Georgetown : The National Cultural Policy will soon be reviewed, enhanced and implemented by government. It will be structured around three main areas; mainstreaming culture in national development, cultural heritage preservation and creative industries’ development.
This was disclosed by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan as he presented the 2016 Nation Budget.
“Government will focus on reviewing, enhancing and implementing a National Cultural Policy, subsequent to meaningful consultation with cultural heritage and creative industry stakeholders,” the Minister explained.
The policy will be focusing on promoting unity. The Minister noted that the Guyanese culture mirrors a rich blend of six peoples. “Whether Emancipation or Diwali, pepper-pot or curry, cook-up or chowmein, ginger beer or swank, we all enjoy and celebrate together,” Minister Jordan stated.
Last November, government through the Ministry of Education launched consultations on the Cultural Policy’s development. Speaking at the launch, Cultural Policy Advisor, Ruel Johnson noted that culture plays a critical role in the development of a country.
Johnson stated that, “when crafting these developments, one has to take into account, customs, traditions, religious, ethnic, cohesion conflict and the level to which social cohesion exists within the society.”
Implementation of the policy will run for two cycles, covering five years each.
