Beverley Anderson -Manley
BAD GOVERNANCE is increasingly being seen as evil and has an impact on the entire society, significantly the dispossessed and marginalised. In Jamaica recent data reveal that there has been "significant persistent overall decline in the level of poverty" and that poverty has been cut in half over the last decade. This surprises many of us, particularly the poor, many of whom have not yet felt the impact of this decline.
THE WORKING POOR
This is largely because many of our people are working poor. For example - those who live above the poverty line earn a mere average of $4,500.00 per week (US$75.00). But we have to take the analysis further and consider those below the poverty line - i.e. the different levels below this line and our concern as a country must be therefore to do with all levels of poverty, particularly the chronic poor - those at the very bottom.
To take it another step, when these figures are disaggregated in terms of geography, it is our rural and in particular, deep rural sisters and brothers who are most affected. The phenomenon of the poor rural woman who is also a single head of household has become the face of poverty in Jamaica and many areas of the world. This is in spite of the fact that the Government has allocated over $42 billion to the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NPEP). In terms of governance, how effectively is this money being spent and are we creating the environment within which women and men can be empowered and begin to take responsibility for themselves?
DESERT OF POVERTY
Just for a moment, imagine, if you can, what the quality of life of the poor is like in Jamaica today! Studies have shown the impact of the environment on the behaviour of human beings. Consider the environment within which many people live in Jamaica today. We do not have to look far. Pockets of wealth are like an oasis in a desert of poverty in many areas in Jamaica. We come face to face with women and men who are working poor every day. These are persons who earn the minimum wage and who are just above the poverty line -
for example, household helpers and - gardeners.
Throughout the centuries, philosophers have grappled with the idea of the Common Good and how to orga-nise the resources of society that the largest number of women and men receive the basic necessities of life - the right to a job, housing and education. This requires a type of development that is genuinely people-centred and particularly, in the emerging countries development demands good governance.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Good governance puts women and men at the centre of development and recent economic and social developments are placing increasingly significant attention to the role that good governance plays in achieving social and economic development.
Governance issues are staring us in the face in Jamaica - the mismanagement of our resources financial and otherwise; the inability to take decisions; the lack of representation; increasing levels of corruption; the need for sustainability; the lack of participation at the community level and the inability of our leaders to set up institutions that can encourage the masses of the people to genuinely participate in the governance of the country.
Good governance demands effective leaders who are ongoing learners; leaders who have mastery and competence and leaders who are visionary. The type of leaders that make the distinction between participation and genuine participation and between discussion and genuine dialogue. Every effort must be made to bring the "silenced voices" into the development and governance policy debates and leaders need to respect the opinions of everyone equally and give value to all across the social classes.
This is an ideal-type situation and it is one that we as leaders and followers alike should aspire to. Bob Marley laments in song - "how many more will have to suffer, how many more will have to die?" With close to 1500 murders already this year, perhaps we are close to the "tipping point" in Jamaica where something will have to shift if only because it must!
Beverley Manley is a political scientist, gender consultant, broadcaster and transformation trainer. Email: Bmanley@kasnet.com
