Awards Nominations 2007

The Guyana Cultural Association of New York 2007 Awards ceremony will take place in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, August 29, 2007. Drawing on the bicentennial of the abolition of the trade in African captives (the Atlantic Slave Trade) and the later political independence of Guyana from Britain in 1966, the Guyana Folk Festival 2007 theme is "Oii" - Origins, Identity, and Influence.

The Guyana Cultural Association Awards will recognize the achievements of individuals and entities in cultural development. We plan to acknowledge the contributions by youth, business leaders and organizations.

Accordingly, we invite nominations for our three categories of awards. One each for a youth, aged up to 25 years, a business person and eight persons or organizations in the cultural and creative sector. The deadline for nomination is July 19, 2007.

Our Awards Selection committee will evaluate each nomination considering seven criteria: originality, scope, impact/ influence, integration, pioneering spirit,challenges and achievements. Every Awardee's work must meet a distinction considered an exemplary model that can inspire others.

The work to be honored would be observed in one or more forms and bring a sense of pride to Guyanese. In keeping with GCA selection criteria and tradition, the Awardees would be expected to have a sustained, high level of skillfulness in their respective endeavors. We are particularly interested in honoring those who are respected in their local community or field, either in Guyana or abroad.

Please submit nominations by e-mail to Awardsnominations@guyfolkfest.org including the nominee's name, a photograph, contact information, and a summary explaining why the nominee deserves to win the award in a particular category. Hard copy (paper) nominations can be mailed to Claire Goring at the Guyana Cultural Association, 1368 E.89 Street, Suite 2, Brooklyn, NY 11236. More nomination details, including eligibility and selection criteria, can be seen below.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is July 19, 2007.

Ronald H. Lammy, Tangerine Clarke
Co-Chairs

Selection Criteria

Originality:
This attribute refers to the nature of the idea, expression, or product/innovation. The term “expression” issued here refers to more than verbal expressions and can include any manifestation of Guyanese creativity from plait bread, butter flap, peddle pushers, music, paintings, our cuisine, etc.
Scope:
Did the idea, expression, product/innovation have ramifications /consequences beyond the village, country, region, etc? Has it been long lasting? Here we also consider factors that could have constrained or restricted the scope of the idea, expression, product /innovation.
Impact/Influence:
Did the idea, expression, or product/innovation have economic, political, cultural, and social consequences?
Integration:
Did the idea, expression, or product or innovation contribute to social, cultural, and political harmony? Also, did it lead to the improvement of cultural understanding?
Pioneering spirit:
Pioneering spirit refers to an idea, expression, and product/innovation that was introduced even in the face of derision.
Challenges:
This refers to nominees who have overcome physical, psychological, economic, social, residential, cultural, and political barriers to make a contribution that satisfies some of the criteria or attributed listed at 1 through 5.
Achievements:
This refers to the nominee’s body of work. It is not a mere quantitative measure – “Nuff is not always the best.”

Eligibility

The Guyana Cultural Association Award and the Guyana Cultural Association Lifetime Achievement Award are reserved for Guyanese nationals.

The Guyana Cultural Association Exemplary Award is offered to any individual or entity.

Completing a Nomination

Focus on the selection criteria that describe the nominee’s contribution.
Be specific and concise. Submit 100 or more words but do not exceed 500.
Assume the review committee knows nothing about the nominee.
Provide a photograph with your form.
Email your completed form before July 19, 2007
Send paper nominations to:

Claire A. Goring
Guyana Cultural Association of NY
1368 E. 89^th St., Suite 2
Brooklyn, NY 11236

NOMINATION DEADLINE IS JULY 19, 2007

SELECTION WILL BE MADE FROM NOMINATIONS RECEIVED ON TIME AND THAT ARE COMPLETE.

It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure that the nomination is complete.

IMPORTANT
Please e-mail the photograph in the JPEG format as a separate attachment to: AwardsNomination@guyfolkfest.org and reference your nominee's name for our information.