Delroy ChuckAT THEIR recent Vale Royal Summit, Friday, February 1, 2002, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition agreed and urged supporters to make the upcoming General Elections the most peaceful ever. And it can be. The day before, Thursday, January 31, I participated in a function to open a Peace Centre in Grants Pen and committed myself and urged the residents of the area to strengthen and maintain the prevailing peace and unity.
I certainly hope citizens, especially political representatives and supporting fanatics, can work diligently and faithfully for peace. I share with readers an edited version of my greetings at the Peace Centre ceremony.
"We are here in anticipation and expectation that this Peace Centre will live up to its name. My brief remarks are made, openly and publicly, to commit myself to the purposes and objectives of the Peace Centre and to emphasise that this Member of Parliament is fully committed to peace, lasting peace, and the peace and prosperity of my constituency and Jamaica.
"Some six years ago, when I entered representational politics, I found Grants Pen and surrounding communities to be embroiled in gang warfare. Residents from Grants Pen Drive, Grants Pen Avenue, Andrews Pen, Morgan Lane, Castle Heights and Lady Huggins did not venture into each other's community. The communities were demarcated by which gangs control which corner. Grants Pen was a deeply divided community. It was just like any other inner city with a high murder rate, persistent violence and fear overwhelming every corner.
"I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Supt. Rosalee McDonald-Barker, formerly head of Constant Spring Police Station, who worked tirelessly, along with the churches, voluntary and charitable organisations, and the residents, to initiate and support a peace process that brought relative peace to our area. During the past three and half years, we have had occasional outbreaks of violence and murders, but we must give thanks and praises, especially to Almighty God, for sparing us from the hitherto rampant gang warfare, which still overwhelms so many other inner-city communities. I also pay tribute to the many organisations, such as the Stella Maris Foundation, BARCODAC and many unselfish residents who have worked quietly and assiduously to maintain peace in our area.
"Grants Pen still has a bad name and a bad image, but in time we shall overcome. The challenge before us is how to maintain a lasting peace? We need to appreciate that peace is a process and not an event. We have to be vigilant and relentlessly work for peace and I believe this Peace Centre will make a seminal contribution to the peace process in Grants Pen and surrounding communities.
"It is said there can be no peace without justice and I fully believe it to be true. I strongly believe injustice, human rights abuses and disrespect to anyone, anywhere, are threats to peace and good order. The onerous burden of ultimately ensuring peace, law and order, and the prevention of crime rests primarily on the shoulders of the police. I am adamant, however, that the police and the community must have a working relationship for sustainable peace, and it can only come if there is mutual trust, confidence and respect.
"The police must respect the rights, freedoms and life of every citizen however humble, lowly or poor he or she may appear. At the same time, every citizen must be prepared to work with the police to deter crime, apprehend criminals and deliver justice to victims of crime. Whether true or not, we need to remove the perception that some communities are more harassed than others, or that wrongdoers in some communities are immune. The police must send the unmistakable message that every community is treated without fear or favour and that criminal offenders wherever they may be will eventually get their just deserts, but only after due process.
"Presently, the most pressing problem in our community is unemployment. The need and demand for jobs and opportunities are at crisis proportions. It is the lack of worthwhile occupation and the prevailing hopelessness and frustration, which are tearing our young people apart. I am happy to note that the project has a prosperity component and that our young people will be trained and prepared for the job market and for entrepreneurship. I feel confident that if and when their energies can be consumed in productive activity, there will be a complete revival of hope, social well-being and a major contribution to a lasting peace.
"To be sure, for the peace to continue, we have to work at it. Far too many young men and women are unemployed and see no hope on the horizon. Hopelessness, hunger and boredom are nauseating and frustrating conditions, which, regrettably, are the main experiences of many residents.
"The young people need work and activity, skills and leadership training, windows of opportunities, worthwhile contacts and influences, and the feeling that there are others who care about their welfare and conditions. Perhaps, the King-ston Restoration Com-pany/USAID-sponsored Peace and Prosperity programme in the Grants Pen/Barbican/Ligua-nea areas is the partial fulfilment of my vision of providing meaningful outlets for our young people; at least it is a good start.
"At this time, especially with election around the corner, the political process can and must play its part to avoid any political tribalism and garrison politics that can threaten the peace and well-being of our communities. This Member of Parliament gives his full commitment to work for a free, open and transparent democracy.
"I am not interested in any part of NE St. Andrew becoming or remaining a political enclave or garrison. The people may be poor but they want to be free. Whether it is Morgan Lane, Gibraltar Lane, Grants Pen Drive, or anywhere, every voter must feel free, at any time, to have and advocate his political preference.
"In this constituency, I send the clear and unambiguous message that it is the right and freedom of every citizen to vote for the party of his or her choice and should, and will, be allowed to do so without fear, harassment or anticipated discrimination. I give my unwavering commitment that, for my part, there will be no political discrimination and that my politics and my personal conduct will never disturb the peace process.
"Finally, there can be no lasting peace unless it comes from the heart. In our thoughts, our prayers, our words and behaviour, we must seek, think and radiate peace. Each of us must truly want, believe and play our part to ensure that Grants Pen, NE St. Andrew and Jamaica enjoy the peace our nation so eagerly seeks and deserves.
Delroy Chuck is an attorney and Opposition Member of Parliament. He can be contacted by e-mail at delchuck@hotmail.com.
