Community meetings to continue in 2017 to foster social cohesion – Minister Ally
GINA, GUYANA, Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Minister of Social Cohesion Amna Ally today, in the National Assembly during the 2017 Budget debate, explained that her ministry’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education to conduct consultations in secondary schools was for the purpose of fostering social cohesion.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally
Minister Ally said, “Students were exposed to all our diverse cultures and practices in order to have great appreciation for differences.” These initiatives will be an essential part of the Ministry’s work next year.
Earlier in 2016, both ministries hosted a cultural pilot project in all 14 secondary schools in Region Three to share knowledge, and promote and enhance social cohesion in Guyana among students and parents.
A sum of $90.1M has been allocated to the Ministry of Social Cohesion for activities and support consultations for the Ministry’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2017- 2021), in the 2017 budget.
“This budget gives us the opportunity to expand this programme in magnitude and scope in 2017,” Minister Ally stated while noting that other regions are to be included “to enable our children to have this learning experience.”
The Minister of Social Cohesion said that, “Face the community meetings” were held in collaboration in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, to discuss the social cohesion process.
Minister Ally stated that, “These meetings will continue to be an integral part of our work programme in 2017, and will be expanded to include other regions.”
Social Cohesion is said to be a process of building trust based on shared values in appreciation of diversities, thus creating a sense of belonging, and assuring equal access to resources so as to provide a good quality of life.
It is against this backdrop that the Minister of Social Cohesion has been travelling around the country and meeting with several groups to discuss ways in which the aim of the Ministry of Social Cohesion can be achieved for the good of all Guyanese.
By Zanneel Williams