Toshao council reviews guide to Amerindian Act

Guyana (Stabroek News) - The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs on Tuesday hosted a consultation for the National Toshao Council to review a simplified guide to the Amerindian Act to ensure it is easily accessible.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release the guide was presented at the two-day consultation and the participants were charged with ensuring that it met its objectives. The guide was prepared by Guyanese lawyer Melinda Janki.

Principal Regional Development Officer at the ministry Ovid Williams said his ministry “worked with Ms. Janki to prepare a guide and that has been done and we are going to have reviews to that guide… so that you can get your clarifications and whatever doubts you have cleared up.”

Additionally, Natural Resources and Liaison Officer at the ministry Norman Whittaker noted that Guyana has come a long way in terms of putting in place the kind of legislation which reflects the wishes, views, and recommendations of Amerindians throughout the country. “Some Amerindians have problems determining and understanding some sections of the Act and it is for that reason that the Ministry entered into an arrangement to have a practical guide that will enable them to understand and implement the Act,” he said. He urged the participants to ensure that the document is indeed accessible to all Amerindians.

In her address Janki said, “The Amerindian Act is very different from the kind of rules that govern Aborigines in other countries… Amerindian communities in Brazil for example, do not own their lands; the State owns it and the State sets aside reservations and makes all the decisions but this is not the case in Guyana since communities own the lands and they decide what happens to the resources on these lands so we need to understand that the situation in Guyana is different and it is probably unique.”

She noted that in Canada aborigine land title is based on very strict conditions which include occupation of the land but in Guyana, Amerindians only have to show that they have been in existence for 25 years and they are eligible to make a claim.

On March 14, 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo assented to the Amerindian Bill passed in the National Assembly earlier in the year after consultations.

According to GINA the amended act addresses pertinent issues including access to forestry resources, mining and protected areas, and the power to veto small and medium-scale mining in Amerindian communities. No protected areas would be established on Amerindian lands unless they are so inclined. GINA said too the Council was established in 2007 and comprises toshaos countrywide.

The executive includes 20 persons with at least one toshao from each region. The consultation was held at the Foreign Service Institute.

Source: Stabroek News

Nappi, Parishara urged to draft plans

Guyana (Stabroek News) - Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai is encouraging Nappi and Parishara villagers to draft development plans for sustainable projects in order to boost their communities.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Sukhai held consultations with the villagers last week. She told residents to think of projects that will generate income and to share ideas with their respective village councils. The minister told the residents that President Bharrat Jagdeo has set up a $150M grant for the development of Amerindian communities. According to GINA $500,000 has been allocated to small communities, $700,000-$1,000,000 for medium and $1.2M for large communities and in order to access the sums residents needed to develop community plans.

Sukhai’s ministry collaborates with regional democratic councils to ensure that Amerindians are benefiting from state services. She told the village councils that her ministry addresses matters such as education, health, training and social and economic issues. The minister said too the Amerindian Act has empowered the village councils “to manage, govern, and solve issues at the local level” therefore it is imperative that villagers ensure that the councils are being run effectively. Sukhai told the gathering that the first step in resolving issues lies with them as they need to inform the village councils and toshaos about the issues affecting them.

Source: Stabroek News

Island states seek tougher UN climate deal

POZNAN, Poland (Reuters): A group of 43 small island states called on Wednesday for tougher goals for fighting global warming than those being considered at UN climate talks, saying that rising seas could wipe them off the map.

"We are not prepared to sign a suicide agreement that causes small island states to disappear," Selwin Hart of Barbados, a coordinator of the alliance of small island states, told Reuters at the 187-nation meeting.

The December 1-12 talks in Poznan, Poland, are reviewing progress at the half-way stage of a two-year push for a new UN treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. The new treaty is meant to be agreed by the end of 2009 in Copenhagen.

The 43 nations, including low-lying coral atolls from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, said global warming should be limited to a maximum of 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, below a 2.0 C goal by the European Union.

Average temperatures rose by about 0.7 Celsius last century and many scientists say that even the EU goal, the toughest under wide consideration, may already be out of reach because of surging emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

Hart said it was the first time that the alliance had set a common temperature goal. Rising temperatures and seas would damage corals, erode coasts, disrupt rainfall and spur more disease, they said.

Low-lying states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati say they risk being submerged by sea level rises, spurred by rising temperatures that could melt ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Warmer water also takes up more space than cold, raising levels.

"A 2 C increase compared to pre-industrial levels would have devastating consequences on small island developing states," the nations said in a joint statement.

"My country is really suffering," said Amjad Abdulla of the Maldives. He said some people in the Maldives were already living in partly inundated homes.

Bernaditas Muller of the Philippines said a 2C rise would wipe out a third of the territory of her country. Rising seas would also swamp low-lying coasts from Bangladesh to Florida.

The small islands said their goal would mean that industrialized nations would have to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and by more than 95 percent by 2050.

Such cuts are far deeper than under consideration by industrialized countries, facing additional problems in making new reductions because of the financial crisis.

The EU, for instance, is struggling to get approval for a plan to cuts of 20 percent below 1990 by 2020. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama aims to return US emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 after a rise of 14 percent since 1990.

The UN Climate Panel said seas may rise by between 18 and 59 cms (7-24 inches) this century and that sea levels are likely to keep on rising for centuries.

But some scientists say that may be an under-estimate.

"It's still likely that the average sea level will rise less than 1 meter by 2100 but higher figure cannot be excluded," said Stefan Rahmstorf, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

He said that some studies indicated that seas could rise by up to about 1.55 meters by 2100 and 1.5-3.5 meters by 2300.

"If the Antarctic ice sheet melts down completely the global sea levels would rise by 57 meters (187 ft). For Greenland it's 7 meters," he said.

Author: Alister Doyle and Gabriela Baczynska

Source: Caribbean Net News

Nappi, Parishara urged to draft plans

Georgetown, Guyana - Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai is encouraging Nappi and Parishara villagers to draft development plans for sustainable projects in order to boost their communities.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Sukhai held consultations with the villagers last week. She told residents to think of projects that will generate income and to share ideas with their respective village councils. The minister told the residents that President Bharrat Jagdeo has set up a $150M grant for the development of Amerindian communities. According to GINA $500,000 has been allocated to small communities, $700,000-$1,000,000 for medium and $1.2M for large communities and in order to access the sums residents needed to develop community plans. She said too the president has pledged to disburse a similar sum from January.

Sukhai’s ministry collaborates with regional democratic councils to ensure that Amerindians are benefiting from state services. She told the village councils that her ministry addresses matters such as education, health, training and social and economic issues. The minister said too the Amerindian Act has empowered the village councils “to manage, govern, and solve issues at the local level” therefore it is imperative that villagers ensure that the councils are being run effectively. Sukhai told the gathering that the first step in resolving issues lies with them as they need to inform the village councils and toshaos about the issues affecting them.

Source: Stabroek News

Garifuna Massacre in Labuga

La Buga - Livingston celebrated its Garifuna Settlement Day on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 with a big wake. The sudden death of the Garifuna youth was shock to the community. The young man was shot indiscriminately by the owner of a popular night club on the eve of Yurumein.

One of the victims was Adu's son Carlitos. The report alleged that 3 youngmen tried to get in for free at a party going on at "Bahia Azul" a popular night club, last night in celebration of La Buga Garifuna Settlement Day and as they were denied access, one the fellows allegedly stabbed the security guard. The owner of the club came outside running with a loaded gun shooting indiscriminately and killed 3 and wounded 2 other. Two of the shot victims were critically wounded and remain alive and ready to tell the story the way it really happened.

Carlitos, one of the dead, was the brother to one of Livingston's elite boxers, Randy. This horrible event was confirmed by Amanda Sheppard who happens to live in the Los Angeles area. Amanda is the older daughter of the well known Garifuna restaurant owner by the sea Mrs. Adu who is taking it really hard at this moment. Carlitos and the other victims are going to be buried on Saturday, November 29 with little to be said about the killings. We at GAHFU, Inc. are encouraging those who want to donate to do so and the money will go towards the Garifuna family in Livingston who is having a hard time covering the expenses incurred during the burial of these young men.

You can also contact The Sheppard family of La Buga who are living in Los Angeles by calling Amanda Sheppard (323) 802-4256 cell phone or (323) 293-2325 home.

Source: Cheryl Noralez [ garifunaheritagefoundation@yahoo.com ]