How CSR is thriving in Guyana
Guyana is a multi-ethnic society, rich in culture, and with vast mineral resources, much of which remains untapped. With the advent of oil, the country is poised for a major turn around and all the world is watching – none more closely than its closest Caribbean neighbour Trinidad & Tobago, whose own fortunes have been built on over a century of oil and gas production.
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and shares cultural and historical bonds with the Anglophone Caribbean – this according to the 2017 CIA World Factbook. Guyana’s two largest ethnic groups are the Afro-Guyanese (descendants of African slaves) and the Indo-Guyanese (descendants of Indian indentured laborers), which together comprise about three quarters of Guyana’s population. A significant percentage (16.7%) of the population is classified as being of mixed origin and 9.1% are Amerindian – descendants of 12 major tribes. The remaining ethnic groups are Portuguese, Chinese and European Caucasian.
About one-third of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line; indigenous people are disproportionately affected given the challenges of infrastructure in the heavily forested 84,000 square miles of territory that makes the country the largest in the Caribbean countries. Prior to Guyana’s oil find, the country’s emigration rate has been among the highest in the world – more than 55% of its citizens reside abroad. With first oil, many have reason to believe that this is going to change as the country draws from its highly skilled diaspora.
The Guyana government knows that it requires the power of tripartite collaboration to drive appropriate solutions to a number of social and economic challenges and corporate Guyana is stepping up to the plate.
Hon. Raphael G.C. Trotman, MP, Minister of Natural Resources, provides a clear perspective on such partnerships in his Ministry’s 2017-2020 CSR Framework. The Ministry of Natural Resources seeks to forge sustainable development of the country’s natural resources with industry stakeholders. Minister Trotman says, “This Corporate Responsibility Framework recognises the value of the thousands of lives that are impacted by the business of exploration and extraction of natural resources.” More specific to his agenda for collaboration on building shared value for business and communities, he states, “We are…joining hands, with the industries that are involved and with the communities where these activities take place to change the very way in which we view and respond.” He further emphasizes that partnerships are important, “not only because they make labour more efficient, but also because they lead to cohesiveness.”
In this highlight, we present the work of three companies
– New GPC, Demerara Distillers Limited and Scotiabank Guyana.