Commemorating Walter Rodne's 25 Anniversary.

Report on the success of the Grounding in Guyana: Celebrating Walter Rodney and His Vision of Emancipation 25 Years After His Assassination, June 2005.

The members of the organizing committee of the Walter Rodney 25 years groundings, the Rodney Family, and friends and colleagues wish to express our profound appreciation to and deep respect for the Guyanese people and the international visitors for their outpouring of support during this week of celebrations of Walters life of dedication and commitment to the struggles of working people everywhere.

Yesterday morning on June 13th, at the graveside of Walter Rodney, George Lamming gave a moving tribute to a great scholar, thinker and humanist. In the afternoon, we dedicated a Walter Rodney memorial park on Hadfield Street in Georgetown, not far from the site of the assassination. At the memorial and inter-faith service later that evening, close members of the family and friends expressed the deep pain and love that they continue to carry with them twenty-five years later.

The success of the past week will, we hope, have a lasting impact on the Guyanese landscape. What resonated across all of our groundings, whether the organized events from Kabakaburi to Berbice, the television and radio talk and call-in shows, or the impromptu conversations that took place at workplaces, on the streets, in homes, was the need and desire for conversations among and between all the peoples of Guyana. Wherever Rodney was discussed, the reception exceeded our highest expectations, both in relation to the physical presence of people at these events and in the manner in which all who participated in the groundings conducted themselves and engaged in relations with others in ways that recalled the deep humanism of Walter Rodney.

We have been especially inspired by the warm hospitality of the women of the Crossroads Womens Centre, who rightly introduced a discussion into the groundings of the survival work of poor women across race, especially in relation to the recent floods in Guyana. They have provided us all with a living and hopeful example of the best of Walter Rodneys legacy, by building a multiracial movement of women, starting always with the struggles and demands of working class women.

The groundings resulted in three resolutions, all of which were unanimously passed: the first opposed the coup and occupation of Haiti, demanded the immediate return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and expressed our solidarity with the struggles of the Haitian people for justice and self-determination; the second resolution against imperialist intervention declared our solidarity with the peoples of Bolivia and Haiti, and the Bolivarian and Cuban Revolutions, demanded the cessation of Plan Colombia and all similar interventionist actions and called for the immediate extradition of known terrorist Luis Posada Cariles to Venezuela; the final groundings on the way forwardpassed a resolution that committed us all to continue the process that started in Guyana.

As these events come to an end in Guyana we call on all sections of the Guyanese community to take time out, to step back and think clearly and carefully about our political actions. Let us commit to rekindle the spirit of Rodney and use his lifes work as an example to prompt a genuine and respectful conversation on our collective future.

We call on the political directorate of Guyana, and of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, asked in his feature address at the opening ceremony, to bring closure to this dark period of our history through the establishment of an independent and transparent inquiry into the assassination of Walter Rodney. Only then can the healing process truly begin. Only then can we build a future for all Guyanese on the solid foundation of truth and reconciliation.

More information on the commemoration committee and the plans for groundings in other parts of the world are available on our website http://rodney25.org

The contact spokespersons for the anniversary committee are: Rupert Roopnaraine 592 228 2409, Andaiye 592 227 7481 (Guyana); David Hinds 480 965 1597(USA); Jai Parsram 416 289 1346 (Canada); and Malaika Scott +44 (0)20 8671 7279 (UK).