Good evening Cain,

Busy day today.

I disagree.

Religion still plays a very important role in Guyana till this day.

Members of congregations can act as peers for those in destress and in need. Do not underestimate the importance of Mosques, Churches and Temples.

He might still be upset at me for  mistakenly  calling him Cobra last night.

For some of these young men, their families are the problem.  They still treat young adults as if they are kids, and enforce rules and expect to be obeyed.  These are different times.

If some one is in love with some one else, why is it the business of the parents?  Unless the child is a minor.

There is a definite clash between a traditional rural based culture and the more modern world that young people are growing up in.

Parents need to be taught that they need to LISTEN to their ADULT kids, and not just issue commands, and demand to be obeyed.

Na,

Cain has a soft and humane side, you can tell by reading in between the lines about the good things that he does.  

He does not advertise it but he cares for the less fortunate and kids with mental health issues.

99.99 percent of posters here are good people.

I don't think so, given that many are caught up in an archaic stuck in the mud type of thinking.

What are they going to do?  Tell the people to engage in some ritual or read some book?  Some of the most backward, problematic and judgmental hypocrites are our religious leaders. 

People will communicate with those who have empathy and who are non judgmental.  Many of the suicides comes because some feel trapped, or feel that they aren't living up to expectations, or feel that they are being judged.

What is needed in Guyana is the introduction of modern forms of mental health training, which does include peer group discussions and counseling.

Guyana needs help from top to bottom. Too many selfish people, no community minded people like it used to be. Everyone wants to outshine their neighbors and in the process are blinded by the ills of society.

A true statement.

Among other countries where overseas development projects take place with local volunteer assistance. Guyana is the only place they ask for payment to build their community project, when it should be done by volunteers.

One question though Nehru...According to Sheik  you have not been in Guyana for one dankey and two years.  How come you know so much wha happenin dea.

Like you get a personal hat line.      

Bhai, Like I told Sheik, you dont have to go to Greece to know they broke. Al Gore invented the Internet for a reason.

Bhai, Like I told Sheik, you dont have to go to Greece to know they broke. Al Gore invented the Internet for a reason.

So let us see.  A congregation filled with narrow minded people, who are set in the ways, unwilling to listen and dialogue with the person who is depressed is good for them.

Yes people need to have a sense of faith, but by the time they have reached the point where they will want to kill themselves, its way too late for that.  People have a problem, and they need help in solving it.  Telling people to read the bible, or admonishing them that they are sinners and should burn in hell, or telling them to dash incense and wave some object and walk around in circles.

Too late for that.

Suicidal people need folks who they can identify with.  Who will listen to them. Who will empathize and not judge them. and who will offer CONCRETE strategies.  Based on what I know of most religious institutions in Guyana, I just don't see that there.

Here is the reason why suicides are up in Guyana.  Long ago we had the concept of the extended family.  This might have even included fictive relatives, you know the aunty or uncle or granny who no one knew whether they were blood relatives or not.  Within those networks there were always people who some one can confide in.

Alas with greater materialism, busier lives, migration, etc., the extended family has declined.  People now lead lonelier lives, and their social networks are more judgmental than in prior times.  So we have this need to impress our social peers, and feel trapped of we cannot live up to the expectations. We know that idle tongues will have lots to say.

So the extended family is no longer a real part of Caribbean culture, and even the core family is in decline. We have to develop strategies to offset this, or expect to see more manifestations of anti social behavior.  Whether it is domestic abuse, violence, substance abuse, or suicide.

Those of us who are over 50 will know exactly what I am talking about.