In 2015 on Mrs Elizabeth Harpers watch as Head of Guyanas Foreign Service 43 of 44 Guyana Ambassadors posted abroad just happened to be East Indian.
For rendering such service to the powers that be- the racist ppp Govt ruling Guyana this black woman was surely entitled to a STANDING ovation from her Masters .
If only ‘cheers’ were available .
Yuh want proof? Wait nuh..
The 44th Ambassador was Not Black but Portuguese based in Brussels.
Recall that Mrs Harper was actually Head of the Guyana Foreign Service under a Govt.headed by Bharrat ‘India is alive & well in Guyana’ Jagdeo (2)
The Jagdeo Govt swore in the Guyana High Court under oath that there were No qualified blacks to be found.
Then it was admitted that in fact no qualifications were necessary!
In mitigation Mrs Harper ( in Jamaica she would be Mrs ‘Arper) was named by the Jagdeo Govt as Ambassador to CARICOM..( Caribbean Community)…
based not abroad but at Caricom HQ right at home in Georgetown Guyana !
So this Head of the Guyanese Diplomic Service also doubled up as the only black envoy outa 45!
Question Did she appoint herself?
If not how could she possibly allow herself to be placed in such a racially compromed position?
One is reminded of the fate of the sardine: after being caught it allowed white capitalists to lock it inside a tin and the position the key on the outside.
For instant access.
To Rawtid!
Recall Mrs Harper consented to be grounded at home in Guyana! where the racist hatred is.(Gil Scot- Heron)
For this Jagdeo Govts act of tokenism and her own( forced or volunteered? ) complicity with their transparently racist window-dressing in Georgetown Mrs Harpers position can also be understood in terms of the Big House on the Slave Plantation as :
A . A House Negro- (Malcolm X )
B. The HNIC – the ‘Head N…ger in Charge’
C. A Trapeze artist performing cunning stunts in a diplomatic circus wholly owned by cynical Racists .
In Race Relations statistical ‘stylee’ Mrs Elizabeth ‘Arper was the classic ‘two-for’ ie
2 negroes -one black one female- for the ‘prize’ of one.
No way can she be described as a Guyanese Rosa Parks : defying resisting denouncing & speaking Truth to Power.
On the contrary she was given a basket by racists to fetch water & then instructed to drive a Diplomatic bus called Racial Discrimination in Guyana.
In historical terms her collusion & complicity was only surpassed in egregiousness by another black woman also born in Guyana :
LADY VALERIE AMOS
In 2001 as UK PM’s Tony B-liars un-elected -Labour Party- Minister for Africa whom he deposited in the House of Lords- Lady Amos was dispatched to Durban St Africa as the British Govts representative at the UN International Conference on Racism.
And so it came to pass & Let History record that
Whereas Mrs ‘Arper had agreed to be secluded & sequestered (and quarantined?) in Georgetown Lady Valerie Amos publicly and in full frontal transparency stunned the majority Black & Third World delegates in her Masters best English (1)with this declaration :
” my ( sic!) Govt will NOT be Apologising for Slavery” …ie of her own ancestors unalived on Guyana soil mixed with their blood.
As with Elizabeth Harper the question arises:
Was Valerie Amos forced or did she volunteer to fetch a basket to carry water for B-liar to Durban?
CONCLUSION
Both Mrs Elzabeth Harper and Lady Valerie Amos constitute compelling proof- if any was needed -that formal Education of & in itself may be a necessary but is certainly not a sufficient requirement for any kind of Liberation: Caribbean or African.
Let Trinidads Calypso King the Mighty Sparrow born in Grenada put British colonial education firmly back in its damned place:
“If ah was bright ah wudda been a damn fool….but y’ see mi head was duncy an up to now ah cyaan read”
(Ref: Listen to his “Dan is the man” calypso on You Tube.)
Final word to the late great Fela Kuti Nigerias Afro-beat & Pan-Africanist icon who reinforced this message above in his
“Teacher don’t teach me No Nonsense”-
( also on You Tube)
I sincerely hope that Mrs Elizabeth Harper & her conscience rest in pie..Oops! Peace.
Be that as it may I hereby rest my case.
Now read on below for Mr Ronald Austins anti-septic & sanitized version of Mrs Harpers history in general , & pay special attention to paragraph 5 in particular .
Please stop reading after para 5. Proceed no further.
James Baldwins (1) warning below must be heeded :
“The principles upon which the English language has been constructed form part of the architecture of the Black man’s( & womans) prison.”
Errol Harry London UK
(2) he stated this to the Wall St Journal”
Obituary||
Elizabeth Anne Harper
By
R.M Austin (Ronald Austin Sr)
1.In recent times, Elizabeth Harper had become a very impressive figure.
2. At the conferences of the Guyana delegation at The Hague she was the great organizer, seeing that meetings started punctually.
3.In the Advisory Committee on Borders she was knowledgeable, precise and concise.
4..
I learnt too that her administration of the Ministry was humane and empathetic.
5… The alchemy of a good education, civilized manners, accumulated experience in diplomacy, and an understanding of the psychology of men and women had produced a finished and impressive diplomat.
6.As I looked at this evolution, I had an inward epiphany: My good friend of many years was destined for the canon of great Guyanese public servants and outstanding diplomats.
7.Given the evolving and difficult geopolitics of the region, the pressing problems of the environment, the careful positioning of Guyana as a petro-state in the international system, the ongoing border controversy to the west and the border dispute to the east, and the imperative for expanded relations with different states, Elizabeth Harper was the ideal candidate for the highest position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a decade or less no Government could have resisted the temptation to make her the chief diplomat of our nation. But the grim reaper had other ideas. He cut her down in the prime of her professional life.Elizabeth Anne Harper, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was an outstanding public servant, and a civilized, gifted person.
She served her Ministry and country exceptionally well. It took her skill and experience to shepherd the Foreign Ministry through the difficult period of 2001 to 2015 and again between 2020 and the time of her death.
After the defeat of the PPP at the polls, the coalition government, recognizing her skills and the relevance of her experience, retained her as an Advisor on Borders. That she could serve different governments at the highest level is testimony to the fact that in the domain of Foreign Policy she held an unbiased national outlook.
Liz was affable, courteous, dependable and industrious. She also had the qualities necessary for a good diplomat as described by that famous French diplomat, Jules Cambon, in his book ‘The Diplomatist’ : “No calling makes greater demands upon the self discipline, the strength of character, and independence of those who are called upon to practice it.” A few eyebrows might be raised at the word “independence.” I can only say that those who are surprised did not know Elizabeth very well. There was steel beneath the silken exterior. She could defy her superiors without their being aware of it.
Elizabeth Harper joined the Foreign Ministry in 1976, having left Bishop’s High School at a very young age. She was assigned to the Registry of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Department no longer exists, the victim of neglect and modern technology. Even in this position many of us noticed that she had the makings of a good public servant and diplomat. Liz worked well with others; she was efficient, punctual, and willing to learn.
But it was also not lost on her that the Foreign Ministry was like no other institution in the Government. It was distinguished by the presence of Guyana scholars, officers of acclaimed academic backgrounds, established public servants, and public servants of outstanding calibre. Moreover, the Ministry had just successfully held the first Foreign Ministers meeting of the Non-Aligned states in the Western hemisphere. The energy resulting from that success made the Foreign Ministry, led by bright men, a hive of intellectual activity. Survival was premised on intellectual capacity and efficiency.
This could not have been lost on a young and impressionable Elizabeth Harper. Emulation was, and probably still is, a motivating factor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She therefore entered the University of Guyana to read for a degree in French and Spanish. If my memory serves right, she graduated at the top of her class. Later, when the opportunity presented itself, she read for a Certificate in Diplomatic Studies.
With these qualifications and growing experience, Elizabeth Harper began her ascent up the bureaucratic ladder. I trace the parabola of her success: Foreign Service Officer 1( 1981-1984); Foreign Service Officer 11( 1984-1988; Protocol Division); Deputy Head, Political Division 1 (1988-1991); Head of Frontiers Division ( 1990-1991); Counsellor, Guyana High Commission, London; Director of the Department of the Americas ( 1996-2001); Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2001-2015). Elizabeth Harper also concurrently held accreditations to CARICOM; Barbados; Trinidad and Tobago; Grenada; and St Kitts/ Nevis.
I had the opportunity to work with Elizabeth Harper on several occasions. I therefore was able to observe at close quarters her method of work, assess her negotiating skills and weigh the quality of her personality. Elizabeth Harper was hard working, thoughtful, dedicated and, most importantly, energetic. The period during which we worked closely together coincided with a number of Presidential visits to Guyana from Venezuela and return visits by our Head of State, visits by the President of Suriname, and the Prime Minister of Barbados, among many others. There were other visits below this level, but these were outstanding in my memory.
In my mind’s eye, to this day, I can see Elizabeth Harper, writing at top speed, producing briefs of the highest quality, drafting the communique well before a visit ended, and then, turning aside to help with the protocol and administrative side of the visit. To watch Elizabeth Harper in action during the preparation of a state visit was like watching a bravura performance of a great artist. During this period, we not only made preparations for Presidential visits, but we also attended several CARICOM meetings. And there I could see how comfortable Elizabeth Harper was in multilateral settings. She worked the floor before and after sessions of a conference and her interventions were thoughtful and precise. And it was usual for her to be involved in the process of drafting and negotiating the final communique of the conference. In the region, Liz had become well known for her drafting skills and the elegance of the language she used.
The period leading to her appointment as Director General, after she returned from the London High Commission, was a very difficult one. Elizabeth Harper was affected by the brutal downsizing of the Ministry and the partisan dismissal of 69 Foreign Service Officers, most of whom were her personal friends. I will not go into all of the details of this period, but it remains controversial and has had a lasting effect on the development of the Ministry. Suffice it to say that Elizabeth Harper’s personal qualities and her experience got her through.
As Director General she had to take command of a Ministry which had lost three Directors General and which needed direction and streamlining. Yet she piloted the Ministry through this period of rebuilding. It was also at the same time facing challenges in the region and beyond. And what a wonderful human leader she was. I know I am not wrong in saying that she got the best out of her staff and the staff got the best out her. Elizabeth Harper showed remarkable empathy in dealing with her staff and was appreciated throughout Takuba Lodge.
It was a time too when the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was threatened not by our western but our eastern neighbor. A CGX vessel exploring for oil in our waters was expelled by a Suriname military vessel in 2000. Guyana took the prudent decision to go to UNCLOS to get justice. We did so in September 2007. This was an important success in our diplomatic history. I am sure that the lawyers and our seasoned diplomats and government did an excellent job in helping us to get this important decision. But those who participated in this event will tell you that Elizabeth Harper role in coordinating the work of the lawyers, the diplomats and the directions of the President was outstanding.
It is a role she had continued to play in relation to our case at the ICJ. As one of the Agents she has worked tirelessly to get our case and our position understood in the region and beyond. The same coordinating role seen at the time of the crisis with Suriname was on display again. We are nearing the end of prosecuting our case at the ICJ. Soon the final oral hearings will be held. A decision could come next year.
I am confident that the ICJ will find, as the Government of Guyana has requested, that the 1899 award is valid and binding. Such a successful decision will be the result of the hard work of lawyers, diplomats and the officials of the Government of Guyana. But most of all it will be the crowning achievement of Elizabeth Harper’s diplomatic and public service career.
The Gods made it possible for our paths to cross on what was to be one final time. After the meetings between President Ali and then Opposition leader Aubrey Norton, Elizabeth Harper and I were deputed to draft the communique. It was just like old times. I remember on one occasion we started quite late, going on towards midnight. Yet we were so accustomed to working together that we were done before the witching hour. Moments like these lift the spirit.
I may be accused of painting a picture of a person of unblemished character. I do not. Elizabeth Harper like any other human being had her frailties. But the strength of her character far outweighed them. These strengths have been acknowledged.
It is a testament to Elizabeth Harper’s success as a diplomat and a person that she attracted plaudits from the Embassy of China, the Prime Minister of Barbados, all of the political parties in Guyana and from various agencies and personalities locally and regionally, as well as the lawyers with whom she worked on our case before the ICJ. This list is not exhaustive. This has never happened before in the history of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This near universal recognition of her work must be the most fitting epitaph.
