Top tip Click on the play button to stay on the website

Big oil, identity politics and an uneasy game of poker

Welcome to Guyana.  Despite my growing familiarity with the country, admittedly, it’s one that often challenges me on an ethical basis, in particular my experience with its former ruling Ministers from the PNC. Like most of the world, the politics of the nation has been played out by two parties - the PPP and the PNC.

Many argue that both political camps play on ethnic divide as a route to vote harvesting which makes a fascinating discussion, as we often have political parties curating ideas that surround their perception of nationalism. So, what happens to our sense of country when the party one voted for loses?

Today I am joined by the Chairman of ANUG and lawyer Timothy Jonas as he guides me through the growth of race politics and the real challenges facing this newly, oil rich nation. We also tackle the key burning questions facing the current President Dr Irfaan Ali.

About ANUG: A NEW AND UNITED GUYANA

The party was founded in January 2019,[1][2] with its main goal being shared governance, along with reducing poverty, consensus on governing the oil industry and climate change as major areas of focus. Key individuals at the launch included Ralph Ramkarran, Beni Sankar, Kian Jabour, Henry Jeffrey, Akanni Blair and Timothy Jonas.[1]

It ran in the 2020 general elections with Ralph Ramkarran as its presidential candidate. The party received 2,313 votes and gained a shared seat in parliament through an alliance with the New Movement and the Liberty and Justice Party.[3]

On the 13th of July 2021 ANUG held its second internal elections with Timothy Jonas elected chairman, Ralph Ramkarran elected general secretary, Althia King elected assistant general secretary, and Kian Jabour elected organizing secretary, along with new faces bringing new ideas and a fresh look to the party.

The 10 elected committee members are Alex D’Aguiar, Stephen Patterson, Mark deFrance, Celina Kishna, Bruce Camacho, Mary Correia, Niall Stanton, Javeed Ally, Bhavita Sukh and Dirk Walker.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_and_United_Guyana

Watch the video here:

About the Global Indian Series:

My name is Rajan Nazran Chief Explorer for the Global Indian Series, the official platform for people of Indian origin (PIO) and liberal minds, because let’s face it, we are everywhere!

For over 15 years I have travelled across the globe deep diving into 60+ countries whilst exploring the kaleidoscope of our remarkable 50 shades of brown community.

Voyaging to the edges of the Amazon, facing Ebola in West Africa, being held hostage in Eastern Europe, tapping rubber in Malaysia, drinking chai with Heads of State and sharing laughter with local fishermen – I have been there, looking for the ideas that re-shape a nation.

My purpose is simple, to build a living encyclopaedia of the human experience of the community and a safe mooring ground for open discussions, whether you are an NRI, Indian Diaspora, person of Indian origin (PIO) or a fan of South Asian anthropology, join in as we bring people and communities together.

Through our range of award-winning original content (print, podcasts, events and TV) and fascinating discussions, our impactful stories and platforms have spearheaded national and international conversations that have brought people together.  Our work is featured in global brands including The Indian Express through to the CNBC network.

 

How to get involved:

Interested in getting involved in building the world’s largest living encyclopaedia on the community? Whether you want to become a patron, buy us a chai in a new location or have your story shown, simply get in touch via our website, we would love to hear from you. www.globalindianseries.com

 

Social media:

You can reach Rajan via

Global Indian Series (@rajannazran) • Instagram photos and videos

(1) Rajan (Singh) Nazran | LinkedIn

Global Indian Series - YouTube

Special thank you to TAIZU for the music

Episode: 134

Presenter – Rajan Nazran

Producer –Global Indian Series/NazranRoth

Guest: Timothy Jonas

 

Other content you may like:

If you liked this podcast, you may enjoy the following:

PODCAST:

https://globalindianseries.com/the-carnival-of-national-identity-made-in-trinidad-with-dr-kirk-meighoo/

THE HISTORY OF INDIANNESS | THE SUGAR WAR (globalindianseries.com)

ARTICLE: “This is not India” Muzi Hlengwa and the danger of identity politics in SA (globalindianseries.com)

IS IT MY INDIANISM, MY INDIANNESS OR JUST ME BEING INDIAN THAT I AM PROUD OF? (globalindianseries.com)

Lest we forget. The Coolie Odyssey (globalindianseries.com)

https://globalindianseries.com/st-kitts-and-nevis-with-india/

We produce content that inspires purpose, passion, and community. If you like what we do, please do share, like, subscribe and comment. It helps massively with online algorithms.

-------------------------------

Support change: A little favour to ask-We believe true freedom is to be able to act without fear or favour and that identity is not a “brand” to be abused, politicized, or reduced for personal gain. As Global Indians, the need to work together is greater now than ever before.  If we want to see real change, we need to create a better society for all, tackle injustice and plunge into the many aspects of what the human experience truly offers.The Global Indian Series has been built to be a platform of integrity, fairness and to remain fiercely independent of political influence. We are the first in the world to connect with every echelon of society with all human voices being treated equally.  We are the first to have travelled physically to locations far and wide, often putting our own lives on the line to bring forward stories that deserve to be told.  Whether it’s through our Podcast that delves into the human experience behind identity, our articles and features that cover key events we need to know, or live based events that tackle topical discussions, we have been there to support a better community and planet.Despite the high costs and time needed to maintain our work, we continue, because we know our work has helped more people understand what is happening within the communities across our planet, why it matters, and how, together, we can demand progress.  We challenge head-on, the silent divisions that have crept into our collective consciousness and how to tackle key issues that often go neglected in mainstream media.How you can help:Please share our work: By collaborating with others who share our values, our combined voices make change, with many more becoming inspired to take meaningful action.Subscribe to the platform:Many from across our community have decided to subscribe to our platform. It helps us grow which in turns attracts like-minded supporters. If you have not already, we would appreciate you subscribing to our newsletters and following our social media accounts. It is free and supports our journey.