NEW YORK, CMC—Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali urged the Caribbean region to actively embrace and value its unique culture and abundance of resources as he accepted the Legacy Award Class of 2024 award at the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Ali commended for his commitment to nation-building, was hailed as a regional cooperation ‘champion’ by Guyanese-born American actress CCH Pounder.
In his address to the ceremony, Ali spoke of colonization’s enormous impact on the region, reiterating the call for reparatory justice and commending the efforts of the region’s premier tertiary institution in promoting this agenda.
He said that as the region continues to heal from the repercussions of colonization, investing in and utilizing homegrown resources is essential for fostering shared development.
“We must value more what we are. We must value what we produce more and utilize what we own. Our culture is an integral part of the societies that we are building.”
Ali said the region is already charting its development trajectory through collaboration in food and climate security, reminding the audience that despite being the smallest carbon emitter, climate change excessively affects the Caribbean.
“Our commitment to energy, climate, and food security can be celebrated, but we are the worst affected. The commitment of the world is not motivating,” he said.
Ali told the audience that Guyana’s socio-economic development is also linked to that of the Caribbean and that Georgetown is dedicated to fulfilling its regional and global responsibilities.
Regarding the situation in Haiti, where the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping has been playing a significant role in efforts to end the political and socio-economic situation in the French-speaking country, President Ali said, “We will continue to do more of this, especially for the people of Haiti.
“We cannot find ourselves in a forum like this and ignore the realities of the people of Haiti. We must never allow any circumstance or changing conditions to change the way we approach situations regionally and globally,” said Ali, the regional grouping chairman.
The Guyanese leader said Guyana had raised an estimated GUY72.5 million (One Guyana dollar = US$0.008 cents) in support of the people of Palestine.
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