Proactivity rather than procrastination

EVEN without a bulging economy, there are opposing political voices that have done nothing inspiring, but seek out the minuteness to expand into a lamentation, in the effort to transfer their own darkness into another’s guilt. The landscape of national survival must be recognised in the context that all possibilities rest on the talents of the people with what we have. Human potential must be moulded to wrestle with the future of now for a sustaining blessing, which will endure into the tomorrow.

What is evident is that the collective mental approach even evident from letters sent to the media from supposed known personalities who may be expected to have a better understanding of the subjects they write about; based on their disposable income, that would enable them to have a more extensive library of resource literature to support their intellectual interests, do show disappointing gaps in the authority base and dismal clarity in understanding concepts one would think obvious.

These and other realisations have led me to suppose that our nation can no longer boast of being the top literary state in the Caribbean. One Philistine political generation that unleashed a race of teacher and technical migrations that resulted in a vacuum of expertise that semi-literate political devotees could not fill with content, has created a parallel culture cult of conspicuous consumption at all costs, to be achieved with the right mundane blessings, thus, all were allowed, all was permitted and now so much is found wanting.

Then, like the loss of the Sugar Industry, and industries before, the indelible impact of global modernisation have parachuted upon our lowly incomes. Today our children in school must have computers at home, with peripherals, UPS, externals, flash drives, printers, ink, paper, internet bill, in some cases smartphones with incessant credit bills. All these things, like a seductive thief in the night, have intruded and have complicated our lives permanently.

These intrusions would not seem that intense had the economy expanded at the grassroots and small business level, it never did. I doubt if there is an actual national record that accounts for the types and percentages of itemised sections of businesses outside of the proverbial cash crop farmers and vendors. Ask for a report of how many books were published (including magazines) by Guyanese from 2012-17. Where are the catalogues of textile designs produced? What new furniture and home accessory designs are recorded? The same for Jewellery (cosmetic included), T-Shirt designs and list of new music and artistes, new plays written, short films produced, new clothing created from our clothing designers and additions to our cuisine emerging from special recipes. Dissect our craft producers and be aware of duplications, limitations and the potential if guided. None of this has ever been done. One fact resonates, that ideas are if managed well, a result in favourable paydays.

The problem is that the above and other areas not mentioned do not register as deserving serious consideration. Why? This is unexplained, it is bizarre and though precedents exist all around us and envelop us from neighbouring nations, the important potential as assets to GDP has escaped our national dialogue as the politicised laying off of sugar workers has, thus it was easy for small business potential to be eliminated rather than be encouraged. And when Guyana became the dumping bin of cheap merchandise as a vehicle of money laundering, that elimination fell in place with swift temerity.

Though everything that I’ve previously mentioned exists in remote archival mental sloths, the obvious failure came because the expertise thrown into economic management by our political parties over the past 33 years was inadequate and unable to envision spheres that they have never quite understood, and outside of their career training and are not inclined to indulge, engage and be instructed to understand.

The problem I’ve experienced over the past months is even more frightening and returns to the first paragraph of this article- that of ‘fear’ of challenges that are the consequence of social change.’The world quietly and swiftly enveloping Guyana is rooted in the knowledge base, thus, what we Guyanese understand will determine especially for our creative people across merchandise manufacturing, sound and image development lines, in terms of whether we prosper or sink into retrogression from the fledgling levels we are at present. This world is insensitive to our pedestrian political and other concerns; it is commerce and the rights of commerce, and it is unforgiving.

Recently I was in the process of launching an art based research-oriented project. The manager called in a young person who he felt should see their involvement as a PR inclusion as progressive and a self-improving opportunity. He enquired their opinion, the person’s objections were surprising, not objective, and evasive and we quickly recognised ‘fear’. This person did not want to challenge what was obviously the favourable unknown.

There are people like this, we meet them continuously, created by a lengthy period of innovative and creative policy absence, but now, we are at the point where the space, the throwback, bluff and simple occupy has to be regulated, the emotional arguments will not hold.

That they need to work and it’s assumed they will jump at the opportunity. I now understand that section of the ‘New York State Department of Labor Guide to Starting Your Own Business’ on hiring employees, Step 1 paragraph 8- “Warning: Do not hire family members and friends simply because they need jobs. Make sure you need an additional worker and that the person you are considering has the skills and experience you want.” The methods applied to reverse this phenomenon cannot be forced, it must be marketed skilfully, to inspire through the very proven methods of creative positive indoctrination, reward and elimination.