By Dennie Quill, ContributorMY FRIEND had a lot to say about Day I of the diaspora parley in downtown Kingston. She thought the idea of the conference was great it gave all Jamaica's children from the
diaspora an occasion to bask in their Jamaican-ness. And coming as it did in the height of the mango season was sheer joy to some people.
The enormously talented performing group of youngsters with the unlikely name of Nomads reaffirmed for all at the opening session that "Jamaica nice fe true." For my friend this session will also go down as an excellent gripe session. Everybody had a gripe. Okay, there were many issues on the table. The Prime Minister made them know what was on his mind. He was troubled about the challenges faced by his Govern-ment in halting crime and he wanted the British Government to know that the early release of convicted felons would not help this situation.
A GRIPE WITH CUSTOMS
Other participants, many of them involved in voluntary social work, spilled their guts about the myriad frustrations they face in doing business with Jamaica. They wanted someone to cut away the red tape that was hampering efficiency. Then there were gripes with Customs. Everybody has a gripe with Customs. There has to be a better way to inspect goods. The act of burrowing through neatly packed luggage and then turning a sultry back on the passenger while he tries to rearrange the stuff is a demeaning experience. I appreciate that Customs officers have a difficult job trying to stay one step ahead of the wily traveller who is intent on hiding contraband or evading duties. It's just the manner in which the search is conducted.
For my part when I enter the Customs Hall at the Norman Manley Airport I feel like I am entering an arena, an unwilling participant in a duel Me vs Customs Officer. He or she is battle-ready, as I am met by a scowl, and the officer can be counted on to cast a look of disdain as he or she enquires about the contents of my luggage. I know why people are upset at the treatment by Customs. It doesn't have to be that way.
EMBRACE JAMAICAN
Back to my friend's assessment of Day 1 of the conference. The thing that got my Jamerican friend boiling was the fact that while there were loads of exhortation to embrace Jamaican, buy Jamaican, eat Jamaican and wear Jamaican, "Evian" brand water, imported from France, was being served at the Jamaica Confer-ence Centre. Although the NWC has been making it known that their potable water is highly rated, modern day folk no longer find tap water acceptable. It's just a fact of life. Maybe the water was donated to the conference by the distributors of Evian. If that were so, it would be some kind of folly to reject it on the ground of our new found nationalism. Again, maybe Evian donated water to at least one major Kingston hotel, for this was what was available when we were there on Wednesday evening. The free market economy means that consumers will be given many choices, so alongside Evian, we should see local brands like Catherine Peak.
I am not sure in the current free market environment how this Buy Jamaican campaign will work, but I believe we need to see leadership demonstrated at the highest level. If we are serious about supporting local industry, Government should take a lead role. Jamaican Government officials should travel Air Jamaica if their travel plans take them to such a destination. For years, the American government has supported American Airlines. And there are many other areas in which we can embrace what is local. So there should be competition, but the Government must throw its weight behind local industry. It cannot convince its citizens here or abroad to support local industry when it is having uniforms made overseas, or school books printed by foreigners when the expertise is right here.
INFLUENCE ALL OVER
Make no mistake about it, America did not become the superpower that she did simply by flexing her military muscles. Part of her dominance related to the export of hamburgers. Yes, indeed, that and Hollywood gave America the levers to spread her influence all over the globe. Tiny Jamaica must now find the levers that will give her the edge. Our music and exotic foods are already well established as world magnets and we must seek to develop the kinds of international linkages that will ensure their further development. We must make Jamaica visible via its good products.
We hope that tangible results will be seen from the conference, especially in establishing timetables to deal with some of the age-old issues that were raised.
P.S. I am grateful to the resident of Patrick City who mildly scolded me for assuming that the community had not tried to get the KSAC to deal with the menace of illegal garages over the years. The writer said "dozens of oral and written complaints" had been made by individuals and the Patrick Gardens Citizens Association over the years. The KSAC was slow, very slow in its response from what the reader tells me.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
