50 with a difference

−Cohesion Minister says 50^th Republic Anniversary will be unique

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, December 5, 2019

One of the signature events on the Ministry of Social Cohesion’s 2020 calendar is the country’s 50^th Golden Republic Anniversary celebration. And the Minister of Social Cohesion Hon. Dr. George Norton is promising an event to knock everyone’s socks off everyone.

“I do not want persons to think that it will be a bigger Mashramani celebration …this is going to be something different…. we want it to be better and we want it to stand out,” he told the Department of Public Information, today, during an interview.

While noting that there will be some aspects of the Mashramani celebration such as the colourful float parade and the Pan-o-Rama steel pan competition, there will also be a lecture series, Art and Drama festival, Fashion Village, Culinary festival and several concerts among other celebrations.

“We, of course, have set plans in place for our young people to participate in a culture display,” Dr. Norton added.

On Wednesday, the department provided media operatives with a sneak peek into their Mashramani Design Workshop coordinated by Dr. Vibert Cambridge which intends to improve the design and display of costumes and decorated floats for 2020 and beyond.

It was explained that creators will look at design, presentation and adjudication issues, improved relationships with other designers, and how to launch conversations with key stakeholders concerning the future of Mashramani.

The 50^th anniversary will be hosted under the theme ‘Guyana Together – Reflect, Celebrate, Transform’.

Guyana Together speaks to the importance of all Guyanese uniting as one people, in pursuit of a prosperous destiny for this great nation.  Reflect emphasises the need for us to reminisce from whence we came, and acknowledge the struggles and sacrifices of our fore-parents. Celebrate refers to our innate ‘Guyaneseness’ to mark every milestone.  While Transform signifies the need for us to take Guyana to the next level. It speaks to the future, the decade of development and our country’s move to becoming a Green State.