Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has expressed appreciation to the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) for its willingness to contribute to the advancement of the values and attitudes programme.

The JCC representatives met with the Prime Minister recently at Jamaica House to discuss the current status of the programme, and how the Church could partner with the Government in moving the initiative forward.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said the Government was seeking to link the programme to the promotion of good family relationships as the breakdown of the family was posing a serious challenge to the society.

"The goal is to return families to a place where there is a sense of belonging, tradition, love, community spirit, and good human relations, through the medium of good parenting and education," she said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said that, while the Government had a responsibility to facilitate initiatives that fostered better values and attitudes, "we should engage institutions, and if there is any institution that we should ask to actively participate, it should be the institution of high morale, and that is the Church."

While expressing the desire to work in partnership with the Government to improve morals in the society, president of the JCC, Reverend Karl B. Johnson said, "We long for a kind of common understanding, to make this country a more livable environment for all ... we are losing the basic common touch of treating each other as human beings." He noted, however, that there were positives happening in the country, such as increased access to education, and opportunities for social advancement.

Improvement observed

Prime Minister Simpson Miller assured that, to the extent to which resources were available, the Government would ensure that the conditions of the poor were improved.

Citing examples of efforts to this end, she noted that the Ministry of Justice had this year received a larger budgetary allocation than ever before. This, she said, would allow the ministry and its agencies to improve the justice system, thereby empowering the poor, who sometimes felt they were not treated fairly.

Mrs. Simpson Miller also noted that there was continued emphasis on early childhood education as, "If we can get it right with the little ones, then we will be bringing up a generation that is totally different from what we now have."