Hilary Robertson-Hickling
OUR CHANGING tele-communications industry celebrates the fifth anniversary of one company, the coming on stream of another company and the continued fight of the former monopoly. This is the shape of the future and in Jamaica we are not adequately prepared. In every industry and facet of life we have to embrace competition and be prepared for the new world.
Our goods and services have to be better than those of our competitors and we have to continue to improve what we do. It is important to do the things that we do best but even there we have no guarantee. Jamaica is now struggling with the export of ackee while Costa Rica and Mexico have become major exporters. Our preferential status in primary products, sugar, bananas, cocoa, is almost gone but the sugar workers and their unions as well as other stakeholders in the industry seem unable to recognise that they are living in the past.
STRATEGIC ACTION
The story of the banana is another case in point, and it is only as a result of very strategic action by some critical stakeholders in the industry that any hope remains. We are caught in the colonial web and, unlike Britain where there are enough business and political interests who have overcome their feelings of nostalgia about the loss of their Empire and cooperate with the Europeans in a union, we have extensive lobbies in our ailing society which refuse to make the commitment to work with our Caribbean neighbours which are more prosperous than we are.
Our regional University of the West Indies is repositioning itself to function in a highly competitive educational landscape to focus on research and policy initiatives to contribute to the solution of the region's as well as the world's problems. In addition, we need to recognise at the regional and national levels that we are competing with people around the world. The most obvious recognition of our ability to compete is demonstrated by our world-class athletes. How do we instil that ethos in every other aspect of our lives?
SELF-CONTROL
We clearly need to understand that what is being explained as certain aspects of the national culture can be and is inimical to our progress and, therefore, has to be changed. A music industry that can be tainted by violence, hypersexuality and homophobia will defeat its own purpose. We have developed our own version of the'Ugly American' by celebrating the 'Ugly Jamaican'. He or she curses indiscriminately, breaks any rule that is possible, is unable to exercise self-control, is unaware of how to behave, has a poor work ethic, does not take care of his or her children and is increasingly a persona non grata in the desired metropolitan destinations.
Such a person is to be avoided at all costs, although this person really requires feedback about the decision of others to reject them for a job, a visa or something else. The response to the feedback should be reflection and not violence or many will be doomed to ignorance for the rest of their lives. The challenge we have is how to face our weaknesses with courage and draw on our strengths to survive.
Hilary Robertson-Hickling is a lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, UWI, Mona.
