Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson yesterday announced that the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona is to establish a centre in memory of former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley.
"We are pleased that the university's Financial and General Purposes Committee ... agreed to the establishment of the Michael Manley Centre for Global Dialogue," Mr. Patterson said.
Addressing staff members at the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB) offices in St. Andrew, Mr. Patterson said the centre is to be located within the Institute of Caribbean Studies on the Mona campus.
"We want to be able to understand our history, we want to be able to have civilised dialogue ... (and) meaningful discourse," said Mr. Patterson.
The Prime Minister said the society has to change its cultural expression and accept that everyone is equal regardless of their social or economic background.
"All of us are one people and we must be able to talk and communicate and act with civility to others," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Patterson said one way of combating the 'brain drain' of university students is to train more students.
"Instead of complaining about those who are going away, make it a matter of deliberate policy that you train enough ... to meet your local needs, and yet at the same time to enable them to go elsewhere," he argued.
He added that if the right conditions exist, some of those professionals would improve their skills and return home.
In his remarks, Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies said the Government's aim is to ensure that no Jamaican student is excluded from accessing tertiary education because of financial difficulties.
