Written by Mark Bradford, Guyana Chronicle | 08 August 2012
THE Council of Friends of New Amsterdam (COFONA), a United States based non- governmental organisation, was formed to assist in activities to restore the town of New Amsterdam and its environs to a state of respect, development and opportunities for youths as well as commercial activates.President, Dr. Leonard Lewis in a telephone interview with this newspaper indicated that the organisation is presently planning activities for the 2013 calendar of events.
The organisation which was formed with its motto ‘Together We Strive’ will see talks begin with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr Frank Anthony in regards to the ethnic cross-sectional activities which are expected and planned to be executed next year.
Lewis, who heads the organisation with Leslie Howard as Vice– President, Jonnel Riley as Secretary, Milton Lewis as Treasurer, Compton Smith and Stanton Lambert as Assistant Treasurer and Public Relations Officer respectively, has organised the activates to commemorate the following activities.
The activities which will form part of the COFONA calendar are the 250th Anniversary of the Berbice Slave Rebellion, the 190th Demerara Revolt at Bachelors Adventure where a monument is expected to be erected, the 175th Anniversaries of Emancipation and Indian Arrival Day.
He noted that his organisation has commenced support to a number of projects in New Amsterdam and will see a new chess club after the donation of several chess sets to the Stanleytown library at lot 39 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.
He highlighted that the organisation in August 2013 will be hosting two weeks of seminars to fine tune the historical aspects of the 1763 activities to present and to make recommendations to the development of the community and town of New Amsterdam.
COFONA which operates an active website, where all activities and information and photographs are available continues to support New Amsterdam and its environs.