As the countdown begins to Guyana’s 60th Independence anniversary, President Irfaan Ali believes that the country’s journey after 60 years of independence is ongoing.
Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Festival on Friday evening at the National Stadium in Providence, the President said the country continues to move forward as “One People, One Nation with One Destiny”.
“When Guyana became an independent nation, that moment did not only change our country’s political status, more importantly, it represented the beginning of a new journey as one people, one nation and with one destiny in mind. 60 years onward, the journey continues. It has not been a perfect journey, we have had our setbacks and our pains, but we recall May 26, 1966 as an important day in our country’s history because it was then we declared that we would no longer be defined by colonial rule, but by our national identity”, President Ali said.
The three-day Guyana Festival has been organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce as part of the celebrations of Guyana’s Diamond Independence Jubilee. It has brought together various pieces of Guyana’s rich culture, from song and dance, to food and art and craft.
President Ali said Guyana’s culture represents part of the best of Guyana and he has dedicated the remaining four years of his presidency to finding the soul of Guyana.
“Despite our cultural identity, we would be Guyanese, building a united nation. The 60th anniversary of independence is therefore a time for re-commitment, a re-commitment to unity, a re-commitment to inclusion, a re-commitment to the idea of one Guyana, not as a slogan but as a lived reality. The next four plus years of my presidency will be dedicated to finding the soul of our country, building on the soul of our country. The soul is defined by love, faith and unity, the soul is in which all of us find our place, a place within which we are comfortable, a place in which we exercise patience, open faith, and a place in which Guyana, our home, is a place we will always celebrate”, he noted.
He reminded that Guyanese are a people shaped by many histories, many journeys, many cultures and many traditions. He paid tribute to the different ethnic groups in Guyana and their contribution to the Guyanese journey through their pain and triumphs.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues, said as Guyana continues to grow, there is a lot to celebrate. She said the Guyana Festival is more than just a festival. She said it is a celebration of identity, heritage, achievement and possibilities.
“Even as Guyana grows and modernizes, there is something we must never lose sight of, and that is who we are as a people. That is why this festival matters. This festival is about identity, national pride and preserving and celebrating everything that defines us as Guyanese. More importantly, this festival represents vision, and a deep desire”, Rodrigues noted.
The opening ceremony was peppered with a beautiful display of Guyana’s rich cultural heritage through song, dance, drama, poetry and a celebration of the country’s people through the voices and moves of some of the country’s best known entertainers and performers along with cultural groups.
The festival continues today and will end this evening.
(Photography by Office of the President and Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce)
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