Unexpected Encounter

Hi Shamal, 

I am the guy you had  chat with earlier, thank you for the interest and selfless effort you are putting in to make our country a better place. It is an uphill battle but a start had to be made and you are doing admirable work. Best wishes.

Stan

Salaam All

Sunday 6/23 In the early morning: Just the brushcutter & I cleaning up in front of ISA school. A Hindu woman met me and said she would like her daughter to attend the school seeing it did so well at the NGSA exams. She made me smile...nothing like success, eh!!!...Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result...She will go there on Monday to make enquiries.

 

The pics were taken today Sunday by a British guy who was just passing me raking grass on East St. avenue. He said a courteous good morning and I replied. You're doing a good job he said and I asked him if he drives and handed him a No Litter bumper sticker. From there 2 strangers alone in the quiet surroundings got to sharing views about this filthy city. As I spoke he said can I take some pics of you to share with my people in the UK...it's then I knew where he was from. He spoke about the graffiti problem in London and how he just came in from Barbados where it is so clean. For 1/2 hour under cloudy skies and a cool breeze we chatted about the local & global littering problem...then we shook hands and he said I am so thankful that I took this walk in this avenue. He had me laughing when he said he just walked with his camera and not his Iphone...or else he would have had these pics in London immediately telling them about this "one-man army"....He took my email from a flyer and sent the above.

 

We make our own destinies and meet interesting people when we leave our comfort zones for just a few hours and do what many regard as derogatory work. From Dec 2012 to June 2013 those of us who have gone to schools, ministries and on the road, yep, esp. on the road, have come into contact with some amazing persons. These people and their encouraging words have been the fuel that keeps the engines of this environmental work purring...thank you all.

 

ISA's schoolchildren were out on Friday as they are most Fridays doing some cleaning. Thank you so much...the govt turns a blind eye but God SEES.

 

This adoption of East St. and its continued maintenance is "PROTEST WORK" against the govt & m&cc that have failed miserably in cleaning and beautifying this city. It's to allow schoolchildren to "see" a pretty surrounding when they are at school...go there at 3:00pm and see how many of them are there playing in the avenue. We do NOT want a generation of children growing up and taking "nasty & ugly" environs as a given.

 

Ramadan starts around July 9th. Please Muslims CLEAN the areas around your mosque. God is Beautiful and loves beauty.

 

Let's rewind 27 YEARS...yes, 27 years... and read about this declaration.

 

The Assisi Declarations on Nature, 1986

In 1986, HRH Prince Philip, then President of the WWF International invited five leaders of five of the major religions of the world - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism - to meet to discuss how their faiths could help save the natural world.

The meeting took place in Assisi in Italy, because it was the birth place of St Francis, the Catholic saint of ecology. From this meeting arose key statements by the five faiths outlining their own distinctive traditions and approach to the care for nature.

In the Assisi Declarations on Nature the Muslim statement was:

• The central concept of Islam is Tawhid or the Unity of God. Allah is Unity; and His Unity is also reflected in the unity of mankind, and the unity of man and nature. His trustees are responsible for maintaining the unity of His creation, the integrity of the Earth, its flora and fauna, its wildlife and natural environment. Unity cannot be had by discord, by setting one need against another or letting one end predominate over another; it is maintained by balance and harmony. There Muslims say that Islam is the middle path and we will be answerable for how we have walked this path, how we have maintained balance and harmony in the whole of creation around us.
• So unity, trusteeship and accountability, that is Tawhid, Khalifah and Akhirah, the three central concepts of Islam, are also the pillars of the environmental ethics of Islam. They constitute the basic values taught by the Qur’an. It is these values which led Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, to say: ‘Whoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded.'
• For all these reasons Muslims see themselves as having a responsibility towards the world and the environment, all of which are the creations of Allah.
• Unlike many other religions, Muslims do not have any specific festivals in which they give thanks for the harvest or the world. Instead they give thanks to Allah regularly for his creation.

Ramadan is a month of ACTION...let's put the environmental ethics of Islam into ACTION...it's a battle we must win...as the Prophet (p) won so many of the battles forced upon him in the glorious WORKING month of Ramadan

Shamal...please make donations to keeping the environment clean

Salaam All

 

Here are what people say about Germany rated the #1 popular destination

 

1. I love Germany. Good food, clean and the people don't BS you.

 

2. Been to 10 countries so far. I loved Germany the best. Such a clean and beautiful country.

 

3. We have visited Germany twice. We found it scenic, friendly, prosperous, and clean.

 

4. Germany is a clean and safe country. Modern technology is everywhere...

 

5. What's not to love? Beautiful country, rich culture, low crime, strong, technologically advanced economy with emphasis on quality and domestic manufacturing, excellent healthcare and education.

 

6. It has family values, great healthcare, awesome school system, clean roads, great healthy food, and short work hours.

 

7. I used to travel quite a bit in Germany and what impressed me most was the cleanliness - whether cities, villages, farms or highways.

 

How would they rate a city that is the opposite of clean? Obviously at the bottom...such is Georgetown...and how would they rate the mayor of such a city...an abject failure, obviously. Then they would ask the obvious question...how come he's the longest running mayor in the history of the world...20 years...everytime he opens his mouth he speaks garbage...the lowest form of political culture--lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth 

 

 ohh shucks that's exactly what this city is renowned for...garbage...physical & verbal

 

garbage at every corner and a mayor who speaks garbage...a double tragedy of incredible proportions...we should declare a state of mourning for this beautiful city with incompetent leaders

 

Shamal

 

 

 

Salaam All

 

I look to the sea, the ocean and reflections in the waves spark my memory. Most are happy...I think of childhood friends, and the dreams we had.

 

I look to the flood in the yard this morning and hatred floods my mind for the "empty talking" politicians and stupid mayor. What crap they are!!! Do a google search and find out how many times since the 1990s we see articles on the  "govt cleaning the city..."empty talk" These are not trifling stories, but they are the straws, telling that the wind blows from the marsh-lands of inexactness—not from the mountain tops of truth. Once leaders lose the sense of the great value of absolute truthfulness, they blur the clear mirror of their souls. They are LIARS.

 

John the Baptist washed away the sins of people in water. Don't tell me you are pretending to be prophets by baptizing our homes, our lives!

 

Reflections in this dirty water are distortions...distortions of leadership. Lack of ideals; lack of principles.

 

God says: And We have sent down out of the rain-clouds, water cascading that We may bring forth thereby grain and plants, and gardens luxuriant.

As a teenager in the 1970s lying in bed and listening to the torrential rainfall...it was PURE JOY. Last night as I listened I trembled in fear...the greatest blessing from God has become the greatest curse by man.

 

So tell me Mr. Ministers, Mr. Mayor, how was your yard, how was your journey to work?  How people curse the salaries you get paid from the taxes you steal from us....for it becomes stolen if you cannot provide basic services to us. You are really professional burglars.

 

When we the ordinary people do one task bad we are fired...

You people do the whole job bad, year after year...and continue to hold your positions

 

Take a look at the few pics in Alberttown.  The gutters NOT even in the hottest weather are empty. It is near the top with the pavement every day of the year with "water" that has never drained for YEARS. Can you imagine the diseases just waiting for us...these gutters in GT are weapons of mass destruction. In the 1970s these gutters were always cleaned WEEKLY. Water flowing down them as the rains fell without any flooding ..but in 2013 our yards, then our homes are flooded...and we live in misery...speak of PROGRESS??? Take a look at the front page of SN of children going to school on a flooded street. Aren't you ashamed??? The world would be a better place should your kind cease to exist....this means none of you will be remembered as a great statesman...no matter how great your personal wealth...

 

Or maybe we the people should not demand of half-evolved human beings (politicians) what we would expect of wholly divine creatures (the Prophets).

 

Shamal...I edited & redited this mail to remove all the F words that punctuated almost every sentence. Losing my dignity behind the filth of this city & the filthy politicians is not worth it. Ahmed Deedat did lose a bit of his character when he quoted all those F words from Salman Rushdie's ugly book the Satanic Verses. Tread carefully...for the sake of God...and in this city to avoid leptospirosis...

 

May God guide us all...including the leaders

Salaam All

 

The very word "Islam" comes from a word meaning "peace". The most basic principle of the religion is Unity:- first the unity of God, who is One without equal, without associate, then the unity of His creation in which every element, however tiny, has its place and its function, and finally the unity achieved in every man and woman once they know who they are and where they are going, at peace with their Lord, at peace in the world, at peace with themselves.

That peace is closely bound up with the awareness of beauty. In one of his most famous sayings, Prophet Muhammad (p) told his people: "God is beautiful and He loves beauty!". Now that is not a statement about feelings or impressions. It is a statement about the nature of Reality. And that, in turn, suggests something very important. It suggests that ugliness – and, Yes!, there's plenty of that in the world in which we live – is not on an equal footing with beauty. It's not one of a pair, like hot and cold, black and white; it represents the spoiling of beauty, the unmaking of what had been well made, the denial of God or His seeming absence. You might compare it to a hole in the pattern, a stain on the fabric, and it belongs to that class of things which, so the Quran tells us, last for but a short time and are then wiped away, while beauty endures. To know this is to possess a sense of the sacred and so to be aware of the radiance that illuminates unspoilt nature from within and which may be found also in the things we make, when these are well and lovingly made. The tragedy of modern man, in the midst of his riches and his technological achievements, is that he has lost this sense of the sacred and lives in a world drained of light.

 

Politicians should be deeply ashamed of presiding over a city as ugly & nasty as Georgetown. They are people who have lost all sense of purpose, who live in a grey, monotonous world and who need contact with the splendours of virgin nature (of which we have vast swathes all across this beautiful country) if they are to be healed. But what we have to understand – and perhaps what they need to understand – is that their "grey" world is an illusion. The fault is not in their surroundings but in themselves. "It is not the eyes that grow blind," says the Quran in this context, "but the hearts that grow blind". So Parliament is an institution of the blind. Go figure where you are heading if you are being led by blind people. Blind also are the "cook & eat" leaders also known by the euphemism "religious" leaders...their stomachs are bloated and if you follow them you will topple into Hell via your gluttonous mouths. They overeat because they cannot think...of how to build a World of Nur (of light)...they have lost sense of the sacred. Jesus & Muhammad (p) called such "religious" leaders, hypocrites.

 

We live in a city from which beauty has been banished as an irrelevance, as though it were a luxury which we can do without, and this is an environment in which it is difficult to believe in God since it has been constructed in forgetfulness of Him; and – in Islam – to forget God is the greatest sin, or the root of all other sins. Those who have told us, over the past century, that "God is dead" should have had the honesty to complete the sentence:- "God is dead, therefore man is dead!" When nothing in our surroundings reminds us of Him, then He does – in a sense – die in our hearts, and all that makes life worth living dies with Him.

 

Shamal...enjoy reading Muslim Art...for God is Beautiful...if your heart is (still) alive then clean your surroundings...waiting on blind people is not an option

 

Salaam All

Today ISA school kids resumed their East St. Ave. cleanup after the rains.

Br. Akbar is the responsible teacher for keeping this environmental action going. He also mentioned that he has started the same initiative in Diamond New Scheme two weeks ago. Go bro Go. We need more committed souls like you.

Mr. Ishmael (a trainer of teachers) spoke to us yesterday asking about the campaign. He and his Canadian wife had seen us cleaning the Avenue 2 months ago and without any dialogue they just joined in. Only if we could have more spontaneous souls like them. He said that a project like this can become self-perpetuating if we keep the places in spic & span condition. You know the word...MAINTENANCE. Great words that boosted our spirits.

Br. Akram, the principal of ISA has procured some plants. These will be planted in about two weeks. We know the encouraging words of the Prophet (p) regarding such an activity. He also had words of encouragement for the project.

Two little Winfer Garden kids passed Abid & I this morning and excitedly said "you spoke to us on Littering" and they also said "we don't litter anymore". Hahaha...kids are so sweet. 

Mayor Green is still talking about Restoration GT...it's a pity his name is the same as the worldwide phenomenon like GOGREEN.org and other GREEN projects. Mayor...haven't you reached retirement age as yet or is your age as perennial as the green grass. You have outlived your usefulness two decades ago. There are young people capable of managing this city and bringing it into the 21st century...you have us in the 19th. And a repulsive 19th at that. Give it up Mr. Mayor and relax in your rocking chair and watch as young minds create a city that you would be proud of...within ONE year. And you spoke a few days ago of LeRepentir Cemetery...of cleaning it up. TALK again. You just are not able. Let the young clean it up so that when your time comes you will be happy to go and be buried in a classy cemetery. Right now I am sure you are thinking about cremation...you don't want to be surrounded by that terrifying bush that you are responsible for.

 

Please make contributions to the Guyana Islamic Trust (Haseeb Yusuf) or the CIOG (Sheik Zakir) so that we can buy brushcutters ($100,000 each). Thank you.

 

Shamal

 

Salaam All

This message originates from Haseeb Yusuf of GIT.

 

Please view the video

 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-19-2013/religion-and-the-environment/15953/

 

Then let's all make a commitment to this environment of ours...for our children's sake.

 

Come out this Saturday 27th 2013 from 8:00am to 12:00...for maintenance of the 4 streets we have adopted

Starting at Waterloo St....then East St....then Albert St...then Woolford Ave.

 

Each one of you please mobilize your friends and family. It's necessary to repeat that...

Each one of you please mobilize your friends and family.

Each one of you please mobilize your friends and family.

 

Thank you...May God Help us all in this struggle to make this city one that we can be proud of...

Shamal

 

 

Salaam All

 

Martin Luther King: “If it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music ... Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

 

Beautiful words. We are a world of words and little action. Theoreticians and NOT Practitioners. We are all SITTING Qurans, Bibles & Vedas.

 

All the Prophets did not have a huge GAP between their words and actions. Muhammad (p) whom Michael Hart in his book The 100, puts  as NUMBER ONE (#1)...like in UNO. WHY? It is to him who masters our minds by FORCE of TRUTH, and not those who enslave them by violence, that we owe our reverence. WHY? He was the only man, ONLY, man in history who was supremely successful on BOTH the religious and secular levels. WHY? He became an immensely effective political leader.

 

One can only laugh at the comedians we have as politicians. They are immensely INeffective. They need to study the WAY of Muhammad (p).

 

Back to the GAP...google from the 1990s to current to see all the drivel mentioned in cleaning the city. SHOCKED? Don't be...politics divorced from religion creates hypocrites.

 

Last week the Public Works cut the grass along the parapets on Vlissengen Road. I waited and waited...giving them a chance...for what? To see when they will come to clean up the ugliness of the now exposed bottles of all types, the food boxes and plastics etc. It still lies in open view...totally disgusting. To the Ministers (who are admittedly "busy" with other types of "cuts"): Is this a tourist attraction; is this environmental friendly; is this a job done as Martin Luther King spoke. Afraid not! All the hosts of heaven and earth are cursing a job badly done. A wonderful Nigerian brother studying in GT had this to say: "Keeping Guyana Clean rest mostly on the Government. Back in my country Nigeria, the Government makes everyone living in a certain district come out and clean their environment. Certain fines are paid by those who fail to come out and do the job. This exercise is once in every month and its highly monitored by government officials. I think the government might adopt this strategy." Put up a maintenance schedule on your website/publish it in the papers requesting folks in that ward to come out and lend a helping hand.

 

Now...St. Joseph's High School cleaned out their drain and brought a truck to remove the grass. It's that easy. How come the govt with all the money, materials & power cannot do a COMPLETE Job?

 

The leaders need to take lessons from the Number One Influential Person in Muhammad to understand how he was such an effective political leader. They also need to study what King said. Then they need to become practitioners rather than theoreticians. Religious leaders have forgotten that the Prophets were all who practiced what they preached. Today it's mostly preaching....yadayadayada...yawn. Another sermon...another lecture...another convention...another shuraa...another meeting...then another sermon....YAWN. We do not worship God with our lips, but with our actions.

 

Can we pause the words...and inject some quality action in there...

 

Shamal

 

 

 

Salaam

In an interview yesterday by Kevin Petersen, the English cricketer -- he said it's great to be in India wearing a T-shirt and shorts rather than in cold, dreary, England.

 

Karl Benzio M.D. wrote the following a few days ago. Like most people, I love this time of year. Daylight Savings time a few weeks ago! Then official Springtime hit and some buds are showing. Awesome … longer days … warmer weather … more sun … outdoor activities … more energy … more color … people in better moods … life abounding everywhere. All this is even grander when contrasted to the elements of winter. I am continually amazed at (but don’t necessarily like) the cycle and uniqueness of the seasons God designed. Actually, to be truthful, except for Christmas and football, I hate winter.

 

I HATE winter.

 

Now here we are in a tropical country blessed with weather that both Petersen & Benzio would love. But they both went on to say that they love the beauty of the places. Can you imagine what they would say in a day-trip around this city.

 

We have squandered the continuous "summertime" we have been blessed with by not keeping this city clean  and a riot of colour. Instead of "life abounding everywhere" we have death & vulgarity surrounding us in the form of obscene small & large piles of trash.

 

One can draw a parallel between the garbage inside Parliament and that outside. Both stink! Budget cuts and garbage pileups. They both deal a body blow to the citizens of this city, leaving them traumatized. People will agree litter is ugly, & it has economic, legal and environmental repercussions as well.

 

Can the govt & m&cc tell us where on the calendar we can find "commence soon"? This phrase has been used a lot regarding Restoration GT. Can you guys start TODAY which means that MONEY (this is how you measure life) can go into circulation by paying all the workers involved. And more money will be generated as people will find joy in coming and doing business in a clean city. Litter discourages economic development because it impacts real estate values. Good stores and important businesses will not locate in a community which lacks the pride to effectively control litter.

Here's hoping that we can begin to BOTH enjoy the warmth AND beauty of this city SOON. And invite Petersen...so he can spend some British Pounds here...along with thousands of those who HATE winter.

 

Shamal...

 

 

Salaam

Went to the Park this sunny morning...but with fears hanging like dark clouds over me. Of what I will encounter...and they were realized. I could only manage 1 lap (when I normally do 3) amidst the minefield of garbage. How I wanted to puke!!! You claim that Jesus is resurrected...and that's a CLAIM! But by your nasty actions...you PROVE that you're really DEAD!

 

If Hollywood wants to make the scariest movie for 2013 all they need to do is bring their HD cameras to the Park & the seawall. With all this shit they would have a box-office hit. Their audiences would be cringing in their seats wondering where on earth such savages exist. Their pop-corn and coke would remain untouched as no one would be able to eat viewing such horrible scenes. With sweat on their brows and wishing for The END; when it comes they would hurry home but not forgetting to take with them their unopened goodies.

 

Even the birds were not singing...even they were horrified at the carnage left behind by the "highest" of God's creation.

 

Even a resurrected Jesus would fall permanently dead viewing what people do in his name. This would be his last "miracle"...caused by the nastiest people he would have ever met.

 

What role models were the adults to the children...your crazy passions set in rippling motion by temptations have checkmate their futures being any brighter. When you're supposedly having "fun" is the best time to teach children lessons. Teach them decision-making skills and the rewards they will experience physiologically (their brain chemistry is renewed), psychologically (their personality and skills mature and grow), and spiritually (their connection to and relationship with God grow more powerfully). Yes, knowing the benefits of doing the right thing will help motivate them to do the right thing.

 

BUT all you did was the WRONG thing...littering...and wired them incorrectly so all this society will experience from them is continuous short-circuiting & blackouts. Civilization stymied by you...the litterbug adult. How is it that you bring all the "goodies" in bags...but feel it's your damn RIGHT to leave the "baddies" on the ground? Is it WRONG to take the "baddies" back with you home?

 

Shamal...

A Transformation

 

Salaam All

Aisha (peace be upon her sacred soul) called the Prophet (peace) A Walking Quran...meaning he practiced what he preached. So for a band of Muslims from across the different organizations to leave their comfort zones and literally hit the trenches was a mini revolution. A revelation of sorts. ISA school children; teachers, professionals; 3 hours; Over 200 bags of garbage collected & picked up immediately by a govt/m&cc vehicle; one brushcutter operating (we should have had at least 4--this being the only hiccup). WOW...what a transformation to the East St. Avenue.

 

Those overseas can you please make collections via your religious centers and purchase brushcutters for us. Help us to Let Guyana Glitter.

 

Many persons who drove and walked on by had positive comments to say. To see schoolgirls & women in hijab in a public exercise such as this was a pleasant shock. Walking Qurans indeed!!! Homeowners & business owners were pleasantly surprised by this sudden appearance of angels on a mission of mercy...they pledged to help on the next occasion. May we have Walking Bibles and Walking Vedases joining this GMEI campaign.

 

There were lots of ideas floated...please send them via email...and a database of Ideas will be created so that we can work on making them a reality.

 

One teacher said she had reservations in coming out. The sun and itches being her fears. (May God protect us all from contracting diseases). However as she saw the transformation before her eyes her negativity vanished in the pleasant sunshine & breezes.

 

The children, yep the children, they were enthusiastic...such energy needs to be tapped, for from this a New Guyana will emerge.

 

Along with cutting the grass & picking up the trash, 4 No Littering Signs were erected.

 

Thank you all. Please talk about your experience to others and encourage them to join this campaign.

 

Shamal

Salaam All

O People heed the call of this letter writer in today's paper. Have all the campaigns of the past failed? No....or not really! Or yes if you look to the deplorable state of the city. To succeed the Govt & the M&CC have to do their jobs. Groups act as the wake up call...as the kick in their pants...maybe if their is a mass protest or a a mass refusal to pay taxes until the city is cleaned then those two dead bodies would be jolted back to life. However the GMEI's campaign to adopt streets and to lecture on the environment at schools is more than a step in the right direction. To say "join us" would elicit zero response. Most people are also "Dead." But those that are still breathing need to take & make a stance. Hey, you live here. Help us (need it be said that the "help" being asked for is MONEY) to put up signs that warn people that there is a $10,000 fine for littering. Help us to print more of the Let Guyana Glitter stickers.

Thanks

Shamal

 

An epidemic in Georgetown would not discriminate between government and opposition

February 21, 2013

 

Dear Editor,
I am dumbfounded by the perverse thinking of individuals who would wish that a health crisis would arise in the city of Georgetown.

What would it take to convince the relevant authorities that the obscene accumulation of rotting garbage in our capital represents many health risks. Not only do citizens have to put up with a variety of obnoxious odours that arise from the ubiquitous mounds of putrid organic matter, but much worse are the nuisances caused by the ever increasing hordes of flies, mosquitoes and vermin. I recently heard of an incident in which rats nibbled the feet of a diabetic.  Further, a not too insignificant portion of some citizens’ disposable incomes (and the state’s meagre foreign reserves), is being used up in futile attempts to achieve some measure of relief.

Any primary school graduate would know that fleas, flies, mosquitoes and rodents are the vectors of diseases such as typhoid and malaria, among others. Despite a variety of actions to destroy its historic character, Georgetown remains the principal axis around which all of Guyana revolves. An epidemic of any one of these or other diseases would not only overwhelm our inadequate health services, but would also have grave economic and social consequences throughout  the length and breadth of the entire nation.

From all accounts, it would appear that the Mayor & City Council is up against a stacked deck.   Efforts by the city council to broaden its revenue base so that it can more effectively discharge its mandate have been frustrated or stymied for years. Besides, the ultimate solution to the problems of urban environmental health is beyond council’s mandate.  It would require a multi-sector approach, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Environment.    But where is the leadership?

Could the assistance of the courts be sought in an effort to resolve the current impasse between the city council and the Ministry of Local Government?  Is there any civic organization that would initiate a lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Georgetown with the aim of expediting some form of relief from this most formidable health threat?  Further, does this recurring impasse demand a more strategically located IMC that would have a more effective impact on the development of our emergent democracy? Could communities be permitted to freely determine ‘how’ they will manage their local affairs?

If there is a health crisis in Georgetown, then it would most certainly be a pyrrhic victory.     There will be no winners − only losers. The ensuing epidemics will not discriminate between government and opposition supporters.  All will be at risk!
Yours faithfully,
Clarence O Perry

Dear Mrs P. Roberts

 

Peace

 

We are pleased to inform you and the various agencies that we are working feverishly to move the GMEI forward. We are in the process of mobilizing our resources to launch the initiative on Saturday, March 02 at 8:00 pm on East Street opposite ISA Islamic School. Therefore, we are seeking your kind support in the following areas:

1. Permission to place signs, receptacles and plant trees along the East Street Avenue
2. Presence and participation of officials from EPA, MNRE etc
3. Quantity of bags and gloves
4. Quantity of trees to be planted
5. 2-4 Brush cutters and operators
6. Vehicle to remove garbage collected

We look forward to your kind support to create a clean, beautiful and healthy environment in our city.

 

Please find flyer, letter to stakeholders and revised copy of the GMEI proposal attached.

 

Imam Haseeb Yusuf

On behalf of the coordination team

Support the Printing of this Sticker

Please call Shamal 225-9031 to make a pledge.

Proposal

	2/14/2013
Guyana Muslim Environmental Initiative (GMEI)

Guyana Muslim Environmental Initiative

Removal of refuge from streets and open areas; chopping of shrubs and planting of trees and flowers to enhance the aesthetics of the environments across Guyana and developing social consciousness to effect behavioral changes in the preservation of the natural beauty of the environment

Prophets Muhammad & Jesus

(peace be upon them) both stated that:

“Cleanliness invites toward faith,

and faith leads its possessor to the Garden.”

They also said: “Cleanliness is half of faith.”

Cleanliness is beauty …and the rapture of beauty should & must prevail over the madness of environmental destruction such as littering. The environmental crisis then, based on the sayings of the Prophets, is an external reflection of modern humanity's spiritual crisis..."

 

Introduction

The provision and maintenance of a clean and healthy environment is indeed a critical dimension of the quality of life for all individuals as well as the flora and fauna species that is in constant contact with their ecosystems. A clean environment promotes good health and is essential for disease prevention and disease incidence. Growth of the natural ecosystem will be proliferated and all forms of life will be sustained due to a clean and healthy environment.

Guyana has been described a “paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and the Eco-tourist”, because of the irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty; pristine Amazonian rainforests; immense waterfalls; amazing wildlife; blended with a vibrant indigenous culture, rich heritage and the most hospitable and friendly people. With these immaculate descriptions and attributes given to such a country, a clean environment is necessary to attract tourist to access our service which will have positive implications for the local economy.

The government and civil society have been doing its part to ensure that our country remains clean and free of litter. The education system has an important role to play in the education of the young minds on the effects and impacts of a litter filled environment. The print and electronic media and all other stakeholders involved in the communication and the dissemination of information also have an important role to play.

This project will bring to fore a transformation in the environment which is unwholesome to one of appreciation by citizens, and an enhanced presentation through the beautification drive. This project will be managed by the Guyana Muslim Environmental Initiative (GMEI) in partnership with Government of Guyana and citizens.

 

Background

Littering has been plaguing our global environments for decades now. It has been a persistent problem in the United States of America since at least 1953 when “Keep America Beautiful” (KAB) initiative was launched by a non-profit organization with the aim of ridding the streets and roadside of garbage (Forbes, 2000).

(Cone & Haynes, 1980) posited that Americans alone generates about 145 million tons of Garbage in the year 1977. This amount has increased significantly to an approximate figure of 251 million tons in the year 2008, a 73% increase according the EPA, which cost the government approximately $500 million annually to remove.

Over the years, the impact of improper solid waste management has become the critical environmental problem in Georgetown and all over Guyana. This problem has become more acute over time, creating unpleasant esthetic conditions and threatening the health of the urban population. The negative impact of improper waste disposal was heavily felt during the January 2005 flood when waste-filled canals did not drain as rapidly as expected (IDB, 2013).

Guyana’s central metropolitan population of 352,000 generates about 103,000 tons of solid waste annually, of which half is produced by Georgetown and the remainder by residents in the 15 surrounding NDC districts.

With the proliferation of the fast-food industry, stores and mini-cook shops, coupled with the exorbitant levels of plastic containers and other receptacles in use, our streets, vacant lots and roadways have become the dumping ground for refuse, which significantly contributed to our current garbage crisis, especially in our cities. With this current trend, if not arrested in a timely manner by all concerned, our ecosystem and our tourist industry will face dire consequences.

 

Project Identification

 

Stakeholders Analysis

a) Littering of streets, open areas and waterways.

b) Growth of shrubs which mars the aesthetics of the environment.

c) Lack of sustained effort in the cleaning and maintenance exercises.

d) Limited number of receptacles to store litter

e) Improper timing for collection and removal of refuse

Environmental Issues

a) Blockage of drains and waterways which leads to flooding.

b) Proliferation in the infestation levels of Rodents, Arthropods (Scorpions) and Blattellidae (Roaches)

c) Destruction of biodiversity and ecosystems.

d) Ill health in humans and animals.

Goals & Objectives

The objectives of the project are:

1. To beautify Guyana through the removal of litter from streets, open areas and waterways

2. To educate citizens on the proper method of garbage disposal and its impact of the environment and ecosystems.

3. To improve the aesthetics of the environment.

The goals of the project are:

1. To development and implement an educational program to manage litter within selected areas.

2. Achieve low levels of litter throughout the selected communities.

3. Restore dignity in our beautiful country.

Launching of Project

The project will be launched on March 02, 2013 on East Street, Georgetown.

Time Frame for Project

The project will continue to be sustained way after its launching. Specific areas will be adopted by GMEI to be cleaned, maintained and kept in a beautified manner.

Proposed areas to be adopted by GMEI

Some of the areas proposed to be adopted are: Independence Blvd and Hunter Street, East Street, Woolford Avenue, Waterloo Street and other areas. Sections of streets and roadways around the Masjids and Islamic Centers in the coastal regions will also be cleaned and maintained.

Procedures to execute Project

For the project to be successfully executed, GMEI will host a series of meetings with stakeholders to derive commonalities and relevant commitments as it relates to the project. The group will also need to acquire a tractor & trailer to move the garbage to the disposal site. Brush cutters, garbage bags, tools and implements like cutlasses, files, rakes, hoes, shovels, forks and gloves will be needed to execute the various tasks.

Bumper stickers, fliers and other relevant information will be distributed to schools and other institutions, masjids and community centers, bearing messages of environmental protection and cleanliness. The public will be made aware of the project through the different media (print & electronic), signs and billboards under this initiative.

Principal parties in the Project

This project will have the following groups as its main parties, whose involvement are solicited at the early stages of the Stakeholder’s analysis:

This project is a component of the GOG initiative under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. In order to successfully develop this proposal; various entities have to be engaged as stakeholders. These stakeholders are categorized as follows:

a) Funding Agency:

· GOG

· Ministry of Natural Resources & the Environment

· Guyana Islamic Trust

· Central Islamic Organization of Guyana

· Other Islamic Organizations& Groups

· Muslim Businesses and Private Sector

· Ministry of Tourism

b) Implementing Agencies:

· All organizations and individuals under the GMEI umbrella

· Ministry of Tourism

· Pick it up Guyana

· NDC’s

· RDC’s

· M&CC

c) Collaborative partners

· MOA

· MOE

· MNRE

· MOH&W

· Private sector

· Business Fraternity

· EPA

· Ministry of Home Affairs

 

Human Resource Management

This plan will set out a road map on volunteer needs, recruitment, training (if necessary), roles, reporting procedures, remunerations, performance reviews, discipline and replacement.

Estimated Cost of Project

The cost is estimated at approximately $10 million annually to execute this project which will include publications, wages for tractor operator, fuel to operate grass cutters, signs, banners, billboards and other overhead costs. A full breakdown will be provided on the actual costing of the project

References

1. Forbes, Gerry, J, (2000). Reducing Litter on Roadsides, Transportation Research Board, USA.

2. Cone, John, D.& Haynes, Steven, C, (1980). Environmental Problem/Behavioral Solutions, University of Cambridge, USA. 3. Sugii, Takeo, (2008). Plastic Bag Reduction: Policies to Reduce Environmental Impact, ProQuest LLC, USA 4. Prather, Don & Nelson, John, P, (1978). Impact of Litter: an update, University of Minnesota, USA 5. www.strabroeknews.com 6. www.chronicle.com 7. www.epa.com 8. www.idb.com

Salaam All

 

Lecture at Brickdam Secondary. After someone took the sticker to GNSC they called me and asked if I would like to give this presentation at their adopted school. I agreed. Littering cuts across all boundaries and is a global problem.

 

The hour ended with the statement "Be Part of the Solution...Not Part of the Pollution." And the children broke out into a gracious applause.  They were applauding themselves for being well-behaved and participating throughout the lecture. (I still wonder why Muslims are programmed not to offer congratulatory clapping!!!) What an excited bunch! Intermittent laughter spiced up the time.

 

It started with The Lord's Prayer & The Pledge. Then I engaged them in the topic: Littering, the Environment & Purification

"There is a value that is priceless that is achieved when we pray. That is PURITY. Purity of thoughts...which should lead to purity of actions. Or good moral behaviour. So that no student would rifle thru their teachers' bags stealing money. Or would sneakily pick up a phone that does not belong to them.

PURITY!!!

Prophets Muhammad & Jesus (peace) both stated that:  “Cleanliness invites toward faith, and faith leads its possessor to the Garden.” They also said: Cleanliness is half of faith.

Cleanliness is beauty...and the rapture of beauty should & must prevail over the madness of environmental destruction such as littering.

The environmental crisis then, based on the sayings of the Prophets, is an external reflection of modern humanity's spiritual crisis..."

 

We distributed the bumper stickers (200) at the cost of $40,000 (thanks to Abid & ModernFX...can the GOVT who has committed to the GMEI project & other wellwishers please commit funds to this part of the campaign to cleanup Guyana); plus several thousands dollars were given to kids who answered questions correctly; along with a bit of sweetness for the teachers.

 

Several brothers have asked me to go to schools in their areas also to deliver this crucial topic...please assist us...please...we live here and must do all that we can to make this successful...Port-of-Spain did it over a decade ago...Suriname did it a few years ago...it's not beyond our capabilities

 

Shamal

 

(I received this email from someone. Can we, members of GMEI, do what he says?) My dear brother I applaud you on this noble effort. I would like to suggest that you make contact with Mr. Royston King P R O City Hall; he is the Chairman of ( E C H O)  a non-govermental org. He will be happy to partner with you.

 

Salaam All

This Canadian professional wrote three beautiful things of Guyana: The Natural Beauty, the warmth of the people & Guyana's Cultural Diversity. And three horrible things. Here I will list the first.

Take note, then take action.

 

Join the Guyana Muslim Environmental Initiative by donating your time & money. Info on the GMEI & who to contact will be forthcoming.

For now the following persons can be contacted:

Hakeem Khan, ACIC...628-4179

Haseeb Yusuf, GIT...654-3650

Moin Haq, CIOG...624-1494

Abid Rahat, ModernFX...623-8562

Shamal Zamaluddin, Zamals Software Co...225-9031

 

Thank you for your supplications & your help

Shamal

A Visitors Impressions of Guyana Written by Dr PETER FLAHERTY, Faculty of Education, York University, Toronto, Canada

Sunday, 06 January 2013 21:28

1. The garbage and drainage situation, especially in Georgetown, should be a national disgrace. My heart frequently sank when I saw (and smelled) the unsightly mounds of rotting garbage that dot so many parts of a place that was once renowned as the “garden” of the Caribbean. While reading an article about Georgetown in the 1940s, accompanied by period photos, I could scarcely imagine that the city had appeared so clean and well-managed in the past. I am aware that many Guyanese are also seriously disturbed by this garbage and drainage crisis, and want it redressed. But as with so many of this country’s problems, it is my impression that actions speak much louder than words or good intentions. All parts of Guyanese society, including political and business leaders, church and community groups, and most of all ordinary householders and shopkeepers, must take on their share of responsibility if this blight on the otherwise fair face of Guyana is ever to be removed. This is not just a matter of aesthetics –it is a clear and present health hazard for both residents and visitors alike. Guyana will never be the appealing destination for travellers that it deserves to be unless this matter is addressed once and for all, and sooner rather than later.

Salaam All

All projects have their beginnings in IDEAS. Then the willingness of parties from all acoss the divides to want to "work together" - a phrase that is fraught with all kinds of difficulties (you know the variety: clashing of egos, power, back-stabbing, gossip...things througout the centuries that have paralyzed/crippled/killed big & small projects alike).

From a meeting on Monday with Minister Ali who listened and then vouched to back the project. He then initiated a meeting today with Minister Robert Persaud. Gathered in the boardroom were the Minister, EPA members, Karen Persaud and a rep of the govt.... Haseeb Yusuf & Naieem (GIT), Hakeem Khan (ACIC), Abid Rahat (ModernFX), Shamal Zamaluddin (Zamals). CIOG's rep couldn't attend due to another meeting.

We delivered a proposal (put together by the GIT). Please peruse the attached document. We also shared the Environment brochure & the Let Guyana Glitter sticker.

Orally the govt has committed to the project. E-Docs from the govt. declaring commitment to the project will be circulating shortly which would be shared.

Most projects start off with excitement and MANY people. You know like 50 students in a new class. 3 months into the studies only 15 students are left. Can we all then make a commitment to stay with the project for at least 1 year. This project is three-pronged. 1. Cleaning 2. Beautifying 3. Education.

An idea for Mash 2013. Let's make several billboards with the theme Let Guyana Glitter & Pick It Up and post them along the route...Thousands will get the message on that day. It's shocking to see the mess the morning after. It's GROSS. Even at this late hour a float can have as the theme "Let Guyana Glitter".

Other ideas are welcomed NOW.

Please read the proposal and join the effort.