Posted October 27th. 2002. - Special Feature by David Hinds

Buxton Development: Of History and Politics

Despite the justified criticisms of the manner in which Mr. Hoyte presented his plan for the transformation of Buxton, I think it is a significant development that ought to be pursued. It's the first time since Kwayana broke with the PNC in 1971 that the party has put forward a development plan for any African village. I have argued that the PNC's reluctance to deal frontally with the peculiar problems of the Black villages has contributed to African marginalization. There is nothing wrong with a national party tackling the problems of a particular ethnic community so long as such action does not promote ethnic supremacy or violates the rights and privileges of, or discriminates against, other ethnic groups. Of course Mr. Hoyte links the plan to the PNC's quest for power, hence the charge that it's a ransom. But that must not take away from the fact that the PNC has at least admitted that village development is crucial. This may not be important to the PPP, but it is for African Guyanese and by extension Guyana.

While I welcome Mr. Hoyte's plan, I want to tell Guyana that Buxton has not been asleep. The village has been doing its homework; it has its own ideas for a plan. I don't know if Mr. Hoyte's plan has benefited from PNC's activists in Buxton, but he obviously did not ground with Buxtonions in the process of coming up with his plan. Had he done so he would have found fertile ground.

Immediately after the 1992 elections, the WPA and Kwayana urged Black people to fight with development plans in their hand. This call was made in anticipation of the racial tensions that invariably followed the PPP's rise to power. We knew then that the sad state of the Black communities if left unattended could lead to ethnic tensions. Of course, neither black people nor the PNC heard that call. But Ravi Dev heard it, understood its significance, and chastised the WPA for it. So I am glad Mr. Hoyte and the PNC have come around to the WPA's position, even if it's ten years later

Kwayana actually started work with Buxtonions on such a plan. In April 1996, he released "Year by Year Renewal: Draft Proposals for Village Renewal," a comprehensive plan that applied to all villages. Leaders and activists of other villagers requested and received copies. It was submitted to church leaders in Buxton and to various blocs in the village for discussion. This was followed by weekly "groundings" by the various blocs in the village out of which came various recommendations. A comprehensive plan was very much in the making when the 1997 elections interrupted the process and took the people's attention elsewhere. These Kwayana proposals are very comprehensive and any village plan would benefit from them. At my request, Clarence Ellis has also to put together some ideas and proposals for a Buxton Development plan.

Buxtonions revived this idea after the post elections trouble in 2001. An organization called the "Community Development Council" (CDC) emerged. In a press release dated August 13, 2001 and carried in the Stabroek News the CDC stated in part:

The newly formed Buxton-Friendship Community Development Council, conscious of the need to encourage an atmosphere of optimism and confidence in Buxton-Friendship after years of neglect and in the wake of the post-election uprising, has moved to organize the village to meet this challenge. Benefiting from the presence in the village and advice of Dr David Hinds over the last month, the CDC has come up with a program of activities for the next year.

The short-term objectives of the CDC are:

1. To stimulate economic activity in the village by revising a village economy aimed at creating jobs through:

(a) Revitalizing agricultural farming

(b) Encouraging the setting up of cottage industries utilizing available skills and products.

(c) Skills training to take advantage of economic opportunities, including holding seminars and workshops on Accounting, Marketing, Banking, and Business Management

(d) Encourage commercial activities in the village by urging the community to support the market vendors and other commercial enterprises, and by helping farmers to increase production

(e) Seeking grants aimed at starting small and medium size economic projects from relevant agencies, local entrepreneurs, and overseas Guyanese

(f) Encourage local entrepreneurs to invest in business enterprises in the village.

2. To create a stable environment conducive to economic development by advocating respect for law, order, and justice. Towards this end strategies will be pursued to arrest drug abuse, crime and violence, and racial intolerance.

3. To encourage a culture of self-reliance and self-emancipation by working with and through other organizations and the church in the village on a campaign of self-respect, self-love, and community service.

The CDC, formed in the wake of the post-election uprisings, has over the last four months spearheaded the revitalization of the Buxton Market as a center of commerce in the village. While there have been a few initial hiccups, this venture seems to have instilled a new sense of purpose especially among farmers and vendors.

But we recognize that pivotal to the survival of the market is increased production in the agricultural sector. In this regard, $15 million, which was secured as a result of representations made to the Committee for Depressed Communities, is currently been used to repair the culverts in the village, clear neglected farm lands aback of the village and upgrade the drainage and irrigation systems. The CDC has also secured from CIDA a $1.5 million grant in the form of farm equipments, which is being made available to farmers. Consequently the CDC has embarked on a campaign to encourage more villagers to return to farming on a larger scale. Towards this end we are working with the NDC to appeal to villagers to take advantage of the lands that are being made available. To date the response has been favorable.

The CDC has also decided to begin work towards acquiring a computer center in the village aimed at making the young people computer literate. Towards this end, we intend to seek assistance from interested individuals and agencies in acquiring computers and repairing a building earmarked to house the center.

In the meantime, the CDC, which currently comprises individuals, is moving to constitute itself into an umbrella body to include all organizations in the village with the aim of serving as a facilitator for social and economic development in the village.

And another Buxtonion organization, the "First of August Movement" put forward its plan to:

1. Immediately launch an education program to ensure

a. That every child learns to read and write within a year.

b. That our children's performance at the SSEE and CXC exams be improved considerably.

c. That we mobilize all our educators to execute this program

2. Immediately mount a massive education and counseling campaign aimed at stemming the tide of HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse.

3. Organize a peaceful and non-violent but militant campaign to regain control of our village and end the police occupation. As a first step we immediately launch a signature campaign calling for a return to the Village Council system and the immediate removal of the police from our village.

4. Make representation to the Neighborhood Council to make lands in the backdam available to our farmers and other interested Buxtonions for cultivation.

5. Pursue the setting up of cottage industries, utilizing our people's skills. In this regard we will seek expert help in learning about Manufacturing, Marketing, Investment and Accounting.

6. Launch a public education program using the arts - drama, dance, song -and lectures to teach cooperation, self-reliance, self-respect, conflict resolution, respect for women, children and the elderly, cultural pride, and moral values.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for these programs but political interference frustrated their implementation. But earlier this year another attempt was made to get a plan of action. When the "Committee of Concerned Buxtonions" met with President Jagdeo to discuss the Shaka Blair murder, the discussion was widened to include projects for Buxton. But, a follow up meeting was scuttled by some PNC supporters who took the position that acceptance of any government funding for the village was tantamount to "selling out."

In an address at the closing ceremony of the GDF summer camp in the village I raised again the need for a comprehensive plan for the village. On July 31 last I was invited by a group of Buxtonions to sit in at a meeting they were having with Minister Jennifer Westford, who told us she was mandated by the cabinet to meet with villagers apparently to work out how the government could help with some of the problems in the village. I later learnt that similar interventions by other government emissaries had occurred in the past. We had a four-hour meeting during which time we threw out several proposals to the minister whose initial response was quite favorable. In fact she put in train two small projects right there on the spot.

At the completion of the meeting, I urged the group to quickly work out a comprehensive plan to present to the government. Some people felt that advantage should be taken of my presence to help smooth out the differences that had plagued similar initiatives in the past as I was said to have the respect of all sides. I agreed to play an advisory role. Consequently, a meeting of about 15 key activists and leaders of the village was convened under my chairmanship. After a lengthy and frank discussion, we agreed on a name for the group, appointed provisional officers, set up five committees to work on different aspects of a developmental plan for the village, agreed to hold a general public meeting and a press conference to inform the village and the country of the developments, and to hold bloc meetings to discuss the initiative with villagers and get their input. One of the committees was charged with drafting the aims and objectives of the group. It was also agreed to incorporate the Community Development Council and that we would welcome funding from the government, the private sector, and overseas Buxtonions.

We left the meeting in high spirits. But there was a hitch. Some PNC supporters were adamant that accessing funds from the government amounted to selling out to the enemy. I was opposed to that line. The view was that Buxton must take help from any quarter so long as it was above board. Nevertheless I was accused by some PNC supporters of carrying the PPP into the village and of going against the wishes of the gunmen operating there. There were "loud" whispers that I would be killed and friends and relatives urged me to stay away from the village. Other members of the committee felt threatened and when the Chesters' homes were burnt down, the die was cast. The committee never met again.

I outlined the above to show two things. First, that the PPP was interested in and actively supported a Buxton Plan, but now that it comes from the PNC, they reject it. Second, that the PNC operatives in the village were against any government funding, but they have now seen the light or perhaps the see it as a means of putting political pressure on the PPP. How come the PPP had money for projects in August and they don't have any today? The government has already approved the Skills Training Center that Mr. Hoyte mentions in his plan. In keeping with their policy of not using government funds, monies allocated for it was sent back to the treasury at least three times by the PNC controlled Neighborhood Council. But when I left Guyana in August arrangements were being finalized to buy a piece of land to build the Center.

I urge the PPP not to abandon its promise now that the PNC has come forward with a plan. If it does not want to deal with the PNC, then deal directly with the village as it had attempted to do in the past. The organizational framework is there. I also urge Mr. Hoyte and the PNC to turn their plan over to the Buxtonions. Although the PNC crafted the plan without wide input from villagers, it is not too late for them to contact the Buxton groups and give the plan to them so that they can give it local flavor. It is their village, not the PNC's.

I am not advocating special favors for Buxton, but I see this as a model that can apply to all villages-African, Indian, and Amerindian. I also urge that there be full accountability for all monies spent on projects. Towards this end I recommend that a "Watch Committee" comprising religious leaders, village elders, and youth and women representatives be set up. The PNC, PPP, the Neighborhood Council, and perhaps the WPA should each have an observer on the committee.

Finally, I wish to point out that Mr. Hoyte's plan did not deal with local political empowerment. He did not tell Buxtonions how they would be masters of their own destiny. Buxton unanimously passed a resolution on July 31, 2001 calling for a return of the village council system. The PNC has skillfully avoided this issue. But no plan will succeed if the village does not have constitutional control over its affairs. Buxton is on record as wanting a return of the village council. The following resolution was passed at the Emancipation gathering on July 31, 2001:

The residents of Buxton recognize that life in our village will improve only when we the people, both individually and collectively, take our destiny into our own hands. We, therefore, move immediately to tackle some of the glaring needs of our village such as jobs, security, education, justice and empowerment. But even as we do so, we want to regain control of our village, be left in peace, and not be treated as criminals in our own village. In this regard we sign this petition calling on the authorities to do the following:

Because full participation in decision-making is vital to development, we urge a return to the Village Council System. This will ensure that the land, which our fore parents left for us, is returned to Buxtonions to be governed by Buxtonions.

Dr Hinds is a University Lecturer and Political Commentator and Activist. He currently teaches Political Science at Glendale College and Mt San Antonio College in California. Please send your comments on this article to dhinds6106@aol.com.

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