The Local Government Elections: A Referendum on Guyana’s Political Condition
By Dr. David Hinds
Dr. David Hinds
Many observers, including the government and the opposition PPP, framed the recent Local Government Elections (LGE) as a referendum on the APNU+AFC Coalition’s performance in government. In many respects it is a characterization that’s difficult to avoid. Coming mere months after a bitterly fought general election which resulted in a razor thin win for the Coalition, both the government and the opposition wanted that characterization for different reasons.
It was hoped that a good showing by the governing coalition would give it much needed confidence that its stewardship is on track and that it enjoys the validation, at least, of its constituency. For the opposition PPP, a good performance would satisfy the party that its loss of the general election represents a temporary setback and that its constituency continues to reject the Coalition. Continue reading →
Dr. David Hinds
Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds
Black Humanity: Race, Blackness, Obama and Granger
When Barack Obama assumed the presidency of the USA in 2008-09, Black people all over the world celebrated the occasion with tears of joy. Many non-Blacks were stunned at the depth of emotions—what’s the big deal, they asked? After all, it was just an election that was won; others had won that election forty three times before. But at the heart of the Black response to Obama’s victory was something the world has come to pretend it does not understand—Race.
Race and Racism
The practice of Race as a social-political marker is relatively new in historical terms; it emerged in the mid-1700s in the USA as a justification for the enslavement of Africans as bonded labor. It was premised on the belief in the natural unequal worth of humans based on their skin color. In other words, those who had the power to do so institutionalized meaning to human difference to justify their new found economic privilege. Continue reading →
Hinds’ Sight – The Black/African Guyanese intellectual tradition and a nation of hypocrites
Dr. David Hinds
November 29, 2015 – By Dr. David Hinds
THERE is a debate in the newspapers over the role and activism of the Indian-Guyanese intellectual. Inevitably the discussion has made reference to and comparison with African Guyanese. One of the observations being made by some of the writers is that African-Guyanese intellectuals who speak and write about the condition of their ethnic group are treated as sacred cows—they are less criticised. On the other hand, their Indian-Guyanese counterparts are timid about speaking up on the condition of their group and those who dare speak out are often maligned. Today I want to speak to that phenomenon by saying something about the Black intellectual tradition.
This is not the first time one has heard this line of argument about Black intellectuals getting a pass when they speak about Black issues. The fact that it is not borne out by evidence does not bother those who repeat it. In ethnically divided societies such as ours, the instinct for pointing out the advantages of the other side is compelling. Continue reading →
Hinds’Sight – The Real State of Villages …something has to be done fast
Dr. David Hinds
October 4, 2015 – By Dr. David Hinds
I HAD the privilege of visiting several African-Guyanese villages as part of the Cuffy 250 Committee’s community outreach. During those visits, we got an opportunity to talk to villagers about the state of their communities and their views on contemporary politics. We also got to see for ourselves the real state of the villages; and what we discovered was shocking, even for those of us who interfaced with those villages on a regular basis.
It became clear to us that the change of government removed the lid on a lot of pent-up frustrations. The communities had mastered the art of masking their hurt and neglect. Continue reading →
By guyaneseonline
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Posted in Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Business, Education, Government, Guyana, History, Local Government, Medical
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Also tagged African-Guyanese villages, collective fear, Community Development Councils, contemporary politics., Cuffy 250 Committee, Education, fear., hurt and neglect, physical infrastructure, survival mode, The Real State of Villages
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Guyana: Patience needed on the issue of Corruption in previous Government
Dr. David Hinds
By Dr. David Hinds
Many supporters of Guyana’s governing coalition have been calling on the government to move more quickly against alleged instances of corruption in the previous government. Some are also dismayed that many operatives of the PPP still hold top positions in the government. This is understandable. The instances of corruption, which have thus far been made public by the government has confirmed in the minds of many that there is more in the mortar.
The logic of party politics invariably takes us to this place. The coalition made rooting out and prosecuting corruption a centerpiece of its campaign platform. Many of their supporters have individually and collectively felt the wrath of the PPP when in government. When one combines the two, the government has to appear to be aggressively going after those suspected of corruption. Continue reading →
By guyaneseonline
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Posted in Commentary, crime and Investigations, Government, Guyana, Personalities, Politics
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Also tagged Asset-Recovery unit, corruption, proper investigation of corruption, shattered economy, the Venezuela threat, unrepentant opposition, witch-hunting
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Courtney Crum Ewing was Martyred and Forgotten in Guyana
Dr. David Hinds
By Dr. David Hinds
It’s been three months now since Courtney Crum Ewing was murdered on the streets in Guyana. His demise drew widespread condemnation from large sections of the society. The masses in conjunction with the political leaders transformed his funeral into carnival of protest. That moment may have had something to do with the collective energy that would make May 11 a historic day.
The then government instructed the police to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the killer or killers. Many pointed to a political motive. The then opposition vowed to find the killers if the assume office. Civil Society lifted their voices. Continue reading →
By Dr. David Hinds
Teach the Children: African Guyanese must be frank with our leaders – Dr. David Hinds
A little-known calypso by Kelvin Pope aka The Mighty Duke titled “Teach the Children” is fresh on my mind. It is part of a module on historical memory for a course on Black Political Music that I am currently teaching. In that calypso, Duke sought to educate listeners about the profound history of Africa; he contended that such memory was critical to the cultural health of the nation.
I cite Duke to make the point that here in Guyana, we are constantly guilty of not teaching the children, because we avoid the essence of our politics in the quest for political power. Continue reading →
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