Dawn Ritch, Contributor
FOR THE first time in all these years, The Gleaner Honour Award Committee has finally done something sensible. They've given the award to the spirit of volunteerism among faith-based organisations in the country.
But even then, they fell short, because they couldn't be bothered to give it to the one person or group which best exemplified the spirit, and chose instead to give the award to several groups.
It was remarkable that it was given at all, since volunteers aren't paid to do the job they're doing. When people don't have to pay for things, they are always undervalued, both by the receiver and the onlooker.
Jamaica functions best when it functions at the feudal level, which is our natural condition. It's only when we try to improve things that the country gets messed up.
Volunteerism is like slave labour. It is labour for love not pay, even when thieving rats sometimes try to nibble away at the crusty ends of it. Charity is an inexpressible thing in Jamaica, it just falls into place through the kindness of others, usually strangers.
I'm glad its importance has at last been recognised by a prestigious award. But, unfortunately, The Gleaner Honour Award doesn't go nearly far enough. All charitable organisations must be ranked, audited, even not-for-profit ones, and particularly in a spirit of volunteerism. Otherwise, any award is meaningless, and could appear reluctant. And that would do the spirit of volunteerism dishonour.
These well-meaning busy-bodies go up and down the country doing good, usually through church groups. They are the sub-level of organisation in Jamaica which holds the country together, while the establishment and the authorities entertain themselves by screwing it up. It is this sub-stratum upon which the whole crumbling edifice lies. They're the only walls left standing. We ought to know them by rank and serial number.
I know they do it for love, and not money or recognition. But it amazes me that their kindness allows so much to go right in the lives of those they help. Yet they have to batter along with politicians to get financial help from the public worse yet at this time of year.
We know every politician's name, but we don't know the names of the mainstays of charitable work in this country. I guess they're just not interesting enough because they don't have gunmen propping up their constituencies. They manage to make a contribution to Jamaica without them.
PHILANTHROPISTS
Worse off are the philanthropists. They have to hide in a corner or risk being murdered for their money. Those of means who give regularly and interestedly to people they don't know, must hide themselves under a mask of meanness in order to survive. Some people know who they are, but it's still a secret.
It would be nice if one of them was recognised one day by the Order of Jamaica, even posthumously. It seems a shame that contributions from the heart and in measure get such short shrift in Jamaica.
If this continues, one day nobody will leave any money to anything or anyone in the island. It will all be left to the cats.
There is a certain grudgefulness that has increasingly crept into the public's perception of those who do good for others. It's either that 'dem fool', 'dem want O.J.' or that they're so evil anyway that they're just buying a place in heaven, and it won't work.
In the country of bling, God forbid that a genuine philanthropist drive an Escalade. But any gangster can drive one, unmolested even by the authorities, tax or otherwise.
It was an important first step therefore, by The Gleaner, to recognise the charitable work of faith-based organisations in its annual award. But they were over-cautious when they failed to give it to an individual. Perhaps this newspaper thought there was safety in numbers. Perhaps the awardees themselves thought so too, who knows. Maybe it's like winning the lottery and people start begging you for money. Or could it be that the award committee just thought too hard, and created a turkey?
It's the oddest turkey I've ever seen, all full of feathers and heads as it is. Somebody better kill the beast and put it out of its misery.
Failing that, never honour volunteerism again without failing to single out a person. But this award is the logical outcome of having honoured a pipeline before. When it comes to volunteerism however, failing to recognise the person is akin to failing to recognise the act itself.
MISTAKE
This mistake could only be made by person or persons unfamiliar with the nature of charitable work. Or like the rest of the country, is deeply suspicious of it.
Unfortunately, the miserliness of it feeds into the envy in people's hearts when they look at the few walls remaining. It makes them want to tear these down too.
This climate of envy in the country is a complete break with its traditions in which the post mistress was revered not only because she had a top civil service post, but because she wrote letters for those who could not, and warned of a hurricane. From automatic respect, we have gone to grudgeful recognition and blatant disrespect.
But volunteerism continues rich and blood red. A medal should be struck in their honour for bravely soldiering on in this lunatic bin.
