The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), has expanded its Harmony Clubs initiative with the launch of two new clubs at Wales Primary School and Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School in Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara) on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Each club is designed to engage students in structured activities to cultivate tolerance, mutual respect, peaceful conflict resolution, and an appreciation for Guyana’s rich ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity.
The initiative forms part of the ERC’s ongoing efforts to foster harmonious relations among all ethnic groups and promote peaceful coexistence. By introducing these values at an early age, the Commission aims to equip students with the attitudes and skills necessary to build positive relationships, resolve disagreements constructively, and contribute to a more inclusive and united Guyana.
The two launches featured the participation of Commissioners Shaikh Moeenul Hack, Neaz Subhan, Ras Khafra, Chandrowtie Sarran, Rodwell Porter, Ashton Simon, and Pandit Krishn Sharma. Chairman Hack and Commissioners Subhan, Khafra, Sarran, and Porter participated in the engagement at Wales Primary School, while Commissioners Simon and Sharma were part of the team at Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School. Their participation underscored the Commission’s collective commitment to promoting mutual understanding, respect for diversity, and peaceful coexistence among young people.
At Wales Primary School, ERC’s Chairman Shaikh Hack highlighted the practical benefits of the initiative, describing the Harmony Club as a valuable addition to the school’s reading room. He encouraged students to apply the lessons learned through the club by demonstrating love and respect towards their friends, neighbours, teachers, and members of their communities.
Commissioner Ras Khafra encouraged students to embrace friendship and recognise that differences in ethnic and cultural backgrounds should never be a barrier to positive relationships. He underscored the importance of fostering friendship rather than division and appreciating the diversity that makes Guyana unique. Commissioner Chandrowtie Sarran similarly urged students to embrace differences among those they encounter and to resolve disputes peacefully, while Commissioner Rodwell Porter highlighted the many similarities Guyanese share, including their food traditions, emphasising the importance of sharing and learning from one another.
Deputy Chief Education Officer, Development, Ms. Volika Jaikishun, was present at the launch of the Club in Wales. Speaking on her behalf was Education Officer (Primary) Ms. Kim Spencer, who highlighted the Ministry of Education’s ongoing anti-bullying efforts and welcomed the Harmony Club as a complementary initiative. She underscored the importance of encouraging students to interact positively with their peers and to extend the values of respect, understanding, and cooperation into their homes and wider communities.
Also addressing the students, Ms. Martina Archer-Semple, Senior Mistress at Wales Primary School, welcomed the ERC delegation and encouraged students to respect one another, accept cultural differences, and work together peacefully.
At Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School, Commissioner Pandit Krishn Sharma encouraged the students to spread love, kindness, and tolerance as newly appointed Harmony Ambassadors, reinforcing their responsibility to demonstrate these values both within and beyond the school environment.
Moreover, Commissioner Ashton Simon delivered an engaging story illustrating the importance of cooperation and the value of individual contributions, reminding students that even the smallest contribution can have a meaningful impact when people work together.
Representing the Ministry of Education at Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School, Mr. Devindra Ganesh, Education Officer (Primary) encouraged the students to become ambassadors of goodwill and kindness, urging them to put these values into practice in their daily interactions.
The school’s Deputy Headmistress, Ms. Silvia Forde, expressed appreciation to the ERC and the Ministry of Education for introducing the initiative. She noted that the Harmony Club would serve as an important extension of the school’s efforts to promote greater cultural and religious tolerance among students.
The Harmony Clubs initiative complements the Ministry of Education’s ongoing anti-bullying efforts by providing a positive platform through which students can learn to appreciate differences, develop empathy, and build respectful relationships with their peers. Beyond the classroom, these lessons are intended to influence students’ interactions with their families and wider communities, helping to nurture a generation that values understanding over prejudice and dialogue over conflict.
The two launches bring the Harmony Clubs initiative to 12 schools across five administrative regions, building on the Commission’s initial pilot programme in Georgetown in late 2025. The first five clubs were established at Stella Maris, St. Gabriel’s, Comenius, St. Ambrose, and North Georgetown Primary Schools in Region Four. In 2026, the initiative expanded to Mahdia and Micobie Primary Schools in Region Eight, Kamarang Primary School in Region Seven, Kuru Kururu Primary School (Soesdyke / Linden Highway) in Region Four, and Port Kaituma Primary School in Region One.
The latest launches in Region Three represent another important step in the ERC’s commitment to extending the programme to schools throughout Guyana in partnership with the Ministry of Education.
Through the Harmony Clubs, the ERC continues to invest in young people as future ambassadors of tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. The Commission remains committed to working with schools, educators, families, and communities to strengthen inter-ethnic understanding and foster a society in which Guyanese of every background can live together in harmony.
