Five conferred with the Sydney Allicock Global Humanitarian Award
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, November 18, 2018
Five Guyanese were on Saturday awarded the IChange Nations – Sydney Allicock Global Humanitarian Award, named after Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
The award was conferred upon Minister Allicock himself when it was first established last year by founder and president of “IChange Nations” Dr. Clyde Rivers. It honours his dedication to empowering the Indigenous people of Guyana and ensuring that standards of education and community tourism in hinterland communities are strengthened.
The five awardees are Jacqueline Allicock, Nicholas Fredricks, Victor Ferreira, Julio Perreira, and Glendon Allicock.
Dr. Rivers said that his research led him to Minister Allicock’s love for the environment. It was through that knowledge that the award was established. According to him, the Sydney Allicock Award was earlier this year presented to persons in Costa Rica, Peru, Spain and Hungary. Dr. River said the that since the establishment of the award, and with its presentations all over the world, persons are becoming familiar with Guyana’s fight to secure a green state.
“When he opens his mouth, every word that comes out is wisdom and every word brings us back to the original design of how this earth is supposed to run. He is one of the greatest men I know that is fighting for mankind. We are honoured to have an award in this great man’s name,” Dr. Rivers said of Minister Allicock.
“I will make sure the world hears the message of this country,” he said.
In his remarks minister Allicock compared “mother earth” to the human body.
“The diamonds are like your eyes, the gold is like your heart, the rivers are like your veins. When you start to pluck out the diamond and gold and start to pollute the rivers, it is like what you could be doing to yourself.”
The Minister said that while the country can develop economically from its natural resources, this should be done in a balanced way. He spoke of the pollution of the waterways and the detrimental impact it has on the lifeforms.
“The very things that we depend on for our survival we attack, which is like causing slow suicide on ourselves. We have to understand and respect more, the laws of mother nature. Understand what it means not to overdo, understand how to utilize or develop products that could be able to give you what you need.
Meanwhile, the IChange Nation organisation also established another award in the name of humanitarian Dr. Astell Collins. This year organisation inaugurated the Dr. Astell Collins Global Inspiration Award. Six persons from the United States of America received that award.
“What Dr. Collins stands for is, he is a man for the people, he is a leader,” Dr Rivers said.
The IChange Nations is a reputable internationally recognised organisation which identifies individuals for outstanding humanitarian work in their respective countries and areas of service.
Last year, ten Guyanese, including Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes received the Sydney Allicock Award Global Humanitarian Award.
Alexis Rodney.
Image: Department of Public Information.