Tag Archives: governance

GUYANA: POVERTY AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN GUYANA — by Ralph Ramkarran

Posted by Ralph Ramkarran January 28, 2023- Conversatin Tree Blog

There is no dispute that much poverty still exists in Guyana. Its existence and alleged absence of solutions to relieve it were among the highlights of the Budget Debate last week, uninspiring as many of the speeches were.

The United Nations has more experience than any other international agency in the study, measurement and eradication of poverty. It has embarked on the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018-2027), having completed a first and a second decade. In its recent reports tracking poverty rates, the UN has  used earnings of below US$1.90 per day as the basis of measuring poverty. Those living on less than US$1.90 per day are considered as living below the poverty line. Numerous measures have been discussed and debated over decades to lift people above the poverty line, and prior to the covid-19 pandemic, great successes have been achieved in reducing poverty.          Continue reading

GUYANA: The Bright Century Beckons: But What’s In It For Me, And When? – By Ralph Ramkarran

– By Ralph Ramkarran – February 19, 2022 Conversation Tree Blog

The spectacular possibilities that await Guyana were revealed at the recently concluded Oil & Gas conference. Government spokespersons, led by President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and other officials, revealed plans, set out priorities and declared objectives. The head of Exxon talked about the possibilities of the oil industry and its growing potential. Not only will production increase but discoveries will multiply. The official estimate of reserves is 10 billion barrels, the unofficial 13. Guyanese can begin to think realistically of a potential of 20 billion and hope for 30 billion.

This was a conference to encourage investment and investors were represented. But the Heads of Government who attended – from Barbados, Suriname and Ghana – spoke about the interests of the Guyanese people. Even though Guyanese leaders did so as well, it was clear that uppermost in the minds of conference participants was investment opportunities, and not wages and working conditions for the jobs that would be created.           Continue reading

Guyana: Proposed Amendments to Elections Law Totally Inadequate – By Ralph Ramkarran

By Ralph Ramkarran – Conversation Tree Blog – November 13, 2021

The amendments to the elections’ laws proposed by the Government through the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill are woefully inadequate. They are limited to the following: imposing higher penalties for elections’ offences; creating new elections’ offences with high penalties; adumbrating a new structure for District (Region) 4; and establishing new offices for District 4. Having now demonstrated a mindset of where it wants to go by the contents of the Bill, the Government is unlikely to divert from this already decided course, except perhaps with minor amendments.

But much more is required, and this was the opportunity to accomplish needed reforms in other areas of the electoral system, especially since the next elections are four years away. I have written extensively, but vainly, about elections’ reform over several years. I now take the opportunity to repeat some of those ideas.              Continue reading

VENEZUELA’S BREATHTAKING AUDACITY – by Ralph Ramkarran – (maps added)

VENEZUELA’S BREATHTAKING AUDACITY

Venezuelan claims

Venezuelan claims – click to enlarge

Posted on June 13, 2015  – by  – Conversationtree blog

Venezuela’s proclamation of its “Atlantic Coast” on May 27, which includes all of Guyana’s maritime space, having already maintained since 1962 its fictional claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s land territory, is breathtaking in its audacity. Venezuela’s claim violates the Geneva Agreement and international law and threatens the peace, security and stability of the Region.

Oblivious to this fact, the heirs to Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s late, transformative leader, have damaged the credibility of his legacy. They are attempting to take by force, and at Guyana’s expense, the Atlantic outlet they have always craved and with it Guyana’s newly discovered petroleum resources.   Continue reading

Georgetown: A MAN MADE DISASTER – by Ralph Ramkarran

A MAN MADE DISASTER – by 

Ralph Ramkarran

Ralph Ramkarran

Posted on November 30, 2013

Georgetown is already a disaster. An explosion of disease is all that remains to condemn the city as unsafe for human habitation. The spectacle of Georgetown and its environs under water was not unusual but the mixture of water with muck and floating garbage from clogged drains could only be described as gross. Even though the Government has taken control of the city’s administration, the interminable blame game continues, while the city gets worse every year, just when we felt that it was so bad it could not.

Yet we were recently regaled by Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, a Champion of the Earth, not bother about clogged drains. The daily column in Guyana Times, Eyewitness, nowadays reflects his views in uncannily familiar language, close to his own. It regularly takes issue with anyone, including me, who may have ignited, or could potentially ignite, the great man’s infamously short fuse in puerile analyses and ‘pathetic’ (Eyewitness’s word) conclusions, but has not pontificated on the relationship between clogged drains and flooding in the city.   Continue reading

Al-Jazeera Live-TV news feed … Egypt etc

Al Jazeera Live-TV news feed … Egypt etc

Watch here – click>:  http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

Al-Jazeera has been reporting live from the unrest in Egypt, attracting countless viewers from all around the world to it’s English-language 24/7 TV feed. The network’s strong online presence is a direct result of being ignored by all of the big U.S. cable networks…. more at link below

Read: Why Al-Jazeera  owns Internet-TV English coverage

GUYANESE ONLINE NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2010 RELEASED

Guyanese Online Newsletter – October 2010  released

DownloadGuyanese Online Newsletter – October 2010

This  issue is 18 pages, the largest ever published.  It features a number of pages on the Amerindians of Guyana, September being their annual Heritage Month.  The “First Peoples of Guyana” have been here for over 10.000 years.

The October Newsletter  contains positive Guyana News;  Regional News; Tourism;   and three pages of news from various Guyanese Associations.   It also has three pages featuring  Guyanese Arts and Culture  and four pages on the history and related information on the Amerindians.

We hope that you enjoy this edition of our newsletter.  Please forward it to your family, friends and anyone interested in Guyanese news and culture.

We look forward to your comments.

Cyril Bryan,  Publisher and Editor.

Newsletter – June 2010

Newsletter – June 2010

(click above or below to view 16-page newsletter)

Guyanese Online Newsletter -June 2010< download

In This Issue

Parliament Building - Georgetown. Guyana

Parliament Building - Georgetown. Guyana

Page 1– Masthead Picture: Parliament Buildings in Georgetown; President Jagdeo’s Independence Speech for 44th Anniversary.

Page 2-  EditorialVideos on Life and Education.

Page 3– Guest Editorial – New Models of Governance

Page 4-  Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago Elections

Page 5– Guyana Tourism – Guyana Jamboree 2010.

Page 6—Guyana News with Headline News links

Amaila Falls Hydro Project;  RUSAL Hydro  Project Talks;   Governance links; Agriculture;  Gold and Diamond Mining Issues.

Page 7—Guyana News with Headline News Links; Golden Grove Community Centre Opens; St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Fire—News links

Page 8– Business Page with GO-Invest links

Page 9– Last Lap Lime – 15th Anniversary

Page 10- Associations: Guyanese Association of Georgia; Guyanese Association of  Barbados;

Page 11-  Associations: Guyanese association of Manitoba;Q.C. Alumni—”Fireworks in Queens”;“A Taste of Guyana” in Toronto; Friends of  Victoria Village “Creole Breakfast”; Buxton-  170th Anniversary Celebrations; The Arts Journal;  Ameena Gafoor’s column

Page 12- Arts and Culture: Tony Phillips—artist –  Website; Olga Lopes-Seale  – “Fun Run”  in Barbados;  Godfrey Chin: “The Forties in British Guiana.”

Page 13- Arts and Culture: “Reds” Perreira launches book on his life;“Come Walk With Me”  A book of  Poems by Francis Yvonne Jackson living in Chicago.

Page 14– 15- Historical:  “Glimpses of Kingston”  1948. Written by Joy W. Small in Kyk-Over-Al

Page 16– Advertising- Guyana Telephone Calling Cards;  Caribbean Cargo and Packaging Services.

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