Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira says he does not support the call to boycott Guyanese-owned businesses in Brooklyn, New York. It “not only hurts and undermines the economic livelihood of these individuals but also perpetuates division and animosity within the community.” There is a call by some to boycott these businesses who accommodated President Irfaan Ali during an impromptu visit to the Brooklyn community, traditionally seen as a diaspora stronghold of the opposition, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).
Advocates for the boycott are peeved the Guyanese community did not object to Ali’s visit or what they see as failure to empathise with the Guyanese at home who are the target of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) discriminatory policies. The government’s rap sheet is long.
That rap sheet includes refusal to engage the main parliamentary opposition, which the PNCR is the main partner, on the development of Guyana and equitable distribution of oil and gas resources; harassing vendors and denying them opportunity to eke out an honest living; disrespect for workers’ rights to collective bargaining for increase wages/salary and improvised working conditions; dismantling properties and businesses at Cane View/Mocha, East Bank Demerara valued tens of millions on the pretext they are in the path of the new road when the design shows it is not to be true; fermenting racial animosity in the discriminatory allocation/award of government contracts skewed in favour of the East Indian Guyana; ignoring need for infrastructural work in Opposition strongholds, streets, etc.
It is Figueira’s view, however, boycotting Guyanese-owned businesses would serve as a detriment to entrepreneurship, employment opportunities, and economic growth within the diaspora and in Guyana. Supporting his position the member of parliament alluded to the fact that Guyanese at home and the economy benefit from remittances. According to the United Nations International Organisation for Migration, remittances to Guyana remittance to Guyana is significant constituting to as much as 11% of Guyanese GDP.
Moreover, he said, many Guyanese-owned businesses have overcome numerous challenges to establish themselves in their respective services in a foreign land. “By patronising these businesses, we not only support their growth but also celebrate their achievements and contributions to the community.”
His statement follows:-
BOYCOTT! BOYCOTT! REALLY?
The President of Guyana’s recent visit to Brooklyn underscores the importance of engaging with diaspora communities and recognizing their contributions to national development.
His visit however has seen some fellow Guyanese individuals calling for boycotts of those Guyanese businesses who welcomed the President into their establishments. This call, purportedly aimed at holding President Irfaan Ali’s administration accountable for alleged injustices, discrimination, and abuses, has sparked controversy and division within the community.
It is in this regard I pen this missive to posit that it is imperative for fellow Guyanese in the diaspora to reject such a boycott.
Boycotting Guyanese businesses “we own” people in a foreign land is just plain stupid. How is that going to achieve anything good?
We have hundreds of foreign-owned supermarkets popping up in every part of Guyana and no Guyanese is calling for a boycott of their businesses so why the self-hate and intended hurt on ourselves?
Instead of such a call, there should be advocacy for dialogue, and constructive engagement as the path toward addressing all grievances, and matters of interest to respective communities, and our country, and fostering an agenda for prosperity for all.
The strength of any community lies in its diversity and unity. The Guyanese diaspora, comprising individuals of various ethnicities, backgrounds, and beliefs, embodies this diversity that makes us Guyanese, that makes us unique with the potential to be strong. Instead of fostering division through myopic and irrational foolishness, we must strive to build bridges that connect us and promote understanding and collaboration.
Boycotting Guyanese-owned businesses not only hurts and undermines the economic livelihood of these individuals but also perpetuates division and animosity within the community.
Boycotting Guyanese-owned businesses serves as a detriment to entrepreneurship, employment opportunities, and economic growth within the diaspora and in Guyana. Many of our countrymen, women, and our economy benefit from remittances received from our diaspora.
These businesses are often the backbone of local economies, providing employment opportunities, goods, and services to the community especially our fellow Guyanese, giving them a piece of home. By supporting these businesses, we contribute to the economic prosperity of our fellow Guyanese and foster a sense of collective empowerment.
Moreover, many Guyanese-owned businesses have overcome numerous challenges to establish themselves in their respective services in a foreign land. By patronising these businesses, we not only support their growth but also celebrate their achievements and contributions to the community.
Guyanese boycotting Guyanese businesses is not by any stretch of the imagination, a rational or constructive approach to one’s fellow countrymen on account of their actions that may have provoked real or contrived offence. Instead, we must promote dialogue, engagement, and peaceful activism as means of effecting positive change. By engaging in open and respectful discourse, we create opportunities for understanding, reconciliation, and progress.
Moreover, holding President Irfaan Ali’s administration accountable for alleged injustices requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond boycotting our businesses. It necessitates engaging with policymakers, advocating for policy reforms, and supporting grassroots initiatives that address systemic issues such as discrimination, injustice, inequitable distribution of state contracts, and human rights abuses.
Instead of perpetuating division through boycotts, we must channel our collective energies and resources toward initiatives that uplift marginalized communities, promote economic development, and create pathways for social mobility.
I say again, that the call for a boycott of Guyanese-owned businesses within the diaspora is misguided, self-destructive, and counterproductive. Instead of fostering division and animosity amongst ourselves, we must strive to build bridges that promote unity, dialogue, and collaboration.
As we navigate the complexities of our shared history and collective aspirations, let us remember that it is through equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, bipartisanship on what is best for Guyana, having respect for the rule of law, unity, and solidarity, that we can achieve true prosperity and progress.
Yours truly,
Hon. Jermaine Figueira MP
