Over two dozen students and faculty members from universities across the United States were taken on a cultural exchange visit to local Amerindian village, Saint Cuthbert’s Mission.
The event was planned by members of the U.S. Embassy in Guyana and village leader Lennox Shuman.
While in the village, the 32 students conducted various exercises in youth leadership and team building with the 70 plus school-aged youths in attendance.
In addition to providing some lessons on the basics of leadership and the importance of role models and personal values, the event provided local youths and their American counterparts with the opportunity to interact and develop an understanding of each other’s culture and way of life.
After some practice with traditional bow and arrows and hunting spears, the U.S. visitors enjoyed a traditional Guyanese lunch of “cook up.”
The students and staff are part of the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) programme that provides college students and faculty with the opportunity to travel around the world to conduct humanitarian projects and events, enhancing their understanding of different lifestyles and cultures.
The U.S. Embassy will continue with its commitment to support local, regional and national government initiatives to support on-going programmes for youth and remote populations throughout Guyana.
In the US they have these cultural programs where urban students are taken to cultural fairs held at a park (paid a nominal fee)……..where for about fifteen minutes students are entertained to snippets of the culture of various groups…….Native Americans ( similar to our Amerindians ); African -dancing and drumming; Chinese; we can include our Indo-Guyanese and provide eployment and entertainment and at the same time cultural appreciations by our students at even an earlier age.
Site the park away from Georgetown ,maybe at say a developed Joe Viera Park or some other facility where the students can be taken for a day of outing,especially after the examinations are finished.
Guyana needs vision,……..for example we have the scouts……they could have been taken to such a facility for a cultural exchange.
Come on Ministry of Social cohesion, Culture,Education. …..put on your thinking Caps.
Another idea is to develop nature parks along our River banks,by reclaiming part of the foreshore and building and extending it out,whe free for a fee visitors can enjoy the calming effects of the River etc.
Btw ,.I was very impressed with how the Americans had developed Brookings Bridge Park into a thriving recreational and tourist spot.With a vision,the Nation will perish.
This is a wonderful exercise of interaction between Guyanese Amerindians and Guyanese in general with young students from America searching for knowledge and avenues of bringing peoples together.