Beverley Anderson-Manley

IT MUST be possible for a country of just under three million people who occupy the space called Jamaica to eliminate lawlessness, disorder and poverty. Post-Independence political administrations have all played a role in attempting to create a Jamaica that works for everyone.

Increasingly, at the community level and with minimal governmental support, communities, including inner-city com-munities are beginning to recognise that their liberation is bound up with the liberation of others. Therefore, in taking responsibility for themselves and their communities, they are on the path to sustainable development, recognising that our interdependence as human beings is in keeping with our interdependence with nature and our environment.

In keeping with this, it is critical that as citizens, we seek out our roles and do what we can to enhance the community effort. The starting point in the community is the family. The African proverb "it takes a village to raise a child" is often quoted but not necessarily acted upon. What is involved in this is that all the children are our children and damage to one is damage to all. The household is the basic unit of society and it is within this space that families are located. When the family is dysfunctional, it impacts on the entire society. This is where the healing must begin. Healthy households give rise to healthy communities, workplaces and societies.

We create paradigms that are often limiting and belief systems that tell us what we cannot do. There are many role models and success stories that abound throughout Jamaica and the world. There are miraculous things that happen in the lives of women, men and children. In taking responsibility for ourselves and our communities, these success stories help us to realise what is missing in our own lives and therefore what is possible.

The General Election of 2007

It was Mahatma Gandhi who said that it takes ordinary people to be extraordinary and if you want change, you have to be willing to BE the change you want to see in the world.

As the General Election gets closer and closer, let us use the opportunity of this event to take stock of our own lives. Hillary Clinton, speaking to a group of graduates at an Ivy League university in the United States earlier this year, encouraged them to participate in the political process. She pointed out to them that while [they were] waiting for the perfect persons to represent them - this was as good as it gets.

Take a Stand For Jamaica

Therefore, while criticising those who lead us both in the Government and the Opposition, let us remind ourselves that this is as good as it gets and that in most cases we do not want to be in the shoes of our representatives. Many people struggled so that we could have the right to vote - we need to exercise that vote. For some time now, those who have decided not to vote - that is, anywhere between 40 per cent and 50 per cent - are either wittingly or unwittingly leaving this critical political process to the 'die-hards' in both political parties. So, once again, the next General Election could be the "battle of the die-hards". Is this really what we want?

Let us take a stand for Jamaica and have one of the highest turn-outs for elections 2007 in the history of Jamaica and when election day has come and gone, let us settle down to participate in governance by making sure that our voices are heard and listened to. It is the people who have the power, but do we have the courage to exercise that power? There is an old African-American saying that reminds us that it is alright to be courageous - take a stand - because "you will not fall off the ground".

We, the citizens of Jamaica, are the ones who get to choose what kind of election campaign we want. Let us have one that is free, fair and peaceful. At the end of the day, let us respect both political parties, as to a large extent, it is the possibility of a healthy dynamic between the two parties that will determine our success asa country.