Guyana’s then President Bharrat Jagdeo (August 1999 to November 2011) engaged the Guyanese diaspora at a GOPIO conference at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza auditorium in September 1999. GOPIO observed the tenth anniversary since its founding with a two day conference. Bharrat Jagdeo delivered a keynote address. This writer presented a paper and was a co-organizer of the Indian diaspora conference.
The conference auditorium was packed with members of the Guyanese and Indian diasporas to listen to President Jagdeo. There were also Trinidadians and Surinamese.
The then President was in NY to address the UN General Assembly. In pix were Yesu Persaud, Ambassador Odeen Ishmael, Ashook Ramsaran, and Ramesh Kalicharran.