Howard Mitchell | What price are we paying for progress? – Part 2

Progress and development must break through barriers to access, must uplift the economy of the masses and provide opportunity and hope for equal benefit to all.

Progress requires orientation of the society as a whole towards behaviours and beliefs that are just and fair and acceptable by most of us. The institutions of civil society must be be respected by the state and by commerce and that each members of the community claim their space and raise their voices in support of those beliefs. They shouldn’t sit back and wait for the state to deliver a perfect and comfortable environment.

For a long time Jamaicans have allowed their beliefs of right and wrong to be subordinated to the expediency of survival. There is in danger of allowing the negative norms and modalities of survival to become the ethical standards because economic success is the only goal. It’s time to reset that operating system, to restructure our society to match the visions of our founding fathers.

But, how on earth will the community be able to stand up to the mighty political machinery established to seek, gain and keep power by mercilessly undermining and dismantling anything in its way? How does the community of citizens match the power of money possessed by commerce whose only natural motive is profit and maximising the return to its immediate stakeholders?

The call to action for every citizen of this country is to remember that at the end of the day they are consumers of all that is produced by commerce. If they don’t buy, commerce starves, if they tell commerce they don’t want a product they don’t have a choice but to take it off the shelves because it costs them to keep it there. Yes, many of among us are poor and seemingly have no choice. But if the more fortunate among us realise that their interest lies in supporting the causes of the less fortunate then the community is strengthened.

MEET TOGETHER

Communities need to meet together to discuss their mutual challenges. That’s the purpose of community councils, town hall meetings and citizens associations. They shouldn’t be underestimated. The same applies to meeting the challenge of a political system that is dedicated to the perpetuation of power at all costs. People have to understand that the practice of divide and rule by encouraging tribal behaviour destroys the community, and the nation. Sitting back and not demanding reform, is a slow death of all the values and positive benefits of a successful society. Though there must not be burning of tyres and blocking of roads – far from it. However people must demand that candidates for political power meet with the community and talk to the people. This should not be from a platform of music and white rum and curry goat but in a forum of solid reasoning and dialogue where the community can express itself peacefully and forcefully. This idleness of motorcades and music as a way to get votes should be rejected. Political candidates must acknowledge the power of the people by facing them eye to eye – not with the smoke and mirrors of platform and curry goat ‘feel good politics.’

Further, communities must research and understand local government and its challenges. Citizens must advocate and demand more power for parish councillors and practice more scrutiny and oversight of their activities. Likewise they ought to request attendance of these political representatives at their meetings and opportunities to speak regarding local issues. Additionally, the media must be engaged to get the collective thoughts and wants and needs heard and dealt with.

REGAINING TRUST AND MORALITY

This one is a bitter pill, but community members must work with the police to build trust and mutual support. This is the only way that there is going to be a stop in the war between young men and women and the security forces. They should instead identify the potential perpetrators of violence and divert them before they end up being killed by the police. This means that providing information to the police before the situation becomes critical. This would mean going against the culture of “informa fi dead,’ and instead saving the lives of those ‘disruptors’.

Communities must understand that the schools in their midst are protective devices against anarchy and state abuse. Schools are sanctuaries and life savers for young people, not catchment areas to hold them until they are old enough to scam or sell their bodies.

This is why initiatives like Project STAR are so important and must be nurtured and supported. There is a need for the restoration of confident leadership to communities, and it is the people who must demand of the state that resources to do this, be put in place. The state should work to regularise informal settlements, establish and support community councils, strengthen early childhood education facilities, and give social services more support to teach parenting skills.

Additionally, the curricula in schools must teach values and attitudes. On the other hand churches must address with greater vigour the encouragement of mindfulness, empathy and consideration for others. Ethics come from the community; not from commerce whose main motive is profit; and not from the state which is invariably controlled by seeking after perpetual power.

The call to action is for each Jamaican to find strength to contribute to building communities to provide the ethical framework that will contain and restrain economic progress for the benefit of all. It is only by strengthening the pillar of the community will there be a correction of the unfeeling unruly and at times inhuman materialism that can result from unbalanced progress.

Howard Mitchell is an attorney-at-law. This is the second and concluding part of an abridged version of his speech delivered at the 12th annual Joan Duncan Lecture held on May 18. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com