John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
Students from the Pembroke Hall Primary School perform a song during the official launch of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)- sponsored Civic Dialogue for Democratic Governance project in Jamaica at Emancipation Park, New Kingston on Tuesday. - WINSTON SIL /FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
REPRESENTATIVES OF several organisations on Tuesday night pledged their commitment to support the work of the Civic Dialogue for Democratic Governance project in Jamaica, as part of efforts to unite against the forces of crime, violence and corruption.
The representatives all pledged their support for the project with the reading of a short proclamation during the official launch of the project at the Emancipation Park in New Kingston.
Elena Martinez, assistant administrator and regional director for the Bureau of Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted that "problems cannot be solved unless the people, the stake-holders, the actors and all of those who are part of the problem and part of the solution can actually sit together and have an exchange which will facilitate consensus building."
NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT
More importantly, Ms. Martinez emphasised, "You need employment, health, education; you need the whole package" in order for projects like the Civic Dialogue for Democratic Governance project to work and be sustained. What is vital is a new social contract; there has to be a clear understanding of what the priorities are, where the resources are going to be invested where the revenues come from and where the investments are going to be made," she added.
Dr. Peter Phillips, the Minister of National Security, expressed his support for the project on behalf of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson whom he was representing. According to Dr. Phillips, "indeed we are all living in a grave country and we must also at the same time admit the extent to which political
tribalism and the most extreme manifestation (which is) political violence has served at times to polarise our society and rob us of our social cohesion."
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ILLS
Opposition leader Bruce Golding, while expressing his support for the project, cautioned that the objective would not be achieved without genuine effort to correct the social and economic ills which affect many communities across the island.
Mr. Golding stated, "A significant amount of resources have been invested in trying to tackle those problems and so many of those initiatives, well intentioned though they were, failed because we ended up using resources simply to deepen the conflict that exist and simply to entrench the hostilities that have developed."
The Civic Dialogue for Democratic Governance project in Jamaica was first introduced in 2001 by the UNDP. The project is now managed by the Jamaican Leadership Forum, chaired by Justice Ian Forte, and still is sponsored by the UNDP. It is aimed at promoting dialogue and discussions between Jamaicans across different sectors of the society to address the current challenges facing the country.
