Hilary Robertson-Hickling

'The Way Forward' has been the buzzword in the aftermath of the presentation of the findings of the Iran Study Group in the United States. President George W. Bush and his men find it difficult to acknowledge their mistakes and problems created in the past, so they claim to be looking forward.

There is, of course, a connection between the successes and failures of the past, the present and the future.

Kofi Annan, the outgoing secretary-general of the United Nations, described his pain and anguish about the handling of the crisis. Annan was subjected to the microscopic gaze reserved for people of African descent who have dared to rise about the expected state of chattel or hewers of wood and drawers of water. Nelson Mandela made the observation using another metaphor.

Truth of the debacle

Colin Powell, the former chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, is now speaking out about the way forward in terms of the acknowledgement that things have gone wrong and that another approach is now necessary.

A respected think tank in the United Kingdom has described Prime Minister Blair's support of the war in military, diplomatic and human terms as a terrible mistake.

It is amazing to see the international media and the actors in this world-shaking drama squirming as the truth of the debacle and fiasco become self-evident.

Here in Jamaica, a group of persons have been trying to unravel the story of Jamaica since Independence in order to understand the present processes of underdevelopment and tribalism which have stymied some of the excellent efforts to transform the country. This group should be able to help identify the way forward as we now need to go beyond the diagnosis to the treatment or the patient, i.e. Jamaica, will surely die.

It would appear that only the late Prime Minister Michael Manley has admitted his failures as a leader. Many of our leaders believe that if they admit to making mistakes it will diminish them and their legacies.

I think that they are wrong and that they urgently need to take the people of the country into their confidence and share their intentions, successes and failures.

Rebuilding confidence

This state of affairs besets many countries in the world at this time and we need to address the situation in order to rebuild confidence in democracy and to build the necessary social capital.

Many of the young people in the world have lost confidence in their leaders and many are opting out of public life. Too many citizens are in retreat and are escaping at a time that new movements are necessary to save the world.

Year 2007 marks many important milestones in the world, including the 200th anniversary of the end of the slave trade in Britain. I am glad that Mr. Blair recognised that apologies needed to be made. But more than apologies are necessary to repair the profound breaches of history.

The discussions in the media are instructive as we realise that the past is still playing out in the present. Jamaica continues to be caught in a paradox, it would appear that we have as many dreadlocked people as we have people bleaching their skin.

This country, like many others, has people experiencing profound contradictions and trying to work through them. The 21st century will continue to challenge us but we have to go forward.

Hilary Robertson-Hickling is a lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, UWI, Mona.