By Karlene Johnson, Contributor
Jamaican Ambassador to Japan, Earl Carr Ph.D., accompanied by his wife Hiromi, in animated discussion in the Presidential Boardroom at Northern Caribbean University.
TODAY, EARL Alexander Carr, Ph.D. is the Jamaican Ambassador to Japan and non-resident Ambas-sador to the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
But, he started life just like any ordinary Jamaican boy. The child of a policeman and housewife from rural Jamaica, his family moved from place to place living wherever his father was stationed. Little Earl learnt quickly that the privilege life was a part of his heritage and that success would come by dint of hard work and determination. "We had our financial challenges, of course. But I learnt not to shy away from honest labour. There is no silver platter..."
It was this early grounding which instilled an appreciation for learning, discipline and focus. According to Ambassador Carr, "Without discipline and focus you can never achieve anything in life." He began his secondary education at Knox College and moved on to West Indies College. It was here that he developed a love for English, Social Studies and History, and remembers teachers such as Aunt Del, his English teacher, and Aunt Luz, his History teacher. These "almost saintly" ladies were like family to all their students and stimulated a great desire for higher education in him. Little wonder that on leaving Jamaica in 1962 he continued his studies through to a Ph.D. degree in Political Science at Southern Illinois University.
"My attending West Indies College during those formative years was pivotal, for the incentives were instilled by teachers who created a larger vision and provided the tools by which we could begin to achieve tangible results.
Commitment
to serve
Any ordinary Jamaican boy (or girl) with ambition, clear goals and ability to prepare academically and socially, and with the commitment to serve country and the world can achieve all that I have achieved quite easily.
"I want young people to know that there is nothing special about me that is denied them. All they need is will, tenacity, determination and the concept of excellence which comes from parenting."
He attributes his parents, hardworking and humble folk, with instilling just those intangibles which converged during his early university training and which were pre-conditions for his success. "Without those," he says, "I am certain it would not have been possible."
His first overseas diplomatic posting was to New York in 1978, where he was Minister/Counsellor at the permanent mission of Jamaica to the United Nations. There, his knowledge of the Far East and of the Cambodian language helped him to make a significant contribution on behalf of Jamaica at a time when "The Problem of Cambodian/Kampuchea" was high on the United Nations agenda for discussion.
He moved on to Washington D.C. as Minister/Counsellor in 1984 where he served until 1990. It was in 1994 that he was appointed Ambassador to Japan and the other territories. Today, Earl Carr, ordinary Jamaican boy, represents approximately one quarter of the world's population who live in the countries of Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
On National Heroes' Day, October 16, 2000, Ambass-ador Earl Alexander Carr, Ph.D., was made Commander of the Order of Distinction for his work as Jamaican Ambassador to Japan. It was a proud moment, witnessed by his wife, Hiromi, when he strode up to the dais to receive Jamaica's recognition of his services from the nation's Governor-General, Sir Howard Cooke.
Looking back at his life, the Ambassador is thankful for the church-based education at West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University). His recent discussions with the University's administration are expected to lead to the introduction of courses in the Japanese language, as well as the donation of several pianos to the university's Music Department.
He wants to give back to the institution because it was West Indies College which helped to "light a candle of understanding that academic rigour must be balanced with the development of the whole person." It is this understanding that leads him to challenge his own children and other young people wherever he goes to dream big, but realistically. Not to expect overnight success. To talk less and think more. To learn the economy of silence. To understand that "Stone bars do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage". To define who one is; someone who waits for things to happen, or who makes things happen.
Ambassador Earl Carr has proven that he is one who makes things happen for himself and for Jamaica. He stands a true role model of what is possible for every Jamaican who has the desire to be "Upward Bound".
Contributed
