Dear Editor,
Over the past few days, Guyana has made one thing very clear to our government and to our entire country. Protest after protest, whether in coastland or riverain settings, there is one force that cannot be denied: the POWER of the average Guyanese man and woman.
Right now, that power is strong in the fists waving placards across the country. It’s in the farmer walking miles from his fields to join the marching crowd. It’s in the market woman who closes up shop to join her fellow citizens in solidarity. It is in our youth, who instead of blasting music with cheap paint on the back road, are flooding social media with calls for change.
That power comes from the people. The numbers. The emotion and sheer exhaustion of a people no longer willing to tolerate poor living conditions and the lack of vision from those who claim to lead us. But friends, fellow Guyanese, let me remind you that while we are powerful together, we are strongest when we realize that we ARE one family.
As I’ve watched the developments of this nation over the recent days, I’ve realized that we Guyanese have become experts in one thing: PROTESTING. We know how to point out what’s wrong with the economy. We know how to criticize our leaders; we know how to dissect everyone in authority until there is nothing left but a shell of what was intended to help the average citizen. BUT… What if we instead used that time and energy to create solutions?
Real power comes with the ability to build, to forgive, and to love our neighbors.
In July of 2026, tragedy struck our country and poured salt directly into the wounds of the grief-stricken families who lost loved ones when the MV Barima sank. Those who perished were nothing short of AMAZING humans: beautiful souls who lost mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, siblings, and friends that day.
Most of the victims were Amerindian men and women who depend on the lifeline of the rivers to transport them to and from the markets. Our Amerindian brothers and sisters are grieving. I can tell you that their pain affects me too because when one part of our Guyanese family suffers, we ALL suffer.
I want to offer my love, support, and sympathy to everyone who knew their loved ones aboard the Barima. I know there are no words that will take away the agony you are feeling, but please try to find it in your hearts to forgive. This tragedy brings us together as Guyanese, not to point fingers at who’s to blame, but to lift each other up in prayer and support.
Forgiveness. It’s powerful. It’s quiet. It’s the weapon of the average person who knows that despite what we want to believe, we are all sinners. We are ALL down on our luck sometimes, and we ALL need a second chance. Please, look into the eyes of the indigenous mothers and fathers who lost their families and children and realize that it could have been your face looking back at you. Allow the suffering of your fellow Guyanese to wash away the bitterness of race, income, and political differences that divide us as a country.
Guyana… You are powerful because YOU are the soul of this country. It is up to us to find solutions instead of problems, to love and forgive one another instead of holding grudges that will eat away at us all. Let us move forward together, stop pointing fingers at each other, and start walking beside one another. Coast and interior, town and village, one Guyanese family.
Let’s rise up from the tragedy of the MV Barima stronger and more united than ever. Let’s show these families that their children, husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers are NOT forgotten. Let’s show them that we are all ONE family.
Respectfully,
Philip Inshanally