Young Guyanese got an opportunity to step beyond familiar religious and cultural traditions as the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) used its Harmony Tour to promote greater understanding among the country’s diverse communities.
During the Berbice leg of the tour on Friday, young participants visited several places of worship and heritage sites, including the Jai Shri Krishna Mandir in Cumberland, Canje, the New Amsterdam Church of the Nazarene, Mission Chapel Congregational Church, an open-air mosque and the Roman Catholic Church of Ascension.
For some of the children, the visits marked their first experience entering a place of worship belonging to a faith other than their own.
At each location, participants were introduced to the beliefs, practices and customs of the respective faith communities.
The tour also highlighted the historical forces that helped shape Guyana’s multicultural society, including the religious and cultural traditions brought by immigrants during the colonial period.
A visit to the Indian Immigration Monument at Palmyra also gave participants an opportunity to explore another chapter of Guyana’s history and the contribution of Indian immigrants to the country.
The Berbice activities formed part of the ERC’s wider 2026 Harmony Tour, which also took participants to sites of faith, heritage and national memory in Region Two.
ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack has said the initiative is intended to show young people that harmony involves more than simply living alongside people from different backgrounds.
“Harmony does not begin when we agree on everything; it begins when we take the time to understand one another,” Hack said.
He said exposing young people to different faiths and traditions can help build respect and contribute to a more cohesive Guyana.
The tour is being conducted as the ERC continues its efforts to promote ethnic and religious understanding among Guyanese, with young people placed at the centre of the initiative.
