Diamond Jubilee Honors: Baroness Valerie Amos & Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards to Receive U.S. Congressional Awards
By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
NEW YORK, USA — As Guyana prepares to mark its historic 60th Independence Anniversary, the global Diaspora is readying a celebration of unprecedented scale. The Guyana Independence Celebration Committee, New York, has officially announced that a distinguished group of Guyanese nationals will be bestowed with United States Congressional Awards this June, recognizing their “exemplary and distinguished service” to both their homeland and the international community.
The honors will be a centerpiece of the New York Diamond Jubilee celebrations, themed “Feel The Riddim Of The Nation at 60,” scheduled for June 5–7, 2026.
A Tier of Excellence: The Top Honorees
The committee has selected two world-renowned Guyanese women to lead the 2026 class of honorees, representing the pinnacle of academic, diplomatic, and judicial achievement.
- Baroness Valerie Amos: A trailblazer in British and international politics, Baroness Amos served as the Leader of the British House of Lords and a former Government Minister. She currently serves as the Master of University College, Oxford, and is widely recognized for her leadership in global development.
- Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards: The former Chancellor of the Judiciary (Acting) of Guyana is being honored for her decades of service to the Guyanese legal system. Following her retirement from the local bench in late 2025, she was recently named Chief Justice-designate of the Turks and Caicos Islands, continuing her legacy of judicial excellence in the Caribbean.
Celebrating Achievement Across Generations
The list of Congressional Award recipients spans a diverse range of fields, from high-level diplomacy to burgeoning youth excellence.
- Diplomatic & Academic Service: Honorees include Dr. Shamir Ally (former Ambassador to Kuwait), Dr. Rose October, Dr. Riaz Rupnarain, and Dr. Terrence Campbell.
- Youth Excellence: In a nod to the future of the nation, Jayden Adrian will be recognized for his historic achievement as Guyana’s top performer in the 2025 CSEC examinations.
- Community Impact: Indra Jainarinesingh and several others will also receive accolades for their contributions to the Guyanese-American community.
The Diamond Jubilee Calendar: June 5–7, 2026
The committee has choreographed a series of events in New Jersey and Brooklyn designed to reflect the journey of the Guyanese people “from slavery to modern development.”
National Pride in the Diaspora
For the New York Committee, the 60th anniversary is a moment to “engender national pride for every Guyanese” while reflecting on the evolution of the nation’s culture and heritage. As the Diaspora gathers in Brooklyn—the heart of the Guyanese community in America—the bestowing of Congressional Awards serves as a bridge between Guyana’s local struggles and its international successes.
For more information on the celebrations, the public can reach the Committee at (347) 292-8551.
