I feel pretty sure that if I were to go around this room asking each and every one of you what you consider to be a “good living” – wealth will feature prominently in your answer as would good health, the freedom to buy the things you desire, the freedom to go where you want and the security to allow you to enjoy them all in peace with those of your choosing.
I take the view, however, that the attainment of ‘good living’ for us in Guyana is hinged on the quality of governance we have in the country. Thus, it is of primary importance in our quest for a good living that we focus on the socio/economic and political environment in which we find ourselves. Inevitably, this would force us into the ‘Good Governance’ debate or what I prefer to describe as the ‘Good Enough Governance’ debate.
During the recent period, the IFIs were pushing PRSPs in developing economies. A study on ‘Good Enough Governance’ was done by the Harvard School of Governance that attracted my attention. Essentially, the study posited that Good or Good Enough Governance is a long term objective. “… most of the good governance agenda is about what governments need to do to perform better. It is about their willingness to respond with commitment to put their political, administrative, and financial houses in better order. At the same time, many of the poorest governments not only have low capacity to carry out these commitments, they may be captured by corrupt elites, have a history of not complying with their commitments and lack even basic legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens.” How do we overcome these challenges?
Who Needs to Do It? Are there ways of improving governance when governments are unable or unwilling to make necessary changes in how they carry out their activities? The Harvard School of Governance answers the question by pointing to More Capable Civil Societies. The study argued that even when it is possible to move on to second generation public sector reforms, organizations that demonstrate the capacity to improve are likely to remain islands of excellence unless civil societies are also strengthened.
An important incentive for organizations and government officials alike is the capacity of citizens and groups to demand fair treatment, to have information about their rights vis-à-vis government, and to be able to hold officials and governments accountable for their actions. Thus, while the supply of good governance is important, so too must be the demand for it. With its the wide ranging protection of fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the individual, the Guyana Constitution provides the basis for our quest as a people to live the good life. Similarly, several international treaties ratified by Guyana contemplate this as well.
But as we all know ‘fear’ pervades our society and leaves many among us inactive and moribund. In this milieu, civil society organisations are weak and unable to rise to the occasion to hold our government accountable, therefore, we need to deal with our fear. At the risk of being passé, I offer this reminder by Mary Morrissey, “You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith”. This is what resonates within the AFC as we set out to alter the course of this country for the better. We thank you for your support and courage in attending this fund-raising dinner and of course we ask for your vote and to encourage others to do likewise.
Comments are closed