Calvin BowenANOTHER NEW year has come around, bringing with it renewed hope for better days, as the old year, with all its trials and tribulations, passes into history.
Each new year offers the promise of happier days; but as the year grows old that promise often fails to materialise and the bright hope grows dim. So was it with 2001 which, after its promising start, ended on a sombre note.
As the year moved towards it close, there came two dramatic events: the devastating terrorist attack on the United States, and the outbreak of the first war of the 21st century events which cast an aura of gloom over the world scene.
Here at home, the year was not a good one. The terrible scourge of crime and violence, which has plagued the country for much too long a time, continued to wreak havoc on the land. Gang warfare, far from dying down, escalated to frightening degree. Criminal gunmen battled with the security forces, threatening the safety and stability of the society. The national murder rate rose to an alarming height.
With the social structure under siege, the economy remained stagnant. Tourism, the normally major contributor to national prosperity, was a poor performer, made weaker by the backlash from the US terrorist attack. Agriculture fared no better with sugar and bananas still in trouble.
But, as the year ended, all was not gloom. With a new Minister in charge of National Security, there was hope that the war against crime would be pursued with new energy. There was also a small sign of economic recovery a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, but a cloud with perhaps a silver lining. Bauxite and tourism, twin pillars of the economy, held promise of stronger performance this new year. As the new year dawns, the light of hope shines through the gloom. Jamaicans at home and abroad, having celebrated Christmas as they have had over time with exchange of gifts and greetings, and family-and-friends festivity welcomed 2002 also in traditional fashion.
Fireworks lit up the midnight sky. Worshippers attended Watch Night service. Revellers made merry at New Year's Eve parties. Family gatherings ushered in the new year with quiet joy and sober anticipation.
This is the mood with which the nation enters into another challenging year. With the heartaches and disappointments of 2001 behind us, we look forward indeed to a happy new year a new year of hope and promise. There will be problems. The shadow of war will darken the international scene. The menace of crime and violence will still have to be faced and dealt with in Jamaica. Economic recovery might prove to be a will-o-the-wisp. But with faith and resolve, we can go forward into the future, confident in our proven ability to overcome all obstacles.
Calvin Bowen is a retired Assistant Editor of The Gleaner.
