If only one fact has been established in the first three parts of this series of articles, it is that prejudice and discrimination is a top-down phenomenon. In other words, if a government of a country engages in institutional prejudice and discrimination, a national climate and atmosphere is produced and fostered in which such practices may seem normal. At the regional, neighbourhood, community, and family levels, prejudice and discrimination are normalised, and become part of the social fabric. The effects of such a situation are obvious in Guyanese society. A healthy sense of cohesion and harmony is being systematically broken down and dismantled by the deliberate institutional policies of the ruling class headed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime. Our national motto of One People, One Nations, One Destiny, has become a subject of mockery. And, every day, one can see citizens state – quite openly that, “Guyana is not a real place.”
This – part 4 of this series – will highlight some of the facets of the institutional practice of discrimination, and how it affects us and our children.
First, though, it must be underscored that the scourge or institutional prejudice has a cascading effect. It starts at the top of government, it is transmitted to the community leaders, the contagion – the cancer of prejudice – spreads to the heads of households, and the ideology of prejudice finally is instilled in the minds of a new generation of young people. And so the cycle goes on.
And make no mistake about it, the architects of prejudice and discrimination – the people at the top of the political and economic ladder – are fully aware of what they are doing. Their only objective is to divide the Guyanese people, because as long as the people remain divided, the elite few, and their cronies, can continue to plunder the wealth and resources of the nation. The people at the top know that when a nation is divided, that nation cannot rise up to resist their tyrannical dictatorship.
Amnesty International published an article about why governments, and eventually, communities, and individuals practice prejudice, racism, and discrimination; the following is an excerpt of the article:
“At the heart of all forms of discrimination is prejudice based on concepts of identity, and the need to identify with a certain group. This can lead to division, hatred and even the dehumanisation of other people because they have a different identity. In many parts of the world, the politics of blame and fear is on the rise. Intolerance, hatred and discrimination is causing an ever-widening rift in societies. The politics of fear is driving people apart as leaders peddle toxic rhetoric, blaming certain groups of people for social or economic problems. Some governments try to reinforce their power and the status quo by openly justifying discrimination in the name of morality, religion or ideology. Discrimination can be cemented in national law, even when it breaks international law – for example, [the denial of health and social services to girls]. Certain groups can even be viewed by the authorities as more likely to be criminals simply for who they are, such as being poor, indigenous or black.”
The American Psychological Association, in a report, writes the following:
“If we just look at overt discrimination, we are missing a lot of negativity that the targets of discrimination experience,” says Michelle “Mikki” Hebl, PhD, a professor of psychology and management at Rice University. In fact, Hebl argues that in some cases subtle, or interpersonal, discrimination can be more damaging than more overt forms because the recipient may have to exert a great deal of cognitive resources questioning whether they are just imagining it or to whom to attribute it.”
In other words, we sometimes experience discrimination, and doubt our own perceptions because it has become a normal part of life in Guyana.
This publication will continue this series of articles with an examination of the effects of prejudice and discrimination, and how Guyanese can fight back against institutional discrimination which is, unfortunately, being perpetrated from the top of the ruling regime.
