Pressure groups and moral demands ANTONNETTE HAUGHTON delivered the newest political party on August 14, 2001. This might be the climax of the formation of new groups and coalitions of certain groups in the society in recent times. There have been the Jamaicans for Justice, the Christians United for Love and Peace, Parents against State Terrorism and the coalition group Concerned Jamaican Citizens etc. These groups hope to bring a new and different perspective to the issue of nation-building. This development has been in direct response to the perceived crisis of rapid moral, social and political decline in the country. It is also claimed that it is a response to the failure of the traditional political parties to deliver the goods and the failure of the Church to declare the full gospel. It is in order to celebrate the formation of such groups provided they are rightly concerned and properly grounded. Additional groups that will be not only new but different can add to spiritual renewal and social harmony in the society. It is very easy to be cynical about and pour scorn upon such efforts, as many have done in the past in relation to similar efforts, probably even some who are now convinced about their necessity. The short-lived Daryl Vaz group and the JCC-inspired CURA are points in case. There needs to be a change of attitude. Jamaicans should be willing to give the efforts not only the benefit of the doubt but also critical support, all things being suitably in place. Critical support means praising good works, correcting weaknesses and pointing to the possibilities that can be achieved. Already the groups have listed various demands made upon different sectors of the society for action. These include demands that relate to action for community transformation, justice, human rights, peace, community participation in decision-making, transparency and probity in public affairs. This is an impressive list and it is by no means an unreasonable one. All these things require urgent attention. In this new and different thrust one believes that there should be an added feature. A statement of pledges made to the nation by the groups should accompany the list of demands. These are pledges to which they should commit themselves in a kind of contract with the people and for which they should ask to be held accountable. This would be a great credibility enhancing and enabling factor. It would help to guard against repeating the failure of similar efforts in the past that ran out of moral passion after a while. It would add practical significance to the moral lead being undertaken and given. It would offer the strength and power of good example. It would also challenge the cynics not to write-off the effort as just another self-serving grandstanding exercise. The pledges should be prompted by the same moral convictions that prompted the formation of the groups and the making of the demands. On Independence Sunday, Dr. Burchell Taylor, pastor of the Bethel Baptist shared seven examples of what might be pledged. I have summarised them and added a couple others. To practice truthfulness in all that is said and done. Truth is something spoken and done. Truthfulness builds community while deception undermines it. This means avoiding answering prematurely questions that have arisen in the situation being addressed. Answers of such a nature tend to trivialise the situation by oversimplifying it. Truth can hardly be spoken with truly challenging and compelling power when this happens. Statements ought to be based on facts after being carefully researched. It must be fair, accurate and balanced. When errors are made they must be quickly retracted. To live simply or more simply that others may simply live. Proper stewardship of our resources with a social conscience and moral commitment to others is a concrete expression of care and concern. Extravagance and rampant consumerism taunt people and lead to social impoverishment. To work against social and political exclusion and cleansing that denies human dignity and divides community. To ensure transparency and probity in the dealings and affairs that are undertaken and pushed. The agenda presented in and to the public should be the only agenda. To shun the subtle temptation to use the crisis and or people's needs as a means of advancing vested interests of one kind or another. Those whose interests are represented must be the real beneficiaries of the programme undertaken. In the end, the common good and maintenance of a wholesome society ought to be the cause and purpose of the group. In addition, the sources of financing should be creditable and made public. To uphold that all human life is sacred and therefore has inherent worth and dignity. Practice treating all persons as equals and with respect and without discrimination. To maintain that all persons are entitled to the basic necessities of life by paying fair remuneration, engaging in fair trade practices, asking for a just price for goods and services and agitating for reasonable taxation and paying it. Jamaica needs those who make responsible moral demands, but these will become more believable and effective if the demands are accompanied by pledges by way of example. Making a contract with the public and expecting to be held accountable will themselves be a most powerful gesture. So as a different group makes demands it must demand a high standard on itself in order to be truly different. The Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in Kingston.
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