Ryan Cummings

Release Date: October 10, 2019 Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association The press release from the Guyana Human Rights Association, discussing the impact of national elections on Guyanese society. It highlights the polarization caused by elections and the need for civil society to be proactive. The release criticizes the major political parties for perpetuating ethnic […]

Release Date: December 1, 2017 This press release from Policy Forum Guyana details a workshop sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, which focused on Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) for the oil and gas sector in Guyana. The workshop, led by Dutch experts from the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessments, aimed to ensure that the country’s

Release Date: February 3, 2018 The press release details our campaign “Keep the Rivers Alive,” which aims to protect Guyana’s rivers from mining pollution1. It highlights a training workshop in Kamarang for monitoring water quality and emphasizes the need for urgent action at community and national levels to combat the effects of mining. The release

Release Date: November 7, 2019 PFG Convenor Mike McCormack The document details a protest by members of the Guyana Seafarer’s and General Workers Union (GS&GWU) during a Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) meeting on Oil & Gas. The seafarers are protesting alleged discriminatory hiring practices by Exxon-contracted companies, favoring Trinidadian seamen over qualified Guyanese for oil

Release Date: June 12, 2019 The document discusses a participatory democracy initiative in Guyana, focusing on the oil and gas sector. It highlights an event called “Fathoming The Future: What To Do About Oil & Gas,” where citizens, rather than experts, discussed and prioritized issues related to the industry. The meeting aimed to involve the

Release Date: May 12, 2021 The document expresses grave concerns over the destruction of mangroves in Malgre Tout, Guyana, criticizing the government’s defense of the act, the silence of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the disregard of local councils’ objections. It highlights the vital role of mangroves in carbon sequestration and coastal protection, especially

Release Date: August 22, 2020 The document calls for a new political approach in Guyana, emphasizing the need for participatory democracy to complement representative politics1. It criticizes the ethnic and winner-take-all politics that have led to societal polarization and suggests that reforms are unlikely to come from the current Parliament due to historical reluctance and

Release Date: January 4, 2020 The press release from Policy Forum Guyana criticizing the newly-elected President of the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA), Andron Alphonso, for his stance on using miners’ electoral power in the next election and for ignoring the environmental impact of mining. It highlights the contradiction between the GGDMA’s recruitment

Release Date: January 26, 2019 This press release discusses concerns about the recently adopted Natural Resources Fund Act. Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) criticizes the lack of formal consultation and the exclusion of the parliamentary opposition during the Act’s passage, which outlines the use of oil and gas revenues. They highlight deficiencies in the Act, such

Release Date: March 19, 2022 This press release calls for the preservation of civic space in Guyana. It criticizes the Government for focusing on the past rather than the present, despite favorable political and economic circumstances, including the discovery of petroleum reserves and benefits from the war against Ukraine. The release highlights evidence of shrinking