Second annual Heritage Magazine launched

heritageGeorgetown: Prime Minister Samuel Hinds lauded the 2nd edition of the Heritage Magazine published by the Guyana National Trust which, according to him, shows what has been achieved in Guyana.

       Speaking at the launch of the magazine, on Friday at Cara Lodge, he noted that Guyana is relatively large with a small population, and its achievements must be shown in its heritage. He pointed out that with its history of colonial rule, and the various types of architecture left as a result, what remains should be cherished. This rich heritage should be used as a basis from which a start could be made to continue to build and develop the country.  The Prime Minister cited the drains and canals established decades ago with manual slave labour and stated that these achievements should also be recognised as part of the country’s heritage as “All work should be celebrated”.

         He pointed out the justification for independence which was that “we would be working for ourselves and as we move forward we should be working harder”.

         Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony expressed pride in producing information to help persons appreciate Guyanese culture.  “Through the publication of the magazine, it brings perspective to Guyanese heritage”.

       The magazine builds, not only on heritage but languages spoken in Guyana, Minister Anthony stated. He urged that Guyanese be proud of their inherited languages and think of them as part of their legacy. He pointed to various historical finds, urging that they be saved. “Magazines like this would help to educate the public…we need to tell the story about ourselves…getting people to understand is what is important,” he observed.

         The Minister also called on all Guyanese to become interested in saving the heritage of Georgetown by preserving the historical buildings.

        Sharing some insight into the magazine’s production, Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust, Nirvana Persaud said that after producing the first publication in 2011 due to the diversity of local heritage and feedback from stakeholders, it became quite obvious that it could no longer remain a one off publication. She noted that initially an annual publication was considered, “but given the scope of doing this, we are now confident of a biennial production that will document and highlight various aspects of our rich and diverse heritage both, tangible and intangible, cultural and natural”.

        The 80 – page magazine, Persaud said, includes an array of articles and information that covers aspects of Guyanese history, “The 1763 rebellion, Indian arrival, Portuguese-Guyanese heritage, Chinese immigrant experience, archaeology, petroglyphs, history of our canals, Guyanese language, myth of the seamonster, monuments, craftsmanship, preservation and conservation including a focus on our natural heritage of the mangrove restoration project among others highlighting the rich and intricate legacy from which we have evolved. It also highlights our historic City Hall which has been recently enlisted on the world monuments watch list for 2014-2016 by the world monuments fund and advocates for its preservation”. 

       The publication was challenging to produce, according to the National Trust’s CEO, and she thanked all who worked hard to ensure its success. “Especially the Research and Documentation Officer, Ms. Lauren Grant for the dedication and patience she displayed during the compilation of this publication. I also wish to thank the authors for their valuable contributions. Thanks, to the production team of Advertising and Marketing Services, Mr. Lokesh Singh and staff for working with us, though frustrating and painstaking at times, to produce this second heritage Guyana Magazine”.

           Minister Frank Anthony and Permanent Secretary Alfred King were singled out for their invaluable support by Ms Persaud.

            Copies were given to contributors of the articles, national repositories- National Library, National archives, University of Guyana Library and officials such as Minister Anthony, Prime Minister Hinds and Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green.

          The publication will be freely distributed, but in a limited scale since only 2,000 copies are being produced. A number of copies will also be disseminated to schools, tourism bodies, developers, municipalities, and airlines among others for wide circulation and maximum heritage promotion and marketing.