14 NEWS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Generosity, kindness essential aspects of human development – President …as Salvation Army launches annual Christmas Kettle Appeal nate, and the fact that they have been doing it for 125 years. “The work you do is an inspiration to me. The fact that you provide up to 400 meals each day, and meet the basic needs of citizens, including the elderly and children, is noteworthy,” Minister Walrond posited, while recognising the organization’s donations to nursing homes. She added, “Your labour echoes humility and love for our fellow men, and these are attributes that all Guyanese should exemplify.” Recognising that the Christmas season is about love, Minister Waldron said,
President Dr Irfaan Ali making the first donation
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resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday declared open the traditional Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Appeal at Roraima Duke Lodge, as the festive seasons gets underway. “I now declare this kettle open, the kettle of hope, the kettle of mercy,” President Ali said as he made the first deposit into the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Kettle Appeal. The President acknowledged the tremendous work being done by the Salvation Army in assisting the less fortunate. He added that the programmes offered by the Army need to be decentralised. “These types of programmes also need to be decentralised and to go into communities and areas that we are seeing a new wave of abuse of substance; and you have a Government who is ready and willing to partner with you,” the Head-of-State said. He explained that generosity and kindness are essential aspects of human development, and are attributes to any developing country.
“But the problem is (that) the season, in my view, is just a reminder that we have it in us to give; but out-
al; otherwise, our ability to help each other will be seasonal, and that is not what we want to achieve.”
“Too often, we get so consumed with the cares of life that we forget to show love. Love is a foundational principle in most religions because it is so critical to our survival.” Further, she mentioned that people from all walks of life could enter the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Programme and get a second chance at life. “Just on a personal note, I was a Magistrate for seven years, and I had many young (people) come before me. In fact, I sat on the Juvenile Court for most of those years, and the Salvation Army Drug Rehabilitation Programme, I can testify, saved many young persons’
lives.” Consequently, she joined the call with the Headof-State to have the programme expanded within different communities throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. Officers of the Salvation Army will be stationed at strategic locations near popular stores and businesses as they solicit donations from the general public to fund their charitable programmes. Government provides a subvention for the organisation’s drug rehabilitation programme, but it is dependent on the goodwill of the general public to support its various initiatives. (G1)
Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana moves to Barbados …replacement to be named shortly “It has been a very interesting three years in Guyana. I really enjoyed the Guyanese people – beautiful country, wonderful people and I leave with mixed feelings. I will always have a special thought in my heart for Guyana and will only wish the very best for this country” – Lilian Chatterjee
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Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond making her donation
side of the season, we also have a responsibility. Our love should not be seasonal; our commitment should not be seasonal; our kindness should not be season-
Meanwhile, Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond commended the Salvation Army for their commitment to supporting the less fortu-
anadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee has been named as Canada’s new envoy to Barbados. This announcement was made on Friday by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, FrançoisPhilippe Champagne. She will replace the current Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados, Maria Legault. However, no information has been released on the new Canadian envoy to Guyana. While it was not mentioned when the outgoing diplomat will take up her new post, High Commission Chatterjee is expected to remain in Guyana throughout November. In a brief comment to Guyana Times on Friday, Chatterjee said: “It has been a very interesting three years in Guyana. I really enjoyed the Guyanese people – beautiful country, wonderful people and I leave with mixed feelings. I will always have a special thought in my heart for Guyana and will only wish the very best for this country.” Asked about her replacement, the outgoing Canadian diplomat said this announcement will be made shortly. “[The new High Commission] has been identified but it is not public information yet… we will announce it shortly,” she related to this publication. Chatterjee was ap-
pointed as Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana in July 2017. She also served as Canada’s non-resident High Commissioner to Suriname as well as Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (Caricom). During her tenure here, High Commission Chatterjee led several successful partnerships between the Guyana and Canadian Governments in various areas of development.
Fight for democracy
Most notable, however, is the role she played as part of the ABCE bloc to ensure that democracy prevailed in Guyana following the March 2 General and Regional Elections when the country was embroiled in a political and electoral crisis for five months before the PPP/C Government was finally sworn-in after being declared the winner on August 2. At the inauguration ceremony of President Irfaan Ali in August, Chatterjee told reporters: “Democracy prevailed. The will of the people was respected in end. I’m so happy for Guyana and I’m optimistic for Guyana’s future.” She had reiterated her Government’s commitment to working with the Ali-led Administration to foster development in Guyana. Since then, the Canadian envoy has met with most, if not all, of the Ministers in the new PPP/C Cabinet and discuss areas of collaboration. One such collaboration
Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee
is electoral reforms. During a meeting with Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall earlier this month, she laid out a plethora of opportunities in the legal sector for Guyana to take advantage of and indicated her Government’s preparedness to lend assistance in the form of experts to aid in the electoral reform process. This commitment was in response to a request by Minister Nandlall. Chatterjee has had a long career within Global Affairs Canada. She served as Director General of the Strategic Integration, Europe, Middle East and Maghreb Branch. Prior to that, Chatterjee held the position of Director General of the Social Development; Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch. In 2003, Chatterjee joined the Canadian International Development Agency where she later became the Director General of the Canadian Partnership Branch. Canada is the third major destination of exports from Guyana and is a leading foreign investor in Guyana, with investments approximating $600 million. (G8)
