonic waves to reflect off nearby objects dozens of times every second.

The device also contains a micro-electromechanical sensor that is used to constantly measure acceleration and can reportedly detect actions like a person entering the

car. This helps it to be aware of its environment and allows it to become active only when necessary, thus saving energy.

Installation of the SmartRim is claimed to take just a matter of minutes. It attaches to the inside of a wheel well using the high bond adhesive and removable clip baseplate provided.

The device is powered using a single AA battery that is said to last for more than 1,000 parking cycles. It's said to be waterproof, dust-proof, dirt-proof, vibrationproof and able to operate between temperatures of -20 to 120° F (-29 to 49° C).

The SmartRim sensors are wireless and relay information to an accompanying iOS mobile app. The app is then used to provide alerts when the vehicle gets near to a curb, walls or other hazards.(Gizmag)

cent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, in Spain Android remains dominant with a 90 percent share of sales while iOS runs second with seven percent.

5.8 percentage points to 14.1 percent, while Android declined 0.6 percentage points to 64.6 percent.

In Italy, Android's decline from 70.7 percent a year ago to 66.8 percent in the latest quarter was mirrored by Apple's rise from

Tech news

P

Phone Case Converts Radio Waves Into Power

C Magazine online notes that Startup Nikola Labs is bringing renewable energy to smartphones.The Ohio-based company's technology, they say, converts your handset's stray radio frequency signals into battery-charging energy.

Citing Nikola Labs’ co-founder Will Zell, they revealed that more than 90 percent of your phone's transmitted energy is lost to the environment. By reducing, reusing, and recycling that energy, Zell explained, the phone case quietly captures the wasted radio frequencies (RF) and converts them to electricity -- which are put back into the phone.

The $99 iPhone 6 accessory won't magically recharge your device in a matter of seconds, nor does it promise to restore your device's battery to factory perfection. Instead, as Zell pointed out, its power-converting rectifier circuit will extend the smartphone's life by only about 30 percent. And it will do so quite gradually.

Unlike some other charging cases on the market, Nikola Labs' still-unnamed product aims to slow battery depletion, rather than provide a burst of energy for a fading phone.

"It's not a spectacular, in-your-face technology, but it's a technology that works," Zell said on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt event.

18 Times Sunday Magazine

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MAY 10, 2015

Times Home & Cooking

Mother's Day Recipes

Breakfast, Brunch or Afternoon Tea

A Mother’s Day Table Treat your mother to a special meal on Mother’s Day and dine on a well laid out table…

Ingredients

Scones

1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk

3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar 5 teaspoons baking powder

Method

What better way to say whose day it is than with a big bold decoration across a table filled with her favourite colour palette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. Mix the egg and milk in a small bowl, and stir into flour mixture until moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll dough out into a 1/2 inch thick round.

Cut into 8 wedges, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Spread with filling of choice.

Makes 8

Lunch or Dinner

Lemon Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2-inch medallions Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or as needed

Have brunch or afternoon tea outdoors for a truly memorable Mother’s Day meal

Bring out the silverware and the best china for a pretty Mother’s Day table

1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup low sodium chicken broth 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons minced Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).

Place a serving platter into the oven to warm.

Season the chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour. Shake off excess flour. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet; pan-fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Work in batches and do not crowd skillet, adding oil as needed. Place the chicken pieces onto the warmed platter in the oven. When finished with all the chicken, drain most of the oil from the skillet, leaving a thin coating on the surface of the pan.

Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth. Scrape and dissolve any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the lemon slices and bring the mixture to a boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and capers; simmer until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add the parsley; remove from heat and set aside.

Arrange the chicken medallions on serving plates and spoon sauce over each portion to serve.

Makes 4 servings

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Child Anger Management Skills FUNNY POEMS My Mum is an Alien I think my mum is an alien, No really, honestly, it’s true, She says she has eyes in the back of her head, Well that’s a … big clue.

She may be telepathic as well, 'Cos she always knows when we lie, And sometimes when she’s in a terrible rush, She says that she’ll ‘just have to fly’.

I think she probably has super powers With x-ray vision too, She says she does the work of ten men each day, And tells dad, ‘I can see right thru’ you’.

I think her weakness is dirt and germs, She’s always cleaning up after us, And she makes us wear clean undies every day, ‘Just in case’ we might get… ‘hit by a bus’ And when she tucks us up in bed at night, She uses her powers of hypnosis, To make us feel like tired little sleepyheads, …I think my mum is the mostest.

Collette Saw

Mother and the Mouse My mother is not the sort of mum Who’ll squeal and faint and shiver, Darkness doesn't scare her, When it thunders she won't quiver!

When I decide to play up She fixes me with a stare, One flashing look from her big eyes, And I just don't care to dare!

So it was with shock, one morning, When I woke up from a dream, To hear my valiant, mighty Mum, Let out a high-pitched scream!

I raced to see her perched up high, Upon the kitchen sink, Squealing like a baby bat, Right on the edge, the brink.

I asked her what the matter was, Had the pressure cooker burst?

Or had the oven scorched her hand?

I did expect the worst!

She whimpered like a baby, And pointed to a mouse, That had the gall and temerity, To enter into our house!

I picked a broom and shooed at it, I chased it to the hall, I almost whacked it sharply, For driving Mummy up that wall.

But it was quick and cunning And soon gave me the slip, It vanished in the hallway, Into the garden skip.

I ran into the kitchen, And helped my Mummy down, Trembling like an autumn leaf, She wore a frightened frown...

"I don't like mice", she whispered, Her big eyes round with fear, I felt like superheroes do, So glad that I was near!

I told her not to worry, With the mice I was at war I promised her that she'd be safe, For that’s what sons are for!

Faith Trekson

M

any child behaviour problems centre on children struggling to manage their anger. If you teach your child anger management skills, it will improve behaviour and give your child one of the most important life skills.

Children often have difficulty understanding the difference between angry feelings and aggressive behaviour.

Often, feelings like sadness and hurt are masked by aggressive behaviour. Teach your child how to identify and verbalize feelings instead of acting them out.

Anger is like any other emotion and there are times that it is appropriate to feel angry. Teach children about feelings so they can learn to verbalize feelings of anger, frustration and disappointment.

It’s essential that you role model appropriate behaviour to teach children how to manage their anger. If your children see you lose your cool, they’ll be much more likely to have trouble managing their own anger or understanding what’s appropriate and what isn’t.

Create written household rules that make it clear to

children what they can do when they feel angry and what sorts of behaviour will result in a consequence.

Anger rules should centre on behaving respectfully toward others. Children need to learn that just because they feel angry it doesn’t give them a right to hurt anyone.

Address areas such as physical aggression, name-calling and destruction of property so that children know they can’t throw things, break things or lash out verbally or physically when they’re mad.

It’s normal for children to struggle to manage their anger at times but difficulty with anger can cause serious problems for some children. If you grow concerned about your child’s behaviour or anger management problems, seek professional help.

A trained professional can rule out any underlying mental health problems and can offer assistance in creating a behaviour management plan.

Story Time

The Lesson M

other’s Day was near.

A man, pressed for time at work, impatiently stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived fifty miles away.

As he got out of his car, he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.

He stopped and asked her what was wrong, and she replied, "I want to buy a bouquet for my mother.But I only have five hundred dollars, and a simple bouquet costs fifteen hundreddollars."

The man smiled and said, "Come on in with me. I'll buy you a bouquet."

He bought the little girl her bouquet and ordered his own mother's flowers.

As they were leaving, he offered the girl a ride home.

She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother."

She directed him to a cemetery, where she tearfully placed the flowers on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, and, although the place was crowded by the time he reached back, he cancelled the wire order andpatiently waited to pick up thenew bouquet,before driving the fifty miles to his mother's house.

Reflections The Son Mother, don't hold me, Mother, your caress hurts me, See through my face, How I glow and wane.

Give the last kiss. Let me go.

Send a prayer after me.

That I broke your life, Mother, forgive me.

Alfred Lichtenstein

“K

ids Make Nutritious Snacks” declares a headline in a newspaper. Um, does that mean that kids are nutritious snacks or they cooked nutritious snacks?

Sentences found in newspapers -- especially headlines -that are confusing and/or misleading have been given the term “crash blossom”, after an August 2009 newspaper headline: “Violinist Linked to JAL Crash Blossoms”, left readers wondering what a crash blossom was.

Sentences that have two grammatical interpretations are called garden path sentences.

Like a meandering garden path or forked trail, they can lead you in the wrong direction.

By Grammar G

Crash Blossoms along Garden Paths Since, to save space, headlines usually omit the all-important words like “is, are and who”, or articles “a, an and the”, garden path sentences can happen,to create crash blossoms.

In the “…crash blossoms” headline story, which looked at the life of a violinist after her father had died in a Japan Airlines crash, the subject (violinist) and verb (blossoms) were separated by a clause that describes the subject.

The problem arose when readers interpreted the sentence in the usual subject-verbobject analysis.

Although the term crash blossom was recently created by the Internet group Testy Copyeditors, bad or awkward headlines are as old as newspaper headlines have existed.

Have fun with a few more crash blossoms compiled by the Columbia Journalism Review in their 1980 book “Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim and Other Flubs from the Nation’s Press”:

“Genetic Engineering Splits Scientists” “Milk Drinkers Turn to Powder” “Prostitutes Appeal to Pope”

“Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case” “Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge”

20 Times Sunday Magazine

MAY 10, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Puzzle

In this teaser, two definitions are given. Each pair of definitions is for two unrelated words. Your task is to discover what these two words are.

1. An instrument used to measure time - an outer garment.

2. An instrument used in woodworking for smoothing wood - a shallow dish used for eating food.

3. A deep basin used to hold liquids or food - to utter a loud prolonged cry.

4. A position of authority - a group of singers. see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

Amazing Mothers of the Animal Kingdom

W

hen we think of a crocodile, motherly love is not one trait we think of first. However, a ferocious female croc can be among the gentlest and most caring mothers of the animal kingdom. She guards her nest constantly; when the babies are about to hatch they make chirping sounds, and the mother helps them by digging them out of the nest. Then she takes the hatchlings to the water's edge in her mouth and from here on watches over them until they are able to look after themselves.

For many mother octopuses, laying eggs and waiting for them to hatch marks the end of her life. She needs to cover them and defend them against would-be predators and to gently waft currents over them so they get a constant supply of fresh, oxygenated water. The longer she keeps it up, the bigger her young can grow and the greater their odds for survival when they hatch. She does this continuously, never leaving and never eating. When the eggs hatch, she dies, starving and exhausted.

Mother’s Day Craft

Basket of Flowers

Materials

Crayons, oil pastels or coloured pencils Scissors Glue stick

Directions

the basket. Trim the stems if necessary. You can also add some paper leaves that you can draw and cut out.

You can slip in a note or a mini greeting card before giving the basket of flowers.

Printable paper or card stock Green construction paper

Draw two baskets and one handle shape; cut out then glue one basket to handle shape.

To make a basket with a "pocket", apply glue along the outer edges of the basket body, except on the top edge.

Glue the second basket body piece on top of the first, making sure to align both pieces properly.

Decorate basket with your choice of design: circles, strips, hearts etc.

Draw and cut out flower shapes.

Cut 4-inch long strips from green construction paper for the stems. Glue a stem at the back of each flower.

Slip the flowers inside

Colouring Fun

Mother's Day Word Search

22 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

In captivity, meerkats live 12-14 years; their life span is about half this in the wild.

By Laurie Triefeldt

These small, burrowing mammals live in underground colonies on the dry lands of Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. About the size of a squirrel, this small omnivore feeds mostly on insects, but also some plants.

Family ties The meerkat, a type of suricate, belongs to the civet and mongoose family. These omnivores live in large groups called a mob, gang or clan.

AFRICA

A clan usually has about 20 or 30 meerkats, but some gangs have 50 or more members.

This meerkat has dug up a tasty millipede for dinner.

The mob’s dominant female leads the group. All clan members help gather food, watch for predators and look after the pups.

Meerkat fur can be gold, silver, orange or brown with dark patches of fur around the eyes.

Did you know that some people keep giant African millipedes as pets?

The scientific name for the meerkat is suricata suricatta.

What’s for dinner?

Meerkats eat mostly spiders and insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and scorpions. They also eat small reptiles, birds, eggs, fruit and plants. They use their superior sense of smell to find their favorite foods. Meerkats have developed a certain amount of immunity to many venoms and are able to kill and eat venomous snakes and scorpions without being hurt.

Did you know?

Meerkats have scent pouches below their tails. They rub these pouches on rocks and plants to mark their territory.

Meerkats are diurnal, meaning they only go out in the daytime.

Meerkats will attack as a group to kill snakes and chase off would-be predators.

Meerkats do not make good pets. They are wild animals and can be aggressive. They also leave strong scent-marks in their home.

Home sweet home Living underground provides a home that is safe from predators and protects from the scorching heat of the African sun. One burrow can have as many as 15 entrance and exit holes.

Dead-end escape tunnel or bolt hole

Meerkats enjoy sunbathing in the early morning sun.

SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; www.livescience.com; San Diego Zoo; Smithsonian National Zoo; www.animalfactguide.com

Meerkat burrows can be 16 feet (5 meters) long, with many entrances, tunnels and rooms.

Entrance

Listening chamber

Mother meerkats remove the stingers of scorpions before teaching the pups how to hunt and eat them.

On guard The classic upright posture of a meerkat sentry may look cute, but it is actually serious business.

Jackals, eagles and falcons often have meerkat on the menu.

Meerkats take turns guarding the burrow, and there is always a sentry on the lookout for danger. Rival mobs have been known to raid a burrow and kill any babies if they can. Confrontations between rival meerkat groups can be violent and deadly.

When a meerkat spots a predator, it alerts the others with a bark or whistle. Different calls identify the danger as coming from land or from air. A low peeping sound is made when all is well.

When an alarm is raised, the meerkats run for the nearest escape hole, called a bolt hole.

There can be thousands of bolt holes inside a territory of about four square miles.

Adult meerkats are about 20 inches (50 cm) long. The female is generally larger than the male.

Nursery

Unlike most burrowing animals, meerkats have several burrows ready for habitation and will rotate from one to another.

Meerkats have a special clear membrane that covers and protects their eyes while digging.

A meerkat’s claws are used for digging burrows, digging for prey and climbing.

Meerkats have four toes on each foot.

Sleeping chamber

Waste room

Pups are born with eyes and ears shut and are mostly hairless.

Females give birth to one to eight babies at a time, although a litter of three to four offspring is most common. At birth, pups weigh 0.9 to 1.3 ounces (25 to 36 grams).

Their eyes open after two weeks, and pups start eating food other than milk at 3 weeks old.

Tunnel to another burrow Pups and adults are very vocal.

They make a peeping sound when playing and purr when content.

If trapped by a predator, a single meerkat will try to look fierce by lying on its back and showing its teeth and claws. If a group is confronted, the group will stand together, arching their backs, raising their hair and hissing in an attempt to scare off their enemy.

By 9 weeks, the pups are weaned, and by 1 1/2 years, they are mature enough to breed.

All members of the clan share the duty of raising and protecting the pups. The adults teach pups the skills needed to survive in the African desert.

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 23

World Times

The Philonoist

Q: What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.

P

eople often seem to use the words “herb” and “spice” to mean the same thing but they are different.

Generally, an herb is considered a garnish taken from plant leaves, while a spice is derived from a plant’s root, fruit or berries, seeds or bark.

Spices tend to have a strong, distinct 7 9 7 4 while herbs 6 flavour are 3 4 1 7and 2 milder, greener 3 2 leafier.

2 6 5 1 Usually, herb 7 9 plants tend to grow in 5 8 3 6 4 temperate 8 regions 7 5and are used to5 flavour 1

foods or as medicine.

These plants comprise flowers, stems and fragrant leaves.

Spices on the other hand, derive from dried aromatic plants, usually from tropical regions. They are generally used to add flavour or preserve foods, and are used as medicine as well.

Spices are historically highly valued and traded commodities.

Some spices include ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Examples of herbs include mint, thyme and parsley.

Daily Sudoku: Sun 3-May-2015

SUDOKU 6 7 5 3 9 1 8 2 4

2 4 8 5 6 7 9 3 1

7 5 9 1 4 6 3 8 2

3 2 4 8 7 5 6 1 9

Daily Sudoku: Sun 3-May-2015

8 6 1 9 3 2 7 4 5

9 3 6 2 5 4 1 7 8

4 1 7 6 8 9 2 5 3

5 8 2 7 1 3 4 9 6

Brain Teaser Answer (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.

1 9 3 4 2 8 5 6 7

1. clock - cloak 2. plane - plate 3. bowl - howl 4. chair - choir

very hard

CROSSWORD http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Guangdong factories replace workers with robots

A

n array of mechanical arms and complex machines are poised to replace the human assembly line workers at the Everwin Precision Technology Co., which will become the first factory in Guangdong Province to become fully automated under a new "replace human workers with robot workers" policy, China Youth Daily reported.

The automation of the factory, located in Dongguan, represents what may be a significant new trend - the rise of the robot in the Chinese labour force to offset increasing labour costs.

Everwin Precision Technology Co has purchased 1,000 new robots, joining 100 that were already working on the assembly line.

This will reduce the number of workers the factory needs, protecting it from a labourshortage that many cities in Guangdong are facing.

“A robotic production line does not mean there is no human labour at all, but it will reduce by about 90 percent the number of the workers," said Chen Qixing, the chairman of the company.

The governments of cities in the Pearl River Delta such as Dongguan and Foshan launched the "replace human workers with robot workers" scheme in 2014, after seeing its labour shortages create unrest.

According to China News Service, Guangdong Province suffers a shortfall of nearly 800,000 labourers this year, while Dongguan is lacking 100,000 labourers.

Robots give enterprises options to stay competitive other than increasing wages or benefits.

"Compared to the cost of labour, which is increasing more than 20 percent a year, investment in robots may be

more worthwhile," said Zhai Suoling, president of the Dongguan Taiwan-funded Enterprises Association.

The Dongguan Economic and Information Bureau said the scheme has successfully helped the city reduce its labour shortage by about 30,000 people since 2014.

The rise of the robotic

factory, however, has also drawn concern. A Xinhua report published on May 4 said replacing human labour with robots will make it more difficult for job seekers to find work, particularly those who are not well educated, because the minimum standard for labourers will increase.

"Those workers who are knowledgeable and have technical skills will be very welcomed by enterprises because they can do maintenance work for the robots and machines," it wrote.

"Enterprises and workers both need to change to survive."(China People’s Daily)

24

Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 10, 2015

Fun Times

Archie

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This is a great time April 19) to present your ideas to those in a position to help you advance.

ARIES

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trigues you. Working toward a common cause will give you a sense of belonging, satisfaction and accomplishment.

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Trust in your abilities and keep moving forward. You are capable of handling matters on your own.