Arrival Day Messages 2025 – INews Guyana – !

Every ethnic group played vital role in nation-building – PPPOn this Arrival Day 2025, the People’s Progressive Party extends warm greetings to all Guyanese as we commemorate an occasion that celebrates the arrival of the many peoples who came to these shores and contributed to the building of our diverse and vibrant society.This day reminds us of the journeys undertaken by our ancestors—journeys filled with hardship, uncertainty, and endurance. Each group faced its own trials and challenges. Despite the adversity, they persevered, laying the foundation for the Guyana we proudly call home today.We pay tribute to the Indians—who formed the largest group—the Portuguese, and the Chinese, all of whom arrived under indentureship or migration schemes. They worked tirelessly across plantations, businesses, and emerging industries, and made enduring contributions alongside the Africans & Amerindians. Together, these groups—and their descendants—have shaped the soul of our country.Their blood, sweat, and sacrifices have built the foundations of our democracy, economy, and cultural richness. From the fields of Berbice to the coasts of Essequibo, and from the mining towns to the hinterland communities, every ethnic group has played a vital role in nation-building.It is through their determination and hope that we now enjoy the blessings of a free, democratic, and increasingly prosperous Guyana. Their struggles have given rise to a nation full of promise—a nation where every citizen, regardless of race, religion, or background, has the opportunity to thrive.Arrival Day teaches us vital lessons — of unity, tolerance, and shared destiny. In remembering our ancestors, we are reminded of the power of solidarity and the importance of inclusion. It calls on us to honour their legacy by not allowing those whose sole aim is to sow the seeds of division, foment strife and undo all the gains we have made as a country to succeed.As we commemorate this Arrival Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to unity and progress. Let us continue to build a Guyana where the dreams of our ancestors live on in the achievements of their descendants.Happy Arrival Day 2025!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Let us see our diversity as a blessing and our strength as a nation – PNC/APNUThe PNCR and APNU extend best wishes to the entire Guyanese nation, especially those of Indian ancestry, on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day 2025. For this year’s observances, we call again on the Guyanese nation to reflect on the theme in the preamble of our Constitution, “CELEBRATING OUR CULTURAL AND RACIAL DIVERSITY, WHILE STRENGTHENING OUR UNITY.” Let us see our diversity as a blessing and as our strength as a nation. Let us continue to embrace and celebrate our shared values, shared goals, and shared destiny.Indians first arrived to these shores on 5th May 1838 and, together with Guyanese of other ethnic origins, have fashioned a nation that today we are proud to call our homeland. Our present challenges only serve to strengthen our resolve to further bond together and forge ahead to build a better Guyana.We take this opportunity to re-pledge our support for May 5th to be officially recognized henceforth as INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY. Designating May 5th as INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY respects the historic fact that the date specifically marks the arrival of the first Indian Indentured labourers to these shores. May 5th therefore should be wholly devoted to celebrating the valuable contribution that our East Indian brothers and sisters have made to the development of our country and to the shaping of its rich cultural tapestry.Separate days to recognize the various ancestries and heritages of the Guyanese people should be seen as occasions to celebrate our distinct ethnic identities and cultural expressions and, simultaneously, to embrace our oneness, our shared ideals and values, our shared identity and citizenship, and our shared destiny.HAPPY ARRIVAL DAY TO ALL GUYANESE!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Arrival Day celebrates full spectrum of our ancestry – AFCToday, as Guyana observes Arrival Day, the Alliance For Change joins with all Guyanese in commemorating this important occasion. It is a day that marks the arrival of the first East Indian indentured labourers to British Guiana on May 5, 1838 — a date that holds deep meaning, particularly for the East Indian community whose ancestors began their journey on the Whitby and the Hesperus.We celebrate and honour the immense contributions of East Indians to every facet of our national development — in agriculture, education, politics, religion, business, and culture. Their story is one of resilience and determination, of survival and success in the face of hardship. It is a story that helped shape the soul of this nation and continues to influence our society in powerful ways.But Arrival Day, while rooted in a specific historical moment, must be understood within the wider context of all those who came to these shores — and those who were already here. We cannot mark this day meaningfully without also acknowledging the other peoples who contributed so significantly to the making of Guyana.Long before the arrival of indentured labourers, enslaved Africans were brought to these lands under one of the most brutal systems known to humankind. They built the foundations of this country with their blood, their sweat, and their stolen freedom. Their suffering was unique in its total denial of personhood, and the legacy of slavery still lives with us today.We also remember the Indigenous peoples — the first inhabitants of this land — whose existence predates colonisation and conquest, and whose stewardship of these lands stretches back centuries. Their presence was never an arrival; it was an origin. Their rights, cultures, and lives must be continuously honoured and protected.In the decades that followed emancipation, the Portuguese, Chinese, and free Africans came under the system of indentureship, each bringing with them their own languages, traditions, skills, and hopes. Their labour and their contributions became essential threads in the fabric of our shared national identity.It is important, especially today, to make a clear and honest distinction: while indentureship was exploitative, coercive, and deeply unjust, it cannot and must never be equated with slavery.Slavery was a system of total ownership of human beings, passed down from generation to generation, denying even the most basic rights.Indentureship, by contrast, though oppressive, functioned within a different structure, often under contractual terms, and did not carry the same permanence or absolute dehumanisation. To acknowledge this difference is not to diminish anyone’s pain or sacrifice. It is to respect the truth of each people’s journey and to ensure that our history is told with accuracy, dignity, and clarity.Arrival Day, then, is not just about the commemoration of one group’s presence in Guyana. It is a moment to celebrate the full spectrum of our ancestry — to honour the many who arrived, the few who remained, and the many more who endured. It is a day to reflect on how far we have come as a people forged in the crucible of migration, labour, injustice, endurance, and ultimately — hope.As we move forward, the Alliance For Change remains committed to building a nation that respects the contributions of all its people and works tirelessly to ensure equity, inclusion, and justice for all.Happy Arrival Day to all Guyanese. May we continue to walk together on this journey of unity and national renewal.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Treat diversity as root of our collective strength – ERCThe Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) extends greetings to all Guyanese on Arrival Day 2025.This national holiday recognizes another phase in the chequered history of our ancestors who journeyed here. The arrival of hundreds of thousands of indentureds to British Guiana from far off lands unintentionally added to the country’s rich diversity and cultures.Although our East Indian ancestors first landed on this day in 1838, other ethnic groups arrived during that century too, bringing their customs and cultures that later blended into the unique Guyanese nation. We became inevitably one country made up of many cultures.The presence of varying cultures, customs and religions is the sum total of Arrival Day; but that commemoration is rooted in sacrifice, deprivation and struggle by our foreparents. Yet, the Guyanese multi-ethnic identity has survived into the 21st century with greater levels of appreciation and acceptance.The ERC’s purpose is to bridge the cultural and ethnic gaps, provide support and address shortcomings to ethnic harmony. The Commission therefore urges every Guyanese to treat our diversity this Arrival Day as the root of our collective strength, giving more meaning to our national motto.It is also incumbent upon everyone to pay homage and remember the yeoman service of those who came over a century ago and added to our shared heritage. As one nation, we can continue our collective mission to pursue a bright future and attain that one destiny on the horizon.Happy Arrival Day!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Arrival Day reminds of rich cultural tapestry, unique ethnic kaleidoscope that define Guyana – GAWUThe Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese on the observance of Arrival Day 2025—a moment of national reflection, celebration, and appreciation for the diverse origins of our people and the shared journey that has shaped our nation.Today, we pay respectful tribute to the countless indentured immigrants from India, Portugal, China, and other lands, who arrived on our shores under difficult and often harsh conditions. Their sacrifices, resilience, and determination helped lay the foundation of modern Guyana. Their stories are etched into our history, and their contributions have left an indelible mark on our economy, culture, and national character.Arrival Day reminds us of the rich cultural tapestry and unique ethnic kaleidoscope that define Guyana. Our music, food, festivals, religions, and languages are expressions of the cultural fusion born from generations of coexistence and collaboration. These traditions, carried forward by the descendants of those early immigrants, continue to enrich our society and deepen our sense of national pride.GAWU is especially proud to acknowledge the pivotal role played by indentured labourers in the development of the sugar industry. Their labour, commitment, and perseverance sustained this vital sector for decades. The sugar industry is not only an economic cornerstone, it is also a cultural one, influencing community life, shaping rural economies, and bringing people together across ethnic and geographic lines. It stands as a symbol of collective endurance and shared heritage.As we commemorate this important day, GAWU encourages all Guyanese to reflect on the spirit of unity and coming together that Arrival Day represents. Despite our different ancestries, our people have time and again come together in moments of struggle and triumph. This unity is our strength, and it must be protected and nurtured as Guyana continues to grow and transform.Let Arrival Day 2025 inspire a renewed commitment to inclusivity, mutual respect, and national solidarity. As a people bound by shared hopes and a common future, let us continue building a Guyana where all are valued, all are respected, and all can thrive.Happy Arrival Day to all!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Arrival Day honours diverse peoples, their contributions to building our nation – GTUCThe Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) extends greetings to all Guyanese as we commemorate Arrival Day 2025, a national observance that honours the diverse peoples who came to these shores and contributed to the building of our nation.May 5th marks the anniversary of the arrival of the Whitby in 1838, bringing the first group of East Indian indentured labourers to Guyana. While this moment is a key historical milestone, Arrival Day is also an opportunity to acknowledge all those who came to Guyana — whether through ancient migration across the Bering Strait, in chains as enslaved Africans, as indentured labourers from India, China, Africa and Portugal, or as voluntary migrants in search of opportunity and a better life.Each group’s arrival — forced or voluntary — forms an integral part of the Guyanese identity. These communities laid the foundation for a resilient and richly woven society through their endurance, labour, and sacrifices.The GTUC pays tribute to our ancestors and their descendants, recognising their vital roles in shaping our political, social, and economic landscape. Today, we honour all Guyanese equally, regardless of how their forebears arrived, and we stand firm in the belief that every citizen deserves dignity, respect, and opportunity.As we reflect on this day, the GTUC renews its call for: Inclusionary democracy, where all voices are heard and represented; Equitable and equal distribution of the nation’s wealth, especially as Guyana enters a new era of economic transformation; And a society that rejects marginalisation and embraces the shared humanity of its people.Arrival Day is not only about remembrance — it is also a call to action. Let us commit ourselves to justice, unity, and the building of a truly inclusive Guyana where every citizen, regardless of heritage, can thrive.Happy Arrival Day to all Guyanese.
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