Andrew Wildes, Gleaner Writer

Reverend Al Miller

Director of the National Transformation Programme (NTP) Reverend Merrick 'Al' Miller is calling for a national ceasefire in which there would be no murders anywhere in Jamaica for the month of January.

With the New Year just days away, Miller is urging all Jamaicans to take the euphoria that a new year brings as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and give the nation a fresh start in 2009.

In a release to the media yesterday, Miller urged all members of society to embrace the vision of a fresh start for Jamaica by observing the period of January as a time of peace and forgiveness.

Solving conflicts

"We encourage citizens to refrain from violence during this period and practise other ways of solving conflicts that may arise. Let us pray and work so that there will be no murders or violence in January, and beyond," the NTP director said.

The programme, which is operated out of the Office of the Prime Minister is being undertaken against the background of the thickening moral, social and economic morass that has held Jamaicans captive for decades. The programme operates under the view that Jamaica's future will be very bleak unless it deals quickly with atrocities of the past. The NTP will, therefore, emphasise peace, forgiveness and reconciliation among individuals and communities.

"The New Year provides a fresh opportunity to do it right, heal from the past; set common shared values and vision, reorder our priorities and work together to overcome the difficulties for a better tomorrow," Miller said.

Hold the peace

On the weekend, Miller and members of the NTP travelled through a number of inner-city communities across Kingston where they received the commitment from key leaders within the communities to hold the peace.

In every community the message was the same - let there be no bloodshed, no war, no violence for at least January and the first quarter of the year so as to signal to private sector, government, the diaspora, international aid bodies and others that Jamaica is ready for significant change. During that time, young men must cut the violence in their community and, further still, not go out of their community to do violence.

The team stopped in inner-city communities of Vietnam, Gold-smith Villa and Jungle 12 in August Town; Nannyville, Back-bush and Jacques Road in Mountain View; Burgher Gulley and Dunkirk in East Kingston. In every community the men of influence gave the famous TV pastor their support. In fact, the leader to whom Miller spoke in Jungle 12, August Town, said August Town was prepared to be a model community to all other communities experiencing violence. Warring factions of August Town signed a five-year peace agreement in June of this year and, since then, there has been 'peace'.

"Yeah man, the country can turn 'round, but Mr Miller, you alone cyan do it, yuh see me. People haffi come together," a leader in Goldsmith Villa, August Town said in giving his assurance to maintain the peace where he can.

There are, however, many signs of obstacles that Miller and his team will have to quickly overcome if the programme is to be successful. In every community, the cry was the same - high unemployment, poor education, promises still unfulfilled, lack of basic utilities and unjust treatment from the security forces were cited as fundamental issues that have caused great despair and distrust of all such programmes.

The final word in every community, after members gave their assurances, was that they would not respond well if the promise of development as a result of peace, was proven to be nothing but sweet platitude.

The NTP - 'A fresh start for Jamaica', is a moral, value-based programme supported by social partnership of church, state, business and civil society, working together to build a new Jamaica.

andrew.wildes@gleanerjm.com

Residents of August Town in an area popularly known as 'Jungle 12', vent their frustration at members of the security forces after they accused them of not doing enough to protect them from gunmen after an incident in April. - file