Governor General Sir Patrick Allen has called on communities to unite to effectively overcome the challenges facing the country. Communities coming together for a common good, he said, would help to curb crime and violence and combat the break-down in the family structure.

"We, of necessity, at this point of our history, must unite, every one of us, with hands and hearts together, if we intend to herald a new day for Jamaica," Sir Patrick said during a forum hosted by the St Elizabeth Lay Magistrates' Association at Beadle Hall in Santa Cruz recently.

Start with the home

"To address the economic hardships that we are experiencing, we must start where it all begins, at the home. We must start there to reinstate the family as the primary unit of socialisation," he added.

The governor general called on justices of the peace to continue their efforts to settle disputes at the local level, noting that in many instances, if greater effort was made to mediate between com-munities and individuals in-volved in disputes, there would be less fractious encounters.

"Jamaica's future depends on all of us. I urge our justices of the peace to be part of the solution as we go forward. I encourage you to keep the message of hope alive.

"It requires all of us working together for the greater good of the country, and giving our best in whatever field we are planted," Sir Patrick said.