PERHAPS THE CHURCH leaders who suggested at the Gleaner Editors' Forum this week that they might be able to wrest power from community dons by outfinancing them may want to rethink their position. Their desire to see depressed inner-city communities become thriving centres of hope for the nation's young people is well-founded, but there is great difficulty seeing this come to reality.
In any event, we do not believe that whatever the depth of the resources that the churches, in tandem with private businesses, can muster, that they can ever 'outgive' the criminal dons and their
system of patronage. Nor do we believe that that is the way to go.
The many-pronged approach to addressing social dysfunction and a culture of dependence in our crime-infested communities, must rest in a strategy that empowers people to take responsibility for their lives and to live as decent human beings. There must be viable economic alternatives that allow those who want to work to do so and to take care of their families without having to go to the so-called community leaders and dons to provide for them; and there must be a proper, functioning, professional security system that does not encourage jungle justice presided over by criminal lumpen to resolve interpersonal and community disputes.
The people themselves who are now so attached to the dons will have to be weaned from this culture and encouraged to develop a new paradigm. In this regard, the role of the churches in fostering a sense of self-worth and dignity can be of great, if seemingly intangible, benefit. Many church groups have long been involved in skills training, as well as educational and small enterprise development projects. To the extent that the church leaders can gain more financial support to expand and develop similar projects, they should be supported. But they need to disabuse themselves of the idea that they can 'outgive' the dons. It is just not in their interest nor in the interest of the would-be recipients that a cycle of dependence be perpetuated.
There is another way in which church leaders can win the hearts of the people that they think have been sold out to the dons. That is to be seen as standing alongside people in their many crises at all times and not just passing by on the other side of the road, like the disinterested Levite in the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. The people of the inner cities want to see people working alongside them and not just lecturing them. Many of our churches are already doing a good job in this regard but there is still room for improvement.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
