Guyanese civil society participants were part of the Paramaribo Civil Society Forum held in Paramaribo, Suriname from 2nd to 4th May 2007. This forum was organized by the Millennium Development Goals Global Watch in collaboration with the United Nations Association of Suriname and the National Youth Institute of Suriname (i.e. the National Youth Parliament, the UN MDG Youth Ambassadors, and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors) with the support of the Government of Suriname, UNDP, UNICEF, the Government of the Netherlands and with the co-sponsorship of the UNA Guyana and UNA Trinidad and Tobago, the Suriname American Network Inc, the Suriname American League, Women's Network Suriname, Netherlands - USA (NVSN - USA) and others, on the theme "Millennium Development Goals: Reviewing Progress and Making It Happen - Unlocking Civil Society Potential"
The attached document is the final version of the declaration.

The Guyana Association of Women Lawyers launched "The Law and You" project in 1992, with funding from Futures Fund. 500,000 leaflets dealing with 31 topics were distributed all over Guyana and the response was overwhelming. The leaflets were first published in booklet form in 1993. A revised volume of the booklet - The Law and You III- was published in 2003 with funding provided by UNICEF.

The extracts are available from the website of the Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic
The Law and You III Sections
1 Making a Will
2 Intestacy
3 Getting Probate or Letters of Administration of an Estate
4 Getting Married
5 Divorce
6 Adoption
7 Child Maintenance
8 Domestic Violence & Child Abuse
9 Rape and Sexual Assault
10 Registration of Births
11 Custody
12 Buying Goods
13 Hire Purchase
14 Guarantees
15 Powers of Attorney
16 Insurance
17 Your rights at work
18 Buying And Selling Land
19 Landlord and Tenant
20 Going to Court
21 The Equal Rights Act
22 The Family and Dependants Provision Act
23 The Married Persons Property Act
24 Bail
25 Police Powers of Search
26 Police Powers of Arrest
27 Police Powers of Questioning
28 Theft
29 Drugs and the Law
30 Traffic Offences
31 Lawyers

Abstract

Guyana depends on imported fuel to meet the needs of its transport sector. In recent years, pricesof derivatives of petroleum have increased significantly, further widening the current account deficit. In 2005, fuel accounted for 29% of the value of imports of the country.

The technology of using ethanol mixed with gasoline in four-stroke cycle engines is wellknown, and, does not require any changes in vehicles for levels of ethanol in the mixture up to 10%. This technology is used in many countries with vehicle fleets, similar to those of Guyana.

The sugarcane industry of Guyana constitutes one of the most important economic activities of the country and is one of the main sources of foreign exchange. However, it is subject to very significant market risks, associated with changes in the Sugar Protocol and the reduction of preferential prices on the market of the European Union.

A diversity of raw materials, sweet or starchy, may be considered for the production of ethanol. However, when considering costs, available technology and energy productivity, sugarcane (directly as juice or as molasses) presents the most attractive option. In time, other possibilities may be considered.

In the most conservative scenario (use of final molasses, producing 8.8 liters of ethanol per ton of processed sugarcane), it is estimated that 30.8 million liters of ethanol may be obtained annually from the sugarcane industry in Guyana. This would be nearly 3 times the anticipated demand of 11.5 million liters, if a mixture of gasoline with 10 % ethanol were to be used in Guyana's vehicles. If other raw materials with higher productivity (sugarcane juice or primary molasses) are considered, the available potential ethanol would increase proportionally.

In 2005, the export price of molasses was US$ 83 per ton. Each ton of molasses can produce 260 liters of ethanol. This implies an estimated opportunity cost of US$ 0.392 per liter of ethanol. This is lower than the US$ 0.463 per liter that Guyana paid for its imported gasoline in 2005, indicating the competitiveness of the biofuel. Ethanol from molasses has consistently been price competitive in the past few years, even without consideration of positive externalities associated with it.

If Guyana were to utilize a mixture of gasoline with 10 % ethanol, a distillery producing 65 thousand liters of ethanol daily would be required to satisfy national demand. This would require an investment of approximately US$ 6.5 million. It would result in a net earning of approximately US$ 800.000 and annual savings of US$ 5.4 million on the energy import bill, at 2005 prices.

Present conditions of the energy and the agro-industrial sector of Guyana provide an excellent opportunity for the production and use of ethanol as a source of fuel in the country. Furthermore, in addition to price considerations, it is important to be able to produce locally part of the national energy demand, using available natural resources and proven technologies. This would also stimulate diversification in the sugarcane industry which is currently exposed to well known challenges. Moreover, the use of ethanol as a source of energy would have significant environmental advantages. All together, these conditions make a decidedly sufficient and robust case to promote the use of ethanol for energy security in Guyana.

The promotion of ethanol as a source of fuel in Guyana requires the collaboration of all institutions and stakeholders arriving at an operational mechanism for the introduction of ethanol within the energy sector. For such an initiative to be successful clear timelines should be established and commitments obtained. It should also include a component for building public awareness as well as involvement of the local science and technology community.
The document can be downloaded from the website of ECLAC

An assessment by Terrence Simmons and Roxanne Myers
From the Preface :
"...This research has its origins in a desire by those involved in various peace building initiatives, to document the factors that contributed to the non-violent outcomes of the recent polls in Guyana, as compared with the polls of 2001, 1997 and 1992. Cognisant that the Guyana experience offers lessons learned that may be applicable for the future. The non-violent elections outcome is widely believed to be the most important step towards peaceful coexistence in a country divided by ethnicity and politics. Without a concession by the main opposition and the rejection of violence by the ordinary Guyanese, non-violence in the immediate post-elections period would not have been possible.
The international community played an important role in fostering peace during and after elections, even if the interventions were aimed only at General and Regional Elections. External mediation did occur since 2001 and peace building interventions unfolded with the establishment of the UN Multi-Donor Social Cohesion Programme. These efforts were diverse, extensive and sustained for the past three years. The international development partners made a difference in Guyana, particularly at the level of civil society where several peace building capacities were enhanced.
Can Guyana sustain the gains of peaceful elections? If so, how, and who should be involved? The intent of this research is to begin to shed some light on these questions. The study and documentation of peace building in Guyana is nascent, while the issues and approaches of mediation and intervention have been a constant feature of our political history for more than fifty years. This research provides an account of the interplay of multiple relational, structural and institutional factors that yielded a positive outcome in the last elections..."

Published by the Guyana Human Rights Association - June 2006
This report focusses on reform of rape laws and related legal processes. It identifies several key actions and recommendations so as to reverse the epidemic of sexual violence in Guyana.
This report was written by Laura Gyte for the GHRA as part of a larger campaign against sexual violence, being conducted by the GHRA in conjunction with the Age of Consent Coalition, with some assistance from the CIDA Gender Equity Fund in Guyana.
The report can be obtained from the GHRA Office at 56 B Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Guyana Tel 226-1789 , email ghra_guy at networksgy.com
See also Without Conviction: Sexual Violence in the Guyana Justice Process