Rights of the Child Commission needs to do more advocacy against drugs and cultural imperialism
Dear Editor,
I noticed the news item where the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) presented a report for 2019-2020. The question arises why weren’t they presenting the 2023 report. Why are they so far behind? Is this another useless Commission as the ERC who really gets very little accomplished in real terms?
Now they say they are concerned about the rise of drug and alcohol addiction among students. Today’s news reported a sixteen-year-old Angelina Charles, student at Aurora Secondary School, found dead in her parents’ home in Mashabo Village, Region Two. It was revealed she and a group had been drinking in the school dormitory.
Is RCC’s function just to register “concerns” or were they supposed to be doing things to help? How are they helping children in schools? Do they know how to help schools? I don’t recall RCC speaking out against the PNC Member of Parliament who is advocating that there are tons of money to be made if we legalize drugs and make big profits off of it. Drugs are rampant all over the country and in our villages. Does RCC have programs to help schools address that? What do they do with all the money they get? Why are they silent when folks are sending the wrong messages to our children? What is that MP telling our children about drugs?
Does RCC understand they have to ensure public policy does not work against the goals of the RCC? Did RCC speak out that we are sending the wrong message when the Parliament make it seems OK to possess 30 grams? A recent headline just said, “AG warns police against locking up people found with less than 30 grams of ganja,” (Sept. 26, 2024, KN). As a county, are we sending mixed messages about drugs?
Now we see the group “Guyana Together” formed to promote LGBQT acceptance in Guyana, calling for constitutional change to enforce that agenda on Guyana’s children. Can we expect the RCC to speak up about such cultural imperialism?
RCC must do more for the money taxpayers give them, not just register “concerns.”
Sincerely,
- Singh
