JUSTICE IAN Forte, chairman of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) steering committee on civic dialogue, yesterday enlisted the support of more Jamaicans to tackle the country's social problems.
"It (civic dialogue) is not the total answer to Jamaica's problems but it can be a very important contributory factor to bring Jamaica to greater heights," said Justice Forte, who is also president of the Court of Appeal.He added the civic dialogue will mainly focus on crime and violence, unemployment, and corruption.
The civic dialogue group, whose theme is 'Jamaica Vision 21: Secure and Prosperous', aims to inculcate respect, honesty, openness, inclusiveness, trust, and empowerment among Jamaicans.
Justice Forte said the steering committee comprises persons with different political leanings, academic backgrounds, and social stratas. Its members are also drawn from academia, trade unions, and other professional groupings.
Decisions that the steering committee makes are ratified by a leadership forum."If you don't sit down and dialogue, and agree what is the common vision for Jamaica, the leadership forum felt we will end up in a paradise lost," Justice
Forte said, referring to one of four videos the civil dialogue group produced to highlight negative trends the country should not follow, and also a positive trend on which Jamaica should embark.
"My experience with the leadership forum is a small taste of what I think could be the larger picture if we can convince Jamaicans to come down this road where everybody is talking to each other, trying to change what is happening in Jamaica," said Justice Forte.
For her part, Gillian Lindsay-Nanton, the UNDP's resident representative in Jamaica, said the idea of a civic dialogue group was born out of a civic dialogue conference she attended in July 2001 in Paraguay.
On returning to Jamaica, she spoke with the Government, Opposition, and private sector groups, about the feasibility of this venture. Having got their blessings, Mrs. Lindsay-Nanton said she went ahead with her plans to form a local civic dialogue group in light of the country's problems.
The outcomes of the civic dialogue should include people willing to listen to each other and develop a shared commitment to change, bringing renewed energy and hope for change.
