Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, is urging the inaugural graduates of the National Defense Institute’s Certificate in Defense Studies programme to challenge outdated practices and the status quo, while doing so constructively and with a solutions-oriented approach.
Minister Walrond made the call during the institute’s inaugural graduation ceremony, where 13 professionals from across Guyana’s security agencies received their certificates.
She told the graduates that their new knowledge must translate into improved decision-making and stronger institutions, stressing that challenging established practices should not become destructive or confrontational.
“When your orientation is defined solutions, you can acknowledge that something is no longer fit for purpose. You don’t have to be combative. You don’t have to be destructive when you challenge the status quo,” the minister exclaimed.
The minister said the graduates must return to their respective organisations prepared to ask better questions, examine problems critically, encourage innovation and make decisions that advance national interests.
She also urged the graduates to maintain the relationships developed across agencies during the programme, noting that national security requires effective interagency coordination and cannot be treated as the responsibility of any single institution.
Minister Walrond noted that Guyana cannot build a modern economy while leaving its security architecture behind, pointing to the growing importance of cybersecurity, intelligence, border security, information sharing and emerging technologies.
Meanwhile, she challenged the graduates, as the Institute’s first cohort, to set a standard for future classes and demonstrate through their work that the programme has strengthened their institutions and improved outcomes for Guyanese.
The home affairs minister also stressed the importance of integrity, reminding the graduates that knowledge and authority must always be guided by character, national interest and the responsibility of public service.