Our new Prime Minister, the Honourable Bruce Golding, has sounded many fine words and promises in his inaugural speech. His was the voice of inclusion, of reconciliation, of challenging us as a people to begin working together for Jamaica, not party. He invited the former Prime Minister to sit down with him to talk about Jamaica and together to build a Jamaica where "equality and justice reign supreme". But as the saying goes, "talk is cheap" and "actions speak louder than words".There are some actions which have been forthcoming, such as the promised free tuition. The Minister of Education has said that by November, schools will receive an additional 50 per cent of the tuition fees, with 25 per cent having already been disbursed by the previous administration. It needs to be pointed out, however, that we need to know when the last 25 per cent will be sent to the schools. Another promise that is being carried out is the clean-up action after Hurricane Dean. That has started and is set to continue.
no official invitation
I am concerned, however, that the former Prime Minister has said that she has not received an official invitation from Mr. Golding to meet with him. I encourage the Prime Minister to make good this promise as quickly as possible, since it does not take money to do so. If Mr. Golding was serious when he said to Mrs. Simpson-Miller that, "in our two pairs of hands rests so much of the hopes of the people of Jamaica. Those hands can engage in hand-to-hand combat, or we can join those hands together to build a nation that is strong, just, peaceful and prosperous," then the joining of hands needs to begin now.
Mr. Golding's role model is Nelson Mandela, whose task to build a united South Africa after apartheid, pales in comparison to our Jamaican situation. There are lessons to be learned from the approach this great man took to nation building. Mr. Mandela said about dealing with opposing forces, "to make peace with (the opposition), one must work with that (opposition) and that (opposition) becomes one's partner." If Mr. Golding wants a united Jamaica, he must begin to sit down with Portia now.
There is another area of concern with the talk that we have heard and the actions that have followed. No matter how well-sounding the Prime Minister's words are they will come to nothing if his party members are not acting in agreement with his stance. The incident of two JLP members of Government being hostile and abusive to the PNP member who 'dissed' the Prime Minister by not shaking his hand, is an example of the old-style politics that we need to move away from. If a senior politician such as Dwight Nelson can behave in as reprehensible a manner as was reported, how can we expect Jamaicans, who are not as educated, not as exposed as the Senator, to behave any better? Isn't this one of the main causes of violence and bloodshed in this nation, that someone is 'dissed'? Being 'dissed' seems to be the greatest crime in Jamaica. No one seems capable of walking away after being 'dissed'. Senator Nelson missed a significant opportunity of indicating, in a statesmanlike manner to the young PNP politician, the correct procedure to be observed in the situation. He missed the opportunity of showing, as an elder luminary in our government, how the young should conduct themselves in a situation of conflict. What a shame and what a wasted opportunity to change how we conduct ourselves in conflict. I commend the former Prime Minister on being the one who calmed that disturbing and shameful situation.
Prime Minister's role model
Again, as a people, we need to look at the Prime Minister's role model as an example. We need to learn to be civil with each other in the most difficult of situations. Mr. Mandela, in commenting on this, said, "Freedom without civility, freedom without the ability to live in peace, was not true freedom at all."
The Prime Minister needs to persuade Jamaicans with the political tribal mindset that if we put the good of Jamaica above the party, we will all be better for it. He needs to dismantle not only the physical garrisons, but also the garrisons in the mind. This must be acted out, not just talked about.
critical juncture
As a nation, we are at a critical juncture - the results of the general election show this; the tumultuous rising complaints against police injustice show this; the ever-increasing civil society groups speaking out against the injustices in the land show this; the voices bombarding the talk-show programmes show this; the proliferation of the TV discussion programmes show this. They have shown enough! The time has come for radical change in how we operate as a nation. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet need to put into effect every legislation, programme and strategy to effect the urgent changes that are needed.
This change will require strong, participatory, inclusive, courageous and radical leadership. We need to operate within a new paradigm. I challenge this government to be courageous to save this nation from its downward spiral. As Nelson Mandela says: "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. "
Our leaders need to be courageous to change how we have functioned in the past. They need to not be afraid to step out and change the culture and ethos of our political life. Our Prime Minister began this process when he was courageous enough to be the only politician to acknowledge that he had associated with gunmen in the past. There are many others who have done so, but who are now afraid to say so.
Let us be courageous and, like Mandela, put our nation first, above party and above self-interest. Only then can we begin to operate in a new paradigm of unity and prosperity.
Esther Tyson is principal of Ardenne High School, St. Andrew.
