Saturday, February 4, 2023
Village Voice News
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Village Voice News
No Result
View All Result
Home Letters

WITH OIL WEALTH, NO GUYANESE MUST BE OPPRESSED BY THE BURDEN OF WANT.

Staff Reporter by Staff Reporter
May 24, 2021
in Letters
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice.

Dear Editor
Sitting silently in our constitution is Article 40 (1), which states that “every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, ignorance, and want”. In this grand entitlement, the pivotal idea, around which the others revolve, is the freedom from want. Freedom from want, as a core human right, is embedded in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its historic roots, however, trace back to the Address to Congress by US President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, who listed it as one of his four main global freedoms. Roosevelt explained that a man could never enjoy his full human rights if he was always necessitous.

What must it mean for us in Guyana to be free from want? It must mean to be liberated to live our best lives and to be our best selves. No longer must we be imprisoned by the struggle to meet basic needs, such as finding food, shelter, and dignity. No longer must we live in fear of the uncertainties of daily survival. We must be liberated to live (in the words of Article 40 (1)) “a happy, creative and productive life”. As such, we must be enabled also to follow our aspirations, discover our talents, and develop our skills. We must have time to be involved in community and national life in whatever way. Our constitutional right to work, rest, recreation and leisure must make sense. Freedom from want therefore activates and gives substance to most of the other human rights granted each of us by our constitution.

READ ALSO

The essence of our Constitution talks about inclusionary democracy

Lost and Found at Cheddi Jagan Airport

The argument that such basic socioeconomic rights are only aspirational —that many countries are too poor to actually deliver on them—has become worn out. In any case, that excuse no longer holds for Guyana today. By 2024, we (the people) will be earning over US$ 1.5 billion annually in oil revenues to stash away in an already bulging Natural Resources Fund. With a small population (and by now fully advised as a nation on the recipe to avoid the resource curse), no Guyanese must now be oppressed by the burden of want.

The aspiration in Article 40 (1) is fundamental to nation-building. It could and must be achieved in a few years. Working towards it brings benefits to individuals and families gradually and meaningfully each step of the way to the economic liberation of all.  The political party most passionate about this mission and most capable to deliver the quickest is the party that deserves our support.

Advertisement

Regards
Sherwood Lowe



Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice



ShareTweetSendShareSend

Related Posts

Letters

The essence of our Constitution talks about inclusionary democracy

by Admin
February 4, 2023

Dear Editor, This week we’ve had another unhappy situation at Buxton. Editorials and letters have examined the situation from different...

Read more
Letters

Lost and Found at Cheddi Jagan Airport

by Admin
February 2, 2023

Dear Editor, The Cheddi Jagan International Airport wishes to acknowledge the letter in the Newspapers, dated February 1, 2023, by...

Read more
Letters

Black Panther actress Letitia Wright reminded all of us what it means to be Guyanese

by Admin
February 2, 2023

Dear Editor, OVP (Organisation for the Victory of the People, www. ovpguyana.org), is known as the Black Panther organisation in Guyana....

Read more
Next Post

Massive land grabbing at Farm, EBE

EDITOR'S PICK

Norton should put his head down like Corbin and focus on delivering gov’t to those desiring change

January 23, 2022
Former President Barrack Obama, left, finishes his remarks and welcomes Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, to the stage during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Obama to Democrats: ‘Sulking and moping is not an option’

November 5, 2022

Miner killed at Quartz Stone Backdam

October 26, 2020

Antigua teachers threaten to strike over security concerns

October 5, 2022

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency