Members of the Major Investigative Task Force Unit at a murder scene in February this year. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

JAMAICA, WITH a population of over 2.7 million, mainly of African ancestry, is renowned for its high murder rate.

In 2006, more than 1,200 murders were committed in the island, causing great emotional distress and physical pain to all those affected. Indeed, more than 500 murders have been committed already since the start of this year.

Many persons have deposited various ideas for a solution to the mammoth crime problem. Social programmes, a reduction in unemployment, and a rebuilding of family values and ethics have been some of the initiatives put forward to solve the crisis.

Another solution, however, could be assessing Jamaica's past, its impact and how it has influenced how Jamaicans solve their disputes.

Jamaica's past has been oneof struggle and violence inter-mixed with triumph and great achievement.

Jamaica, being once a colony of the British Empire, experienced the pangs of slavery and subsequent colonisation from the 17th to the 20th century.

During this time, enslaved Africans were forcibly imported from Africa to provide free labour for sugar plantations. These Africans were often subjected to inhumane treatment by their masters and, at times, other enslaved Africans had to participate in these punishments.

Breeding mistrust

Thomas Thistlewood, a plantation overseer, documented his punishment of enslaved Africans and how he enlisted other Africans as a way of breeding mistrust and hatred among fellow Africans.

Robin Walker, a London school-teacher and author of the book When we Ruled, believes that predominantly black nations, such as Jamaica, which have experienced slavery, show the same traits of a continuation of this violence against each other.

"Why we can relate it (violence) so much to slavery is because in black countries where slavery has happened, you will see the same pattern in extreme violence and this violence is usually black people doing it to each other."

Walker also believes that behaviour displayed today is a continuation of what existed then. "There is an African American psychologist - Naim Akbar - he wrote a book called Chains and Images of Psychological Slavery. What his book shows is once people have been enslaved, every aspect of their behaviour changes. Sub-sequently, what you would get is not only violence being meted on enslaved people, but enslaved people would meet it on themselves."

Professor Verene Shepherd, chairperson of the Jamaica National Bicentenary Committee, believes one way the Jamaican society can emancipate themselves from the plague of crime and violence, is to face its past.

"I think we need to confront our past, we need to know more, the history of violence and the effect it has had in the past, and we need to work harder to rid our society of this kind of legacy."

Professor Shephard also believes that Jamaicans should take control of the present in order to ensure that the past is not repeated. "Whoever forms the next government should implement Caribbean history as compulsory at all levels in the educational system to liberate ourselves from mental slavery requires knowledge of our past."