Kanuku Forum Kanuku Forum

The Guyana 2020 election was met with allegations of electoral fraud. It raised questions on the organization of GECOM to legal matters pertaining to its obligations in face of public distrust. With worldwide coverage throughout the 6 months ordeal of stalled results in the midst of a global pandemic, Guyana was undergoing a strange but despairing unfolding.

In this episode, Robert Cuffy, Michael Philander and Ferlin Pedro engage in dialogue to reflect on the events that led to the Guyana 2020 election crisis. They interrogate whether the electoral system needs reform, and if so what would that entail; the role of the electorate in encouraging constitutional reform; the status of Guyanese society regarding its political conditions; and what the citizens of Guyana should do to demand better politics. 

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.

Season 1 | Episode 4 | Part 2 of 2

Episode Title: Mental Health in Guyana

Part 2: History of mental health in Guyana, legal and social challenges, and recommendations.

In this fourth episode of Kanuku Forum, guests Ramona Chanderballi (Medical Professional), Terrence Isaacs (Mental Health Advocate), and  Alessandra Hereman (Social Activist), help us to understand why mental  health is important.

According to The Borgen Project,  an NGO working on the fight against global poverty, among other things,  Guyana has several challenges to confront in the domain of  psychological well-being, four of which profoundly affect the social development prospects of the country. These are:


Poverty  
Lack of resources/facilities   
Social stigma towards mental health/illness   
Shortage of psychology or psychiatry professionals in the country

The discussion explores what exactly is mental health, what are the  current deficiencies in Guyanese society that risks an escalation of  mental illnesses, what sorts of mental illnesses that are common, what  we can do for our own mental well-being, and government's role in  combating against the surge of mental disorders affecting many  Guyanese.

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through  meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that  we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For  our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow  our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great  conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at  kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.

Season 1 | Episode 4 | Part 1 of 2

Episode Title: Mental Health in Guyana

Part 1: Defining mental health, understanding mental illnesses, and listening to vulnerable groups of people such as LGBTQ folks.

In this fourth episode of Kanuku Forum, guests Ramona Chanderballi (Medical Professional), Terrence Isaacs (Mental Health Advocate), and Alessandra Hereman (Social Activist), help us to understand why mental health is important. 

According to The Borgen Project, an NGO working on the fight against global poverty, among other things, Guyana has several challenges to confront in the domain of psychological well-being, four of which profoundly affect the social development prospects of the country. These are:


Poverty
Lack of resources/facilities
Social stigma towards mental health/illness
Shortage of psychology or psychiatry professionals in the country

The discussion explores what exactly is mental health, what are the current deficiencies in Guyanese society that risks an escalation of mental illnesses, what sorts of mental illnesses that are common, what we can do for our own mental wellbeing, and government's role in combating against the surge of mental disorders affecting many Guyanese. 

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.

Season 1 | Episode 3 | Part 2 of 2 

Episode Title: COVID-19: Impact on Public Health and the Economy

In this third episode of Kanuku Forum, guests Ramona Chanderballi (Medical Professional), Michael Philander (Biologist), and Richard Rambarran (Lecturer of Economics), help us to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Guyana and its economy. Did Guyana make some mistakes in tackling the pandemic? What lessons can we take away given all we know about the deadly virus? Is there room for economic recovery? What can government do to aid those in need? These and more. 

Our moderator is political commentator and blogger, Ferlin Pedro.

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that   we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow   our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great   conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at   kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.

Season 1 | Episode 3 | Part 1 of 2

Episode Title: COVID-19: Impact on Public Health and the Economy

In this third episode of Kanuku Forum, guests Ramona Chanderballi (Medical Professional), Michael Philander (Biologist), and Richard Rambarran (Lecturer of Economics), help us to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Guyana and its economy. Did Guyana make some mistakes in tackling the pandemic? What lessons can we take away given all we know about the deadly virus? Is there room for economic recovery? What can government do to aid those in need? These and more. 

Our moderator is political commentator and blogger, Ferlin Pedro.

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through   meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that   we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For   our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow   our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great   conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at   kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.

Season 1 | Episode 2 | Part 3 of 3 - (Extra Content) Socio-political Challenges to National Development

In this second episode of Kanuku Forum, guests Jason Fraser (Economic Policy Analyst), Michael Philander (Biologist), and Robert Cuffy, (Prominent member of the Socialist Workers' Alliance), helps us to understand economic development in Guyana, including development policies that should be embraced in the coming decade of new domestic wealth.

Our moderator is political commentator and blogger, Ferlin Pedro.

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Kanuku Forum aims to ground Guyanese political discourse through  meaningful and respectful exchanges among often unheard of guests that  we think can offer us invaluable insights from their perspective. For  our forum is centered on the citizen's perspective. Be sure to follow  our page for more future episodes.

We welcome questions or comments, or perhaps you've got a great  conversation idea. Email us, and let's make the forum better at  kanukuforumgy@outlook.com.