Jamaica a first-Class Nation?!

WE DISCUSSED in a previous column (December 1) that the first step toward national transformation of this Jamaica land we love, must simply be: "Every citizen a first-class citizen, maximum respect for everyone!" This means a Jamaica where all classes in our stratified society become one class - first-class! This demands that we must hold each other in the highest esteem, regardless of name, power, wealth, religion, gender, or any other reason except the reason in front of us - each other! But there is a necessary second step.

Step 2: Every Citizen A Producer!

Do you think Jamaica could become a country where EVERY citizen is a producer (not speaking of having babies), nation builder and valued contributor? If we, as a nation, were able to achieve this, Jamaica would certainly be the place to live, work, raise families and do business.

Can We?!

Can we so become? And how do we get there? We must believe we can, understand that we must, and recognise that getting there requires a quantum leap in many areas!

Pie-Making Consultants

When national transformation pie-making consultants were called in, they told us what we all instinctively knew: Not enough ingredients were being put into the pie, so the size of the pie was not as large as it could be. Some pie makers were not contributing to the pie because they couldn't bother. Others just didn't know how; or some, who did know how, were being pushed out of the pie-production line by a few of their 'family' pie makers who wanted to 'hog' pie production! Still others were just ignorant of the pie and the fact that ingredients were needed from them!

Additionally, we had people quarrelling and fighting because they thought their slice of pie should have been bigger. Other non-participating pie makers were even willing to hurt and kill their pie-making family members to get their slice of the pie! Every negative action hampered pie production and resulted in a smaller pie every year! This is our Jamaican production reality, which must be transformed!

The Solution: Education, Moralisation & Classification!

The national transformation pie-making Consultants suggested some solutions: They recommended in summary, 1) Education, 2) Moralisation, and 3) Classification.

Education means that all citizens (from early childhood to late adulthood) must be deliberately and systematically educated about the importance of 'pie production'. This means the development of age-appropriate curricula and related practical projects at all school levels, with local, regional and national rewards and recognition for achievements! We can. No school should be exempt.

Moralisation means all citizens must be convinced to intentionally and collectively embrace a new set of morals or national core values (NCVs) - which enhance productivity! We must lay aside Anancy-like morals of one-up-manship, trickery, greed and dishonesty, and instead replace them with NVCs such as personal development, honesty, responsibility, respect and reverence for life and the dignity of work.

There is a relationship, believe it or not, between our values (and attitudes) and the growth of our national economy.

Think about this. When you get pulled from the pie-production line to wait at the Register General's Department (RGD) for hours on end, does that increase or decrease pie production? Or, when you are forced from the pie-making line because an unscrupulous fellow pie aker tricked you in some way, does that increase or decrease pie production?

Even worse, when a non-participating pie maker murders a producing pie maker, does that increase or decrease pie production? Would you believe that the NTP pie-making consultants recommended that in cases where the pie maker is murdered by a non-participant, he/she should be arrested and induced by the Government to participate in pie production, and the income of that production should be given to the family and community of the murdered person? We are still thinking about this recommendation, hmmm.

Classification means that all citizens 18 years old and over, be categorized and issued identification as follows:

Worker (active producer); employed by a registered company or as a registered self-employed citizen.

Student (learning producer); pursuing secondary, vocational, tertiary, continued education, graduate or post-graduate studies in an approved institution.

Community volunteer (non-participating producer); giving time, skills and wisdom to community and nation-building projects. Community volunteers would be picked up each day and taken to work at an approved community or national project that contributes directly to pie making. In return, community volunteers would receive government allowances such as food vouchers, housing benefits, tax breaks, medical and educational assistance, funeral assistance, and other similar benefits and awards available under past and current government programmes.

Education, moralisation and classification is our quantum leap! No one should be exempt. No more ignorant, unscrupulous or non-participating pie makers!

Slice of GDP Prosperity Pie for Everyone!

Jamaica will be the place to live, work, raise families and do business, when every citizen becomes a producer, nation builder and valued contributor! Wake up and contribute to our prosperity pie today - then demand your slice! That's national transformation! What do you think?

Send feedback to: transformationjamaica@gmail.com