Guyana joins the rest of the world today in observing World Press Freedom Day. This year’s observance is being held under the theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis”.
In a statement, the Guyana Press Association noted that World Press Freedom Day is being observed at a time when the country is facing a prolonged dry spell which seems to be now abating in a number of regions, an uncontrolled solid waste management crisis to varying degrees in many areas, and dismally poor environmental management of a number of gold mining and coastal sea defence areas.
The Association said on a larger scale, what is visible is a country where littering and indiscriminate waste disposal is now a national pastime with authorities failing dismally to prosecute perpetrators and collect waste in a timely manner.
The GPA said the local, regional and central governments must take collective blame for the state of the country’s environmental crisis, adding that the huge Martian-like scars could be seen in Guyana’s gold mining areas where there is no back-filling of mined out areas, miners have changed the course of creeks and rivers and there are huge questions surrounding the actual use of mercury abatement techniques and the eventual elimination of mercury use.
It was noted that taken together- solid waste and climate phenomena- Guyana is indeed facing an environmental crisis.
The GPA has believes there is a need for the constant and sustained training of a pool of specialist journalists whose task will be to simplify science information to make it palatable and connected to their daily lives.
The Guyana Press Association also recommends that the Guyana government, private sector and various United Nations organisations inject resources into special serialized productions on environmental issues that will go beyond the average news story and at the same time, media workers need to jealously guard against oil resources being used to bribe them from covering the real issues or engaging in disinformation.
The Guyana Press Association also calls for an end to manufactured segregation and division in our society as the nation seeks to tackle the environmental crisis.
“The convenience of engaging the Guyana Press Association needs to cease immediately. Inasmuch, as an institution, the Association is always ready and willing to work for the national good, it cannot be at the behest of the political directorate”, the Association said.
“Sadly, neither the Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat nor the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Khemraj Parsram responded to the Association’s invitation to participate in its event for World Press Freedom Day 2024. However, the Association responded in the affirmative to the government’s invitation to participate in its World Press Freedom Day event. In light of the intolerable discourtesy extended to the Press Association by Mr Bharrat and Mr Parsram, the Guyana Press Association decided to withdraw its well-intentioned participation in the government-organised event”, the release stated.
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