EDITORIAL

By GODFREY WRAY

Dark days for Hinckson

The travesty of the unlawful detention of Oliver Hinckson, novelist and former Guyana Defence Force officer, has taken on new dimensions. An e-mail from one of his lawyers in Guyana informs that the 64-year-old author of Enemy Within, who is pursuing a degree in international relations, has been moved from the barrack-like Remand Section at the Camp Street jail and put in solitary confinement. The legal representative said he visited the Georgetown Prisons at the weekend only to learn that prison authorities, without probable cause, had placed his client in the most reprehensible area of the institution, referred to by wardens and inmates alike as the "dungeon." He is permitted to speak only with his attorneys-at-law.

Creating An Impact

The Qualities of Effective Leadership — Part V

I am really enjoying the writing of this series of articles. I however hate the fact that I had to rewrite each article once or twice, because of frequently changing occurrences. For example, I had already completed most of this article, when I learned about the sudden death of Tim Russert and the firing of Mets’ coach Willie Randolph — those occurrences compelled me to make alterations in order to remain current. For example, I had already conducted research into Sam Cooke, Willie Randolph, Kobe Bryant and a few mothers for this article, when the sudden death of journalist/moderator Tim Russert was announced on Friday, June 13 (Black Friday). PREPARATION, being a creature of reading and research myself, with everyone I spoke after learning about Russert’s death, I lauded his appetite to do research and his willingness to show it off.

THINGS THAT BOTHER ME

YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE

By HANDEL ANDREWS

Like many of you, I have been giving Barack Obama’s vice-Presidential choice a lot of thought. So, I have decided to put my words where my mouth is. Let me make it perfectly clear that I have no crystal ball, no tarot cards, and no angel come from heaven has imparted to me the secret thoughts of Barack Obama in this respect. My assertions arise from simple deduction, based on the data before me. The four most worthy of consideration are: Senators Hilary Clinton, Joseph Biden, Sam Nunn and Chuck Hagel. Many Democrats believe that Barack Obama must choose Hillary as his vice-President if he wishes to win the November U.S. Presidential election. I hold the opposing view. Those who promote her as Obama’s choice point to her strengths. She is a household name and has a huge following of women and "hard working blue collar workers." In politics it helps to be well known, since it saves you having to go on bio tours. People already know you. Senator Hillary Clinton is, arguably, the most well-known female politician in the world.

THE BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN

TRULY A GENTLEMAN

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house" - "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" - Matthew 5:15 and 23:12.

I was moved to depart from the norm and introduce this column with two passages of scripture rather than one because both passages seem to be relevant to what I want to say. I was troubled though because the respective messages appeared to be paradoxical. I therefore thought that I would begin by attempting to resolve the paradox. In the context of your own or your own family's achievements, the first passage may be interpreted that if it is perceived there is something to be offered to the rest of the world you should not "put your light under a bushel" rather you should sing the praises of your achievements; whereas, the second passage is saying that if you sing the praises of your achievements, "you shall be humbled" and it is preferable to humble yourself and be exalted by others.

Georgetown Diary

The Ronald Austin Column

The more things Change, the more they remain the same

There are certain things one cannot ignore in this country. The continued and continuous rise in the cost of living; the revolting condition of the city; the frequency of blackouts; the poor manners of drivers on the road; the poor service in a restaurant or a bank and the schizoid existence that one is forced to lead. The newscasts of the official media describe a country that does not exist and one wonders if this relentless assault on the truth will not lead eventually to some kind of collective nervous breakdown. An example here will prove the point. President Jagdeo was in New York recently and apart from verbally assaulting Rick-ford Burke of the Guyana and Caribbean Institute for Democracy (GCID), he made the astounding claim that Guyana was a fully integrated society. Now nothing is further from the truth. Race relations are at their worst point in our post-independence history. The trouble is that this obvious mendacity has been repeated as the gospel truth for several days in the print and electronic media.

Can We Talk

By Dr. Aubrey Bonnett

Immigrants, America and the Declaration of Independence

On June 2, I was on my way to Cornell Medical College to see an old friend and, as is typical when it rains in the City, found it difficult to get a taxi cab to take me from the west side to the east side location of the Medical School. Finally, my wife and I were picked up by a south Asian cab driver who, as we engaged in conversation about life in America, asked me what I planned to do on the upcoming 4th of July, even as he recounted his experiences with New York’s City finest, (the NYPD), and how he, of Indian ancestry and a religious Moslem domiciled in Buffalo, felt the sting of xenophobic treatment from law enforcement officials, and some members of the public, even as he pursued the American Dream.

PLUG INTO ENERGY

T&T Energy Company to gain in BG Group’s $13.8B Takeover Bid

UK's BG Group launched a hostile takeover bid on June 24, 2008 of A$13.8 billion (A=Australian dollars) (US$13.1 billion) for Australia's Origin Energy. BG Group is offering A$15.50 (US$14.75) a share cash offer to Origin's shareholders, the same offer that was rejected by Origin's board of directors last month after Santos sealed a deal with Malaysia's Petronas on the Gladstone LNG to develop its Bowen-Surat Basin CSG reserves. Petronas offered more than US$2.5 billion to acquire 40 per cent of Gladstone LNG in a deal which Origin said raises the value of its Bowen Basin CSG assets. BG said the offer price represents a 48 % cash premium on Origin's closing price of A$10.47 (US$9.97) on April 29 just before it made the first approach to acquire the Australian energy group. This offer represented a "material premium" for Origin shareholders and reflected the value of Origin's energy business and its prospective coal seam gas (CSG) development.

IN DEPTH

THE HUNT FOR FINEMAN AND HIS CHILD SOLDIERS

The operation to capture Guyana’s most wanted Rondell "Fineman" Rawlings and a handful of what seems like child soldiers who are loyal to him, created more chaos and unease than success. Rawlings is said to be the leader of a notorious gang that is spreading mayhem. Launched almost a month prior to the date of this article, the mission has failed to capture the country’s most wanted. According to the police in Guyana, the last time "Fineman" was seen was the day the mission was launched. The Joint Services claim that after an initial exchange of gunfire, ‘Fineman’ disappeared like a ghost in the jungle, and it seems he has no footprints or trail that the country’s special forces could use to track him. The drama unfolding in the dense forest of Guyana seems to have been poorly scripted and directed, and the cast has left much to be desired. It was supposed to be an action packed drama with the good guys prevailing over the bad guys but it is almost 30 days into the flicks and the bad guys are nowhere to be found.

AN UNEQUIVOCAL AND UNADULTERATED FIASCO

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Prov 29:18

Up to a few weeks ago, I was a passionate and enthusiastic proponent of the concept of the annual Caribbean Diaspora conference. I promoted it as an idea "whose time had come." However, after attending the Diaspora conference at the Brooklyn Marriott a week ago, I have come to the sad and reluctant conclusion that the last conference was an unequivocal and unadulterated fiasco. After listening to the tired and pedestrian rhetoric of the Caribbean Heads of State, I am convinced that these individuals are not yet ready for prime time. They are still stuck in the old colonial paradigm. The format of the conference clearly reflected the outdated colonial mentality of the conference planners. Fully ten of the seventeen events or two-third of the conference events were designated as "closed-door" sessions. How can you, in good faith, have a Diaspora conference, when two-thirds of the events are closed to members of the Diaspora family? It is like having a family reunion which excludes family members from participating in two-thirds of the family events. The significant stakeholders in the Diaspora family are the Caribbean Heads of State, Caricom, the New York Consular Corps, the Caribbean hometown associations, the Caribbean press and the Caribbean public. What the conference organizers did during the recent conference was to dismember the Caribbean family by separating the Heads of State, Caricom, and the consular corps from the other significant members of the Caribbean family, such as, the hometown associations, the Caribbean press and the Caribbean public.

Race and Power, Politics, Economics and Culture - A Preliminary Integrated Framework for Addressing Inequities in Guyana

What makes race an important issue within the developmental context?

By Dr. R.A. Van Wests Charles

To highlight this premise I would like to advert to a significant political process unfolding in the United States. The preparatory phase for the November Presidential election has, undoubtedly, attracted the attention of large sections of the populace across the various continents. While many are grappling with the process of the election and how it intersects with America’s commitment to the global principles of transparency, fairness and accountability, others are also closely interested in how the issue of race, which continues to plague many of our societies, will be addressed as it seems to take center stage. The United States of America, within the New World context, is what could be described in relative terms as an old democracy - yet when the creature of race reared its ugly head there was an outburst from various sections of the society. However, there is no doubt that America has made progress as it continues to struggle with the treatment of race and the principle of inequity in all its forms and manifestations.

CARIFESTA GOES HOME — Come leh we go

A very important event occurred in Guyana recently. It was the official ceremony for the launching of CARIFESTA X, an event that could change the course of the country’s history for a second time, and herald the beginning of a new cultural era. In my previous writings, I ranted about the lack of cultural awareness at home in Guyana and here in the Diaspora. Though I suspected that my repeated calls for a cultural revival would fall on more than a few deaf ears, it seems as though some supreme being was listening. For low and behold, one of the most important cultural events to have ever occurred within the boundaries of the Caribbean, CARIFESTA, has arrived again in Guyana.

Commentary: The nation-building concept is now cool!

By Jean H. Charles

I have made the concept of nation-building the central core of my inquiry and of my scholarship. I believe its application constitutes the central nerve of a true process towards democracy and development. The notion of nation-building is not limited to, or is only, a concern about brick and mortar. It rests above all on the principle that the various social groups of a designated country agree to share the nostalgia of a common past and strive to build a future together. Using the word of Jerry Z. Muller in his essay in Foreign Affairs magazine, the various ethnic groups agree to live cheek by jowl in relative peace.