Sections E - H by diG Jamaica

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012

SECTION E

EDUCATION

can make the dream a reality for more

John R. Myers Jr Gleaner Writer

TTAINING THE Jamaican Dream is a goal of many, but youth leaders are suggesting that an improvement in the country’s education system would propel more to realise and actually live it. Speaking at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum recently, the president of the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA), Fabian Brown, said more persons would be able to “stand on their own feet” if the education system taught them how to be independent. “I really believe that it is about time that our educational institutions become incubators for wealth creation,” Brown said. “This would then, I believe, afford most of our people, if not all of our people, to really stand on their own two feet and sort of create or carve out their own niche, making their passion their business,” he added before emphasising that “It is against that background that I see the Jamaican Dream unfolding, because it is a dream that is really encompassing independence and a sense of what it is that I can do for myself and to my immediate space, and by extension the wider community.” The newly elected president of the Jamaica Labour Party young professional arm, Generation 2000 (G2K), Floyd Green, also believes that a sound education would give each person a fairer chance of attaining their dream. For him, we must “push our youngsters to try and achieve that sort of betterment through the legal channels, through education ... no matter what your circumstance or whether you were born in rural Jamaica or the inner city, that you have equal opportunities to access things, such as education, where it can lead to the betterment of an individual.” This is why Nackadian Jones, the first deputy chairman of the National Youth Council wants an improvement in the education system, among other things.

Mother and son on graduation day. The head of the YEA believes that improving the delivery of education would enable more persons to recognise their place in contributing to the development of the kind of environment that facilitates the realisation of dreams. “I am here to tell you that based on my own experience in working in deep rural communities and inner-city communities, the young people in both those situations, they have their own dreams and they are real dreams, and all that is required for the most part is a facilitation of those dreams to become reality,” said Brown. Green agreed that a collective effort is required to create the enabling environment. “It is a dream that is built on recognising that we have a collective responsibility, and that all futures are intrinsically linked together, (unlike) the American dream (which) is largely individualistic,” he explained.

Above: Morris Knibb Prep School graduates Rashida Williams, Jodi Campbell and Brittney Dixon (former head girl). The graduation was held at the Covenant Moravian Church in St Andrew on June 28. This little boy tries on a policeman’s hat during the graduation of 197 constables from the Jamaica Police Academy in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, earlier this year. It may well be his dream to take that career path.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

ST ELIZABETH: WHAT IS THE JAMAICAN DREAM? Kareen Salmon The dream is for the country to be more independent, more work fi di young people and more development in the country. I would want them to lessen the tax. It can be done by reopening the factories or things for young people to develop their skills, because a lot of them graduate and still don’t have anything to do.

Carro Thomas Jamaica is to turn into a communist country to stop all the crime and violence, for example in Cuba, where there is little crime and violence. To do this the Gov’t should talk to the people, change the two party system and just be as one. There should be a strict regime where only soldiers are allowed to carry firearm.

Choyan Edmondson Mostly, stop the crime and have more employment in the country. To do this both citizens and the police have to work together. Citizens who witness crime should tell the police. To create more jobs, the Gov’t will have to give people a start in farming; open community centres so people can build up their skills to get more jobs.

Lawrence Williams Brighton To see that everyone unite and live good. For persons to have access to land for farming and for housing. To achieve this, citizens can organise themselves and work together for what they want. For example, farmers working together on each other’s farms.

Jerry Morgan To do something for ourselves. Example, produce more and to recycle so that we can be better off. To achieve this, ask investors for help, example, to purchase machine to do agro- processing and use more local things so that we won’t need oil to produce.

Caswell Martain Jamaican dream is independence because dem sey Jamaica Independent and mi nuh see it because too much sufferation a gwan. I want it to be a happy place because only the politicians have money. To achieve this, more jobs need to be created so people can get things fi do, so that it will make us more independent.

YOUTH LEADERS: Is the Jamaican dream a nightmare? Daviot Kelly Staff Reporter

FTER CITING the numerous roadblocks to fulfilling the Jamaican dream, youth leaders were asked whether the dream was really a nightmare. They are not ready to call it that yet. Some prefer to call it a daydream but they are warning that we may well experience nightmares if we are not careful. Daniel Wilson, president of the University of the West Indies Mona

guild, said he didn’t think it was a nightmare yet. “If something isn’t done now about it, it will be a nightmare in 15, 20 years,” he warned. Floyd Green, recently elected president of Generation 2000, quoted a line that said ‘vision without action is a daydream and action without vision is a nightmare’. “I think we’re more in a daydream. The dream is there, but we’re not acting upon it. I think the vision is there. When you listen to

Left: Nackadian Jones, first deputy chairman, National Youth Council of Jamaica. Seated at back is Ryan Small, chairman, National Youth Council of Jamaica PHOTOS BY RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Floyd Green, president of Generation 2000 (G2K).

Daniel Wilson, president, UWI Guild of Students. all of us speak, the vision is there. So I would characterise it more as a daydream that we need to act upon.” Deputy chairman of the National Youth Council (NYC), Nackadian Jones, said things were still hanging in the balance. “It can sway either side (dream or nightmare) but ... I am hopeful that it doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare. My philosophy is that I play my part and if each and every one plays their part, then it won’t turn out to be a nightmare.”

FEARFUL OF FUTURE But Ryan Small, the NYC chairman said he is sometimes fearful of what the future holds for himself and his peers. “I would agree with you that the Jamaican dream can be a nightmare. It is somewhat a nightmare, because, when you look at your dream, where you want to go and what you want to achieve versus the reality, it is very heartrending to know that you will not be able to achieve this because of several variables,” he said. He noted those variables range from political forces to elements within each individual’s immediate surroundings. “For some strange reason, there is always an interconnection between the political forces and what happens on the ground, that will, in a sense, determine the course that you take,” he said.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

IAN ALLEN/PHOTO GRAPHER

The top girl and overall top student in the GSAT examination, Catherine Douse, of St Catherine Preparatory School, attained perfect scores in all subjects.

CONTRIBUTED

The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee 2012 champion Gifton Wright, a picture of concentration, at the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, in the United States on June 1. Gifton came in at No.4 in the competition.

Young achievers H

IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER

Chevaugn Campbell, 11-year-old student who attended Vaz Preparatory School, was also not surprised when he heard he was the island’s top boy in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). He gained perfect scores in most of the subject areas.

EY’RE PERHAPS our greatest hope for achieving a collective Jamaican dream. With sights set on success and a solid determination to make it, our nation’s young academic achievers offer us hope for a better tomorrow. Here we share the stories of our topperforming boys and girls in the CSEC and GSAT exams of the past two years. Our dreams for a brighter tomorrow rest on their shoulders.

NORMAN GRINDLEY/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER GLADSTONE TAYLOR / PHOTOGRAPHER

Ardenne High School’s Hanif Brown was the champion speller of the 52nd national finals of The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee competition, in 2011.

When Jeneil Green of Vaz Preparatory heard she was the island’s top girl in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) she took the news calmly, uttering the words “I expected it”. She was the top girl for 2011.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

Dream interrupted Arianne Hammond Gleaner Writer

ANY JAMAICAN youth dream of a society that facilitates proper education, health care, and a place where wealth creation can be attainable for all, but some of the country’s inner-city youth feel as if they “are in a box” and those in rural Jamaica, feel abandoned. That, though, seems only an interruption of their Jamaican Dream because these youth say they are trying to “find” themselves. They participated in a recently concluded qualitative study commissioned by the National Centre for Youth Development and the Ministry of Youth and Culture. Youth leader Ryan Small shared their perspective to a Gleaner Editors’ Forum held recently at the company’s North Street, Kingston, offices, where various youth groups in the country were asked to debate the notion of a Jamaican dream.

TRYING TO FIND OURSELVES The study, titled ‘A So Di Ting Set’ which took more than a year to complete, highlighted some of the realities young people face. “Most of us are trying to find ourselves,” one young person was quoted as saying. “We have no jobs. We are lost. We have no skills to deal with certain things and no forum to express ourselves. We are in a box.” The participants did not believe they had a place in the society. “There is a spirit of demotivation concentrated mostly among the youth. This is from seeing others

who leave school unable to secure employment within a context of a lack of opportunities and inadequate infrastructure.” one was quoted in the study as saying. The study also revealed that young persons in rural communities felt frustrated because of their ‘abandonment’. Most persons believe that Kingston children have a better life. “The schools in

Kingston are more recognised. People in Kingston are more knowledgeable of Government and the private sector.” But Small, chairman of the National Youth Council, proferred that proper support systems needed to be implemented, for example, he said, Jamaican leaders should share their rags to riches stories so that these dreamers may be inspired, that these dreamers can emulate. This, he said, so that they can understand that “where you are today doesn’t define your outcome”. He said that the country’s future leaders need strategies to enable them to realise their dreams.

FILE PHOTS

Children carry receptacles along Maxfield Park Avenue in St Andrew to catch water as Corporate Area inner-city communities are sometimes starved of critical services. Inset: These youngsters were caught on camera in Rock Hall, rural St Andrew, enjoying a game of football in the afternoon rain.

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Where are the role models? Arianne Hammond Gleaner Writer

HERE ARE our role models, the positive examples in our society who ought to take the reigns and mould our future leaders to be better citizens? They seem to be missing in action! Kerrie Baylis, former Miss Jamaica World, is of the view that these role models are being “underutilised”. She drew on her reign as Miss Jamaica World, which gave her a

NORMAN GRINDLEY/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Three-year-old Terry-Ann Thompson, of Gordon’s Memorial Kinder Preparatory School in St Andrew, takes part in physical education activities at the school yesterday. platform to contribute to Jamaica and help to influence Jamaica. However, she was disappointed that it didn’t have the impact she had hoped it would. “I had been given this platform. You believe that once you win, you are going to make this contribution to your country and you have this influence, and I was really disappointed that once I had won, there was very little guidance. I felt I was very underutilised because I was at everyone’s disposal. I postponed school for a year to do my duties. The impact that you have is huge. You do have your role models, but I feel that people don’t home in on that and use it.”

COMMITMENT Gerald Fontaine of Fraser, Fontaine and Kong believes that young professionals in the private sector need to become more visible through charities and make an impact where the public sector falls short. “You have to commit to some rehabilitation programme through charities by being able to give back to various departments that need the time, that need funds.” He made

IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER

Former Miss Jamaica World Kerrie Baylis. reference to Montego Bay, where the private sector gave time as well as funds to rehabilitate the Second City’s hospital. “Those are the ways we can give back and some of the things we are doing to help out.”

VISION 2030 Daviot Kelly Staff Reporter

AS YOUTH leaders spoke about the Jamaican dream, the issue of the Vision 2030 plan came up. This road map for human and economic development is being critically analysed by the youth, some of whom point to perceived roadblocks to development. Ryan Small, chairman of the National Youth Council, was of the view that the document was made with the realities in mind. “I believe it is a very pretty document and it was created on the platform of prettiness and not necessarily in sync with the realities on the ground.” He cited a Caribbean Commission on Youth Development report in which young people stated they were better off anywhere else than in the Caribbean. The Jamaicans surveyed said the same thing about their country. “Also, what I would have wanted to see (in it) is a sector plan for youth development,” he said.

VIEWS REPRESENTED But Fabian Brown, president of the Young Entrepreneurs Association, said he was in the NGO system when the document was being developed, and he felt there was engagement with people on the ground and that their views were represented. “I am encouraged, though, that as times change and realities are edited, the document is now being edited to look at the present-day realities.” Brown said he believed in the plan and felt he had a share in it. “It is not until and unless we all … start recognising our spot in that Vision 2030, in that dream that we articulate in various different ways, we’re not going to get there.” Small agreed that individuals had to make their own effort to create change, but still questioned the disconnect between the document and the masses. “I have young people who come to my office. They are homeless. To what extent does this document speak to ensuring that there are support systems in place and insti-

tutions where these young people can come in and get the kind of services for them? How is it that we are to be a prosperous Jamaica?” Brown countered that the issue was not with the document, but the entities entrusted with carrying out certain functions and whether they were doing so. “In that document, there are several pieces and people with responsibilities. In there, you have a role for everybody. Every single person who ought to have responsibility is stated. Now, we need to go beyond the document.”

PLAYERS HAVE TO ACT Floyd Green, recently elected president of Generation 2000, opined that it was the players who needed to act. “The document, I think, largely outlines a set of objectives, and it does outline a framework for achieving them. Now, the document can’t achieve itself. You have to have players to implement. We have to find what our role is in relation to the implementation of the document.” He put forward that Jamaicans need to challenge government agencies as to why certain tasks outlined in Vision 2030 have not been done. He suggested that ordinary citizens offer their services to help fulfil those tasks. “Until we start doing that, the document will just stay there.” His stance was that the country had gone a far way with Vision 2030. “The problem is, how do we break it down and connect it to the reality in our inner cities and rural Jamaica?” He suggested we had to look at the areas that directly speak to the betterment of those individuals. Karen Manning-Henry, president of the University of Technology Students’ Union, said she had been examining Vision 2030 to see where she and her constituents fitted in. “I do think it is a good document, but the problem comes with its application. It has to be individually and collectively. It is applicable. We need to just identify where we apply and make the application process a reality.”

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THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

Restructured education system key to dream

Education is quintessential for Jamaican Dream

Nedburn Thaffe Gleaner Writer

Well-known educator and veteran broadcaster, Fae Ellington, believes that if Jamaicans are to live out the true meaning of the Jamaican Dream, there first needs to be a paradigm shift at all levels of the education system. Ellington, who was addressing a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the newspaper’s North Street offices in Kingston, said a key part of the restructuring process was the need for educators to do more to promote critical thinking among students as it is lacking at every level. “In that whole education restructuring, the teachers, the lecturers have to buy in because it is not about regurgitating what the teachers have told you, but it’s about applying that knowledge and being able to articulate it from an independent perspective,” Ellington said. “Some teachers won’t even allow that, right at the university level, as well. They want you to regurgitate what they tell you.” She also said that there is need for additional schools where the curricula are geared towards the promotion of technical subjects so that all Jamaicans could have a fair chance at living to their fullest potential. “Not everybody is going to turn lawyers and doctors, but everybody needs to have an opportunity to be the best at whatever it is that they want to do. So whether it is a great plumber, we have to look at that system.” Ellington said politicians must recognise the role of education as a driving force and invest more in the process. “Until and unless we look at a fiveyear span when we are fashioning our Budget and put the bulk of the money in education, then both national security and the economy, and whatever else, it’s not going to happen.” nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com

Y Above: Rachael Browne ... if one is not educated to a particular point, anything you tell them, they will believe. RIght: Fae Ellington ... it is not about regurgitating what the teachers have told you, but it’s about applying that knowledge and being able to articulate it from an independent perspective.

OUNG BUSINESS executives are looking to education as a quintessential component for realising the Jamaican Dream and fostering social mobility. Krystal Chong, Honey Bun’s director of marketing, said during a Gleaner Editors’ Forum that the Jamaican Dream ranged from persons trying to eke out an honest daily living to acquiring a car, house, and accumulating wealth. Chong added that “nobody said they wanted it easy”. She said, “Jamaicans want to put in hard work and provide for their families.” Rachael Browne, brand manager at GraceKennedy, opined that the masses lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills and added that the nation did not invest enough in basic education. “Many people miss that part because it almost prevents them from moving any further,” she added: Browne argued that these Jamaicans feel inadequate and do not strive to achieve the Jamaican Dream. She said these individuals are immensely vulnerable to politicians who perennially transmit hope for a Jamaican Dream through dynamic political campaigns and by offering financial aid to the masses. Browne underscored that “if one is not educated to a particular point, anything you tell them, they will believe because all they (politicians) do is come around and do everything they need to do to get the vote”. Alongside having a firm educational background, Stephen Price, LIME’s marketing director, said, “Parents need to start parenting and take up their responsibility.” Price said that the time and effort spent by parents preparing their children for the Grade Six Achievement Test should be ongoing and widespread. – Brian Walker

PHOTOS BY IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER

Krystal Chong ... Jamaicans want to put in hard work and provide for their families.

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THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

The Performing & Visual Arts Byron Lee Byron Aloysius Lee, popularly known as The Dragon, is best known as the leader of The Dragonaires, a soca band he formed at St George’s College in 1956. The band recorded many hit songs, including Jamaican Ska, Tiney Winey, and Give Me Soca. Not only was he a musician, he was also a successful businessman – a combination which he believes he inherited from his parents. “From my mother, who was of African descent, I received the soul, rhythm and love of music, and from my father – who was Chinese – I received my shrewd business sense.” In 1990, his dream of bringing carnival to Jamaica was actualised with the first staging of Jamaica Carnival. He was awarded the Order of Distinction in 1982 and, in 2008, the Order of Jamaica. The latter was conferred while he was in hospital undergoing treatment for cancer, from which he died on November 4, 2008.

Ralston ‘Rex’ Nettleford Prof the Hon Ralston ‘Rex’ Nettleford is one of the Caribbean’s most renowned intellectuals. He was born on February 3, 1933 in Bunkers Hill, Trelawny. He earned a scholarship to attend Cornwall College and the University College of the Caribbean (now University of the West Indies). He was a Rhodes Scholar and earned an MPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford in London, England. He returned to Jamaica in 1959 and began a long career with the university. He was the head of the university’s ExtraMural Department (later the School of Continuing Studies), staff tutor for the eastern Caribbean, founder of the Trade Union Education Institute, deputy vice-chancellor (1986 1998), vice-chancellor (1998 2004), and vice-chancellor emeritus, professor of cultural studies (2004 - 2010).

He was awarded the Order of Merit (1975) and the Order of the Caribbean Community (2008). He has served as a consultant for numerous international organisations, including CARICOM, the Organisation of American States, UNESCO, the International Labour Organisation, the World Bank, and the International Development Research Council. He has written extensively, most of which is covered in Rex Nettleford, His Works: An Annotated Bibliography, edited by Albertina Jefferson. His research and writings on Rastafari are credited with bringing credence to the social group. In 1962, he founded the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, an ensemble which fused “traditional Jamaican music, dance and rituals within European balletic framework.” He was the artistic director and principal choreographer until his death in 2010.

Louis Marriott is an actor, director, writer, producer and broadcaster. He has been on the stage since age two and is still active in the theatre community. In 2010, he celebrated his 75th birthday and 50 years as a producer. He has written and produced many plays, including; Public Mischief (1957), A Pack of Jokers (1978), Bedward (1984), and The Year 2000 (2000). He was born on May 22, 1935 to Egbert Marriot and Edna Irene Thompson-Marriott and attended Jamaica College. In 1995, he compiled and edited Who’s Who and What’s What in Jamaican Art & Entertainment: a comprehensive guide to the art and entertainment industry in Jamaica. He has held many public relations positions in his career, and was an executive officer of the Michael Manley Foundation.

Robert Nesta Marley

RANSIENT WITH a purpose, Bob Marley carried the rituals of the hills of St Ann, the communion of Trench Town, the philosophy of Rastafari and the call for equality, wrapped in a reggae beat, to the world. Although dying at the age of 36 after only four performances of the US leg of his Uprising tour, Bob Marley was (and still is) Jamaica’s reggae ambassador. He has received many awards posthumously: eight blocks of Brooklyn’s Church Avenue was renamed Bob Marley Boulevard (2006), The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), 2171st Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001), Exodus was named album of the century by the BBC (1999), Time magazine named his single One Love song of the century (1999), Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994), and Order of Merit (1981). Every year, his birthday is celebrated with festivals around the world. In 1978, he organised and headlined the One Love Peace Concert, in which the iconic footage of Michael Manley, then the prime minister, and Edward Seaga, Jamaica Labour Party leader, hold hands while Bob sings Jammin. Following this, Bob Marley received the United Nation’s Medal of Peace. He recorded eight albums under Island Records, and also released singles with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s Studio One, and Leslie Kong. He was member of a trio, The Wailing Wailers, with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, but that group parted ways in 1974.

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Laura Facey Cooper is a prolific yet divisive sculptor whose recent work has stirred debates on the value of nudity in public art. Redemption Song (2003) and Body and Blood of Christ (2011) are two such pieces installed at Emancipation Park and the Pan Caribbean Building, respectively. Some of her other commissions include Earth to Earth (1999) for The Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies, and Christ Ascending (2000) for St Andrew Parish Church. Born in Kingston on May 31, 1954, she studied sculpture at Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts, formerly known as Jamaica School of Art in 1975. She wrote and illustrated Talisman the Goat (1977) and Chairworm and Supershark (1992), both children’s books, the latter with an environmental theme. In 2006, she was awarded the Silver Musgrave Medal for sculpture, and, in 2010, she won the 2010 National Biennial Aaron Matalon Award.

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“Where Excellence meets Expectation”

E12

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SECTION F

The Atrium in New Kingston.

PHOTOS BY NORMAN GRINDLEY/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

COLOURS of

PRIDE

AMAICAN COMPANIES large and small, know how to go all out for an occasion, and just over a month ago, many businesses around the Corporate Area began to use the colours of the flag to decorate their edifices for Jamaica's 50th anniversary of Independence. As always, The Gleaner's cameras were there to capture the splendour. We decided to reward the effort and, on August 10, we will publish both online and in the papers, pictures of some of them, and give our readers a chance to vote for the best. The winner will receive a detailed feature story in our pages. Here are some of the best we have seen so far.

Emancipation Park in New Kingston, St Andrew, is all dressed up.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

CONTRIBUTED

Above: Fontana Pharmacy in Mandeville, Manchester, is ready to welcome shoppers who are in search of Jamaican items. Check them out! Right: Sagicor, New Kingston. PHOTOS BY NORMAN GRINDLEY/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Ministry of Tourism’s office along Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston is as it should be, a showpiece for Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence.

Jamaica Public Service Company’s head office along Knutsford Boulevard in St Andrew is picture-perfect!

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The monument at Harbour View roundabout.

Above: The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica is absolutely fantastic! Right: Jamaica 50 decor never looked so good; go see the Ministry of Finance in Kingston. NORMAN GRINDLEY PHOTOS/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

The lobby at the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Church House, along Caledonia Avenue in St Andrew, is very attractive, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you agree?

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speak BUSINESS LEADERS

The Honourable John J. Issa, chairman of SuperClubs “I greatly regret that after 50 years of Independence we have not been able to reach a higher standard of education for our youth and full literacy and numeracy for our people. It is also very sad that after 50 years of Independence that we do not have a justice system that functions efficiently and expeditiously. There has also been serious deterioration in our civility towards one another. “I am hopeful that the occasion of our 50th anniversary of Independence will allow us to honestly reflect on the shortcomings of the past five decades in order to rectify these failures and use the coming decades to build a better Jamaica for ourselves, our children and their children.”

Jamaica’s business leaders have a lot to say about what they regret that Jamaica has not achieved in its 50 years of Independence, and what they would like to see us achieve in the next 50. Basil Johnson, managing director, Discount Lumber and Hardware:

Thalia Lyn, chairman of NCB Foundation and CEO, Island Grill: “Brand Jamaica reverberating around the world with such a positive vibe as we celebrate our 50th anniversary is a tribute to the accomplishments of the people of Jamaica. Jamaicans everywhere excel in just about every field – music, athletics, business, education, the arts, and the list goes on. Every corner of the world has a Jamaican who has excelled in his/her field. And all this with huge gaps in our system – crime not under control, poor infrastructure denying us a regular water supply, but bequeathing a legacy of potholed roads where indisciplined drivers reign supreme; our inability to improve literacy, health care, and take care of our children, the physically challenged and elderly, as well as garbage washing from the gullies to pollute our rivers and sea. “As the honorary consul general of Thailand, after seeing what they have achieved in agriculture, we must take not a page out of their book, but a book out of their library! But despite our failing in those areas, Jamaica has produced giants in many diverse fields. So imagine what Jamaica could be like in the next 50 years if we invested in our people, if we fixed our education system, social amenities, health and judicial systems so that Jamaicans can be more productive and self-reliant. We are blessed with the natural resources to feed ourselves and so should look at our half-filled cup and zealously pursue filling it to overflowing, to becoming a First World country, because we are already a first world people.”

Brian Jardim, CEO, Rainforest Seafoods: “It is incredible what Jamaicans have achieved as a nation and its impact on the world around us in 50 years. Beyond athletics and music, there are so many wonderful success stories in the fields of the arts, business, and medicine. “Our creativity as a people, our focus and commitment are hard to beat. Our resilience and strong belief in ourselves, our patriotism and Jamaican essence have certainly helped us to make our mark on the planet,” Jardim said. He said it is important that, as Jamaica moves through the 21st century and beyond, we remain ever mindful of our environment on this little rock that we all share. “Our involvement in maintaining its sustainability and minimising our carbon footprint are paramount. The education of our future generations must become an obsession ... an unshakeable mandate. Accountability, transparency and innovation in both the public and private sectors, and a serious commitment to work hand in hand for the continued growth of our beautiful country, must also be our mantra,” Jardim said.

“Jamaica must position itself so that it can achieve true economic independence in the next 50 years. I believe in getting our people involved in the day-to-day commercial activities of the country, because we are not doing well at that right now. We are way behind,” said the managing director of Discount Lumber and Hardware. “All the small businesses in the country are being run by the Chinese and we are a country of high unemployment. Why did we allow that to happen? I don’t know.” Being one of the most successful selfmade businessmen in the island, Johnson is a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship. Johnson is disappointed that more educational opportunities were not available to empower and transform the lives of Jamaicans over the past 50 years. “I think the most important thing we could have achieved was the development of our own people educationally. We have done fairly well, but I think we can do much more.”

Wayne Chen, president, Jamaica Employers’ Federation Chen believes that if values and attitudes are taught and instilled in the society, it will improve the country’s present belligerent state. Jamaica, he said, had seen economic growth in the period prior to its Independence. Chen described this era as one of the most successful periods, as Jamaica was setting the foundation by diversifying its economy. There were many migrants to the United Kingdom prior to Independence. However, with independence the migration started inward instead of outward. “Persons started to drift towards urban centres and this helped to contribute to the inner-city squalor, and nothing was done then to tackle these problems,” Chen said. He said as a result of the economic situation and the lack of opportunities, other areas, including education and the values and attitudes of the society, have drifted. “An educated people cannot remain poor and underdeveloped. We need to educate the people so that they can be literate and adopt values and attitudes of a modern society. People can then develop tolerance, take personal

responsibility, love of learning, good parenting skills, and fulfil their potential,” Chen said. He said every child should be guaranteed an equal educational opportunity. “Not everyone will end up with a PhD, but they should have fundamental values and attitudes.”

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

speak BUSINESS LEADERS

Unity: Jamaica at 50 In celebration of Jamaica’s Golden Jubilee, The Gleaner asked leaders from all walks of life why unity is important at this time and what it means for Jamaica going forward. flag and our 50th Independence anniversary celebrations. All of this is much to the chagrin of our diaspora, on whose remittances we so heavily rely, and the international community, whose respect for our institutions and processes is critical for our credibility. We cannot afford to continue on the same destructive path. We have to recommit to a united Jamaica as we move into the next half-century.

Minna Israel, distinguished business fellow, Mona School of Business, UWI: Douglas Graham, managing director, Palace Amusement: As Jamaicans, we are bound by our diversity embodied in our motto “Out of Many, One People.” That makes us a nation which stops the world in its tracks, for better, and unfortunately, at times, for worse. Jamaica 50 gives us the opportunity to reflect and project. There is much to celebrate, but we cannot afford to be blinded by euphoria. As a people we must decide whether we will stand united on issues of individual and collective responsibility, ethical conduct, and upholding law and order, or fall divided to mediocrity, moral and social decay, and organised crime. The world is watching us and we know it. It is time to turn the microscope inward. Government, private and public sectors, and citizenry, we are all accountable. A nation divided cannot stand.

Diana Stewart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica: “We partnered with many NGOs, the private sector, and the Government to build the Grants Pen Community Policing Facility and the new Edna Manley Health Centre that was completed in 2006,” Stewart said. This venture has helped to sustain the community and has brought unity between the police and citizens, and by extension, the surrounding communities of Barbican and Cassava Piece. “We have seen, because of this unity, that the drug dens were cleared out and in their place many companies have invested, starting at the lower Jacks Hill Road and into Barbican. We have seen the urban renewal of the entire area because of this unity-based project,” Stewart said. Unity, Stewart said, is critical to building trust and business. “This model should be replicated in other communities. It can be started small right across the island and can create relationships and maintain peace and unity. This will definitely help to move Jamaica forward,” she said.

As we debate our issues with passion, let’s unite around the options for growth – Government, the private sector and civil society working together to achieve our goals. Growth in Jamaica can be achieved through a unified approach to dealing with the barriers that confront us as a nation. A good place to start is dealing with the challenges that hold us back as individuals. Successful organisations use trained coaches to help individuals build on their personal strengths and skills while embracing the core values of teamwork, unity, respect, diversity, and integrity to lead others to effect change and achieve the organisation’s goals. Let’s borrow this approach.

Edward Seaga, former prime minister and chancellor, the University of Technology: “As one of the things that have been lacking throughout the 50 years of Jamaica’s Independence, there’s a need for unity. Unity is like lubrication in a vehicle – it allows everything to run smoothly with more unity. We, as Jamaicans, can achieve much more than we have in the past.”

Aubyn Hill, chairman, Nationgrowth: Countries like Singapore and Estonia have been successful economically over the past couple of years because of the unity of its people. With unity, Jamaica can be even more successful in the future than it has been in the past. Jamaica’s 50th year of Independence is the optimum opportunity to achieve unity among the people as we would achieve higher economic, moral, and social standards. Leaders in politics and the Church must make a concerted effort towards unity so that everyone will have a clear set of ideals to emulate.

Peter McConnell, managing director of Trade Winds Citrus Limited: Being unified is critical to families, businesses, and all organisations. As we reflect on 50 years of Independence, politicians need to focus less on winning elections every five years and look more towards the next 45-50 years. That means getting a more educated workforce because we have matured, but we are not where we should be. We have made our mark in music and sports and we are among the world’s top tourist destinations. We are too close to the wire now for all this kass-kass, so politicians should unite and get the vibe going.

Ambassador Audrey Marks, CEO, Paymaster Jamaica Limited: Dr Trevor Gardner, president of the Northern Caribbean University: The 50th anniversary marks a sense of achievement. Despite the struggles of economic and sometimes political uncertainties, Jamaica has made prodigious advancement under both governments. We have been able to preserve our democracy, making it stronger than ever. We have weathered political and economic interference from outside and have emerged bruised but undefeated and laid a foundation for a great future. Posterity will learn that our forefathers won the political battle to free us and that we spent the first 50 years consolidating what they bequeathed to us. Fifty years hence, they will be celebrating the economic strength of Jamaica because of the legacy that these years will leave behind. I am proud of the Jamaican culture that is emerging from our universities, governments, church leaders, civic leaders, and in general, the national agenda for change. Ride on Jamaica! Ride on to your brighter destiny!

Joseph J. Issa, chairman, Cool Group of Companies: It was the 19th-century American poet and songwriter George Pope Morris who coined the phrase: “United we stand, divided we fall.” “Even the weak become strong when they are united,” Johann Friedrich Von Schiller said. Many others have written of the wisdom of unity and the folly of disunity and its negative outcomes – from the break-up of the Federation in the 1950s, to the disputes surrounding the colours of the national

As we celebrate the range of achievements that would make any young nation proud, we cannot deny the price we continue to pay for our inability to arrive at a consensus on vital areas of national development. As we look to the future, we must ensure that the capacity for consensus building and social cohesion at the national level begins with the creative use of the education process to build the fundamentals of the ‘Jamaican Dream’ in schools and at the community level. For it is here that half of the population, in their formative years, meets for eight hours for over 200 days each year. This dream, underpinned by the pursuit of excellence, should encapsulate the values and attitudes required for cooperation and nation building while aiming to be the best that we can be in academics, sports, entertainment, and service to our country ... to be an All-Jamaican. Our failure to inculcate this collective national experience has allowed our adults to be divided into two political tribes and two socio-economic tribes of the ‘haves and the have-nots’. These divisions distract us from who we really

are, while eroding our prospects for national unity and excluding some of our best talent from nation-building. Only when, in greater numbers, we rise above these divisions and unite around

our common identity as Jamaicans First, will we fully realise our potential for greatness and achieve levels of development to actualise the dream of being truly an independent nation.

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F10

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SECTION G

Remember when we ... ?

N THIS section, we look back at where we are coming from, at the experiences we cherish so dearly and even the mistakes we made. Sports commentators love to say that the game of cricket is one of glorious uncertainties. Well, that’s Jamaica. In which other country will you find a set of people with so many challenges, who are able to laugh at themselves and who are the happiest set of people in the world? Jamaica, Land We Love!

2011 Festival Queen winner Krystle Daley donning this ites, green and gold creation. JCDC Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2010, Johnnel Smith.

‘Flower Vendor’ won the 1982 Junior Costume Queen competition, at the National Arena in Kingston. Here, it is being modelled by Karen Pinnock. It was designed by Vincent Duffus and depicted various flowers seen around the country.

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We want to know that we can survive on our own. We don’t want to be in a handout situation.

– Dexter Huxtable Born when Jamaica still glowed with the hope and pride associated with Independence, clothing designer, Dexter Huxtable feels that 50 years later the country simply yearns for an almost tangible independence. “We don’t want to be just saying it, or, it just being on paper, that we are independent,” said Huxtable, who was born December 1963. “We want to know that we can survive on our own. We don’t want to be in a handout situation.” This, he believes, is the Jamaican Dream. He said that individuals want to be

able to support their families and consequently want their country to be free of fiscal encumbrances. Huxtable, known for his sleek menswear designs, spent a number of years developing his career in the United Kingdom and United States. However, he constantly glanced over his shoulder at his island home wishing it possessed specific elements of his temporary home, which would make it perfect. “I had never felt completely comfortable abroad. That’s one of the reasons I’m back home,” he said.

Another reason was his hope to help his fellow Jamaicans through offering employment. Approximately seven years after his return to Jamaica, he is fulfilling his dream by running a successful men’s boutique, stocked with his own designs. While he believes the country has not achieved all it could have in the last 50 years, he said don’t count us out as yet because the numerous achievements of individual Jamaicans herald our potential as a group. In the next 50 years he hopes we will reach self-sufficiency. “I wish total independence and total growth of our people. No lopsided thing. I want us to take total responsibility for our strides.” – Sacha Walters-Gregory

GLADSTONE TAYLOR / PHOTOGRAPHER

Dexter Huxtable.

Kemesha’s clear vision Sacha Walters-Gregory Staff Reporter

EMESHA KELLY may only know what Jamaica’s first Independence Day was like from stories her parents told her, but the 23-year-old feels passionately about what that Independence means to Jamaicans today and in the future. Kelly, who was recently crowned Jamaica Festival Queen, believes that Jamaicans have a clear vision of equality for their country. “I believe there is a Jamaican Dream and that dream for most people is to be educated, to live comfortably, to have a job, and we all do want to see a decrease in the level of crime and violence,” Kelly said. “If I think of what my parents envisioned for me, each generation seeks better for the next generation.”

‘I want to see a peaceful country, to see more young people having jobs’.

WINSTON SILL / FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

Designer Lisa McIntosh in a design from her Neahlis collection.

Designer dreams of unity

Her personal dream for Jamaica centres around improved circumstances for youth and she believes the country is moving in the right direction. “I want to see a peaceful country, to see more young people having jobs. I’m happy now that the unemployment rate has dropped in recent times by five per cent, due to people creating jobs.” For the next 50 years, she has great hopes. “If we can cut down the level of crime and violence, we can become a more disciplined society, respectful, and a place where education is important.” She said she would like to see a Jamaica where people have hope and focus on the positives. Kelly would like citizens to hold their leaders accountable. “I’d like to see a Jamaica where our leaders are respectful of the citizens who have placed them in leadership and take into account what the people have to say.”

WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

Kemesha Kelly after she was crowned Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2012.

From foster care to his own home THE JAMAICAN Dream is for every parent to see their child achieve their goals and to own a home. That’s according to Carlton Brown, male fashion designer who believes that aspects of that dream are achievable in our island. “I grew up in foster care, I don’t know my parents. So for someone like me to further myself, love what I do, have a family and own a house, of course that’s a dream come true,” said the husband and father of three. He

FASHION DESIGNER and stylist, Lisa McIntosh (Neahlis) believes the Jamaican Dream involves truly embracing our motto, “Out of Many, One People.” Currently, McIntosh believes this dream has not been achieved as social and racial inequality are still an issue in Jamaica. “I want a balance. I want to see downtown and uptown equal as much as possible,” said the creator of female fashion. This, she believes, will only be achieved when the Jamaican education system is improved and provides equal opportunities for all classes. Her personal dreams are coming true though. “I have set my standards and I’m realising my dreams,” said Neahlis who should be a part of the Olympic celebrations in Birmingham. The accolades she has received in her own land are overwhelming, and her love and hope for her island is strong. “We have a lot more growing to

CONTRIBUTED

Young Lisa McIntosh do,” she said in reference to our achievements in the last 50 years, but she believes with unity, the obstacles are surmountable. Looking forward, she hopes that in the next 50 years the Jamaican dream will centre around unity, erasing tribal politics and an improving education system and that it will not only be a dream but a reality. – Sacha Walters-Gregory

believes that these achievements are plausible for every Jamaican, especially home ownership through the National Housing Trust. However, Brown’s dreams for Jamaica have been dashed because of our inability to complete growth ventures presumably because of party politics. Growing up he remembers visiting Coronation Market in Kingston and later, the improved shopping space that construction heralded. But he cannot shake the disappointment that came when, with the change in government, all that was left of the project, was protruding steel from concrete blocks. This represents an issue Brown believes Jamaica still grapples with. Upon our 50th year of Independence Brown believes there is much to be done. “Sorry to say but I think we’re on the borderline, we have one foot in one foot out,” he said. Going forward, he believes, if Jamaica could again attract those who have migrated, but have much to contribute to the country, it would be a step in the right direction. Sacha Walters-Gregory

Carlton Brown, fashion designer.

RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

CL ARENDON: WHAT IS THE JAMAICAN DREAM? Trimane Simpson The Jamaican Dream is to lift Jamaica’s status from Third World to First World or to a level that provides a better standard of living for Jamaicans. One of the routes to accomplish this is to invest in education, which isn’t necessarily free education, but it must be affordable education.

Garth Young The Jamaican Dream is for Jamaica to achieve 100 per cent literacy, once we can do that the country would made a significant leap forward. One of the routes to accomplish that is to ensure that all kids go to school, every day, and everything else will fall into place.

Terron Cohen The Jamaican Dream should be to fix the education system and make it more accessible for everyone, because an educated populace will contribute significantly to the development of the country, and they will be able to make better judgements in their day-to-day lives.

Ras Manga Jamaica’s dreams should be that the affairs of the country must be free, fair and equitable to every Jamaican to manifest their true potentials, but not in a little parochial way, but more so in an atmosphere that is conducive to all of us having the ability to earn a reasonable livelihood.

Wayne Farquharson Jamaica could be a far better place, but because of our politicians we are stuck in this situation, so our dreams should be to pack their (politicians’) bags and let the whole lot of them go. Too much corruption among public officials, especially politicians.

Cecil Morgan Jamaica’s dream should be economic development and poverty eradication.This can be done by ensuring that all kids go to school and leave with a reasonable level of education. If there are slow learners in the education system, ensure also that they are able to read and write, and our country will grow.

Bleaching their way into the dream Arianne Hammond Gleaner Writer

Marcus Garvey

Many persons believe that if you’re not brown, you are no good, and that would prevent the dream from actually coming true – how do you change the psychological views of our people?

ARCUS GARVEY had a vision for his people: “If black men throughout the world, as a race, will render themselves so independent and useful as to be sought out by the other race groups, it will simply mean that all the problems of the race will be smashed to pieces, and the Negro would be regarded like anybody else – a man to be respected and admired.” Garvey was one of the few black icons who encouraged people of African descent to learn to love their heritage and use it to defy the stronghold of their colonial master. But in this our 50th year of Independence, have we learned to embrace who we are? In a recent Editors’ Forum held at the Gleaner’s Kingston office, a group of young professionals were asked to describe the Jamaican Dream. Stephen Price, regional special projects manager at LIME, remarked that many persons today

felt that “If I don’t bleach I won’t make it any further in life.” Rachel Browne, brand manager GraceKennedy, had a similar observation, of persons who “think bleaching is the right way to go, not realising the amount of damage that you are doing to yourself health wise.” She also said that many believe that if they aren’t fair or light in complexion then they aren’t worth anything. But, she advised that if ‘the brown is better’ mentality was erased from the psyche of Jamaicans then the country would have a better chance of moving forward. “Many persons believe that if you’re not brown, you are no good, and that would prevent the dream from actually coming true – how do you change the psychological views of our people?” But it then ties in with what many believe – that brown is equivalent to money as one ‘bleacher’ put it in a 2009 Gleaner article; “It mek yuh look nicer cause most man go after browning. You get rich man when yuh bleach, cause dem see money print pon yuh.”

Stephen Price ... We need to return to the community raising our kids. Who asks a question when we see a child wiping windshields at the stoplight or otherwise begging?

IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER

FILE

Members of the M’Bassikolo Jam African Ensemble give an energetic dance before the start of the UNIA Marcus Garvey Awards function on Monday, August 17, 2009.

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Fae Ellington, veteran broadcaster:

Who do you feel is responsible for keeping the dream alive? Kay Osborne, former TVJ boss:

Daviot Kelly Staff Reporter

Entertainer Tommy Cowan:

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ORMER TELEVISION Jamaica boss Kay Osborne has said individual members of the society are responsible for ensuring that the Jamaican dream is kept alive. “We all need to get to a place where we have, and we feel that we have a stake in building our country,” Osborne said at a recent Gleaner Editors’ Forum, held at the company’s North Street head offices. She said there needs to be a linkage between effort, talent, skill, and reward. “We will need to learn how to restructure from individualistic ... to community goals where communities can link almost in a honeycomb fashion.” Entertainer Tommy Cowan said the responsibility starts with the political leaders. “It’s the responsibility of both political parties – the leaders. It has to come from top down to create a vision.” He lamented that the pursuit of political power always got in the way though, hindering our ability to solve things like crime. But veteran broadcaster Fae Ellington felt it was up to the people to force policy change. “It’s for the people to inform the political parties. We have allowed (them) to determine certain things, not recognising that we are the ones who caused it.” She said we should take the example of people of nations such as Egypt where the people forced change. Osborne said the public are the leaders that we have been waiting for.

“So it becomes our responsibility to define and clarify the role of the leaders in the various areas of our community lives, in the end, we are responsible.”

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IN 1969

the Bank of Jamaica began to issue bank notes that bore the images of our National Heroes, and on October 20, 1970, a brown $5 dollar was introduced to the island. A review of the country’s monetary structure in 1974 gave way to the $20 dollar note which bore the image of Noel Nethersole, the founder of Bank of Jamaica. Finally, 50 cent note, yes, 50 cent note, became a coin in November 1976. By October 1978, the shades of the $10 and $20 were changed to a light blue and grey and orange, respectively.

IN 1990

the new $1 coin was in full circulation. By June 1994, Cabinet had approved further changes to the Jamaican currency and announced that the $5 note would become a coin, the look of the $1, 25 and 10 cent coins would change, and the five cent coin would no longer be circulated. The $500 note was also issued and in December of this same year the $5 coin was released as well. In March 1999, the $10 note was reduced to a coin and with the new millennium came the likewise new $1,000 note. Finally, the $20 note was replaced by Jamaica’s first bimetallic coin.

REMEMBERING THE ...

’70s

were what I used. Schooling wasn’t that expensive for my family.

ENTERTAINMENT: All we did back then were movies and house parties. Matinee performances were early shows that were held for young children that cost about 25 cents. Regular movies were later in the nights for adults who paid about 40 cents. House parties were free because we would all meet up with friends at their house and learn all the latest dance moves, like the funky chicken.

’90s

Name: Cynthia Clarke Age: A true lady never tells Profession: Owner/manager (New Editions Bookstore) Location: Yallahs, St Thomas As a young 20-something-yearold in 1976, Cynthia Clarke recalls the decade of the ’70s quite clearly and shares with The Gleaner some things from the good ol’ days. She explains that life was pretty good back then and that her rent was very affordable. “Living was very reasonable back then; I remember vividly that my rent in Harbour View was $90 (per month), and that was a threebedroom home. People could easily get by on minimum wage too. Electricity was cheap; it would cost me approximately $1 for light bill.” She also remembers the food crisis in the late ’70s. “There was a food crisis between 1979 and 1980; we couldn’t afford food because it was scarce. I remember rice couldn’t be purchased separately, you had to buy it with another product.”

FOOD: I remember getting 10 cents for lunch money. With that I could get

In the ’70s, electricity was cheap; it would cost me approximately $1 for light bill. He was just entering high school in 1993 and was excited about changes taking place, as well as looking forward to growing up.

FOOD: A hot dog and a box drink would cost $100; that was the cheapest thing at that time and that could keep a person full for the remainder of the day. Patty was around $35 and a bun and cheese was for about that as well. Box lunch now in the early ’90s would cost between $40 and $70, and then in 1997 it cost about $100.

CLOTHES:

made your shoes, all for about $20 with change to spare.

I remember a British Knight, Travel Fox and FILA sneakers would cost between $1,500 and $2,000 back then, and a shirt would be approximately $800.

TRANSPORTATION:

ENTERTAINMENT:

The bumper cars at Coconut Park was the place for children. a cooked meal at school. Also, I remember saving up my lunch money to buy bulla and cheese, sugar bun, jackass corn and solider button almost every day after school; these wouldn’t cost much. Later in the 1970s, living with my aunt I would contribute to our food. It would cost about $4 to $5 for food at the supermarket and we could get oxtail and chicken, rice, flour, sugar and milk without breaking the budget.

CLOTHES: I would go downtown and lay away dresses for about $5. I tried to budget my money since I didn’t get much as a cashier. Shoes cost from $11 to $19 between the years 1974 and 1976; shoes was considered to be expensive back then. Clothes were usually made by dressmakers and even shoemakers

I’d pay 20 cents to get to school and back home. I went to Yallahs Comprehensive High School and to get to Yallahs from Lyssons would cost me 10 cents each day. When I moved to Kingston the fare would be approximately $3 from St Thomas. Where I lived there weren’t any government buses running; we had private bus owners who knew their passengers and would wait for them. Every morning at 5:30 my bus would be waiting for me.

TUITION: School was free. That’s right. $0 was what my tuition cost. I went to Yallahs High School and back then the government paid for everything. The books they gave me

Name: Woodrow Smallwood Age: 32 Profession: Financial adviser Location: Kingston Woodrow Smallwood remembers this time as both one of the toughest for his family as well as one of the better periods in his life.

Skateland and game shops were big for schoolchildren in those days. Skateland admission was $20. To actually skate would be $40 an hour. Game shops prices would range from $20 to $25 for the tokens but it all depends on the game. We also went to the movies and that would cost $150 for regu-

lar seats and $300 for box tickets, so movies were not a regular treat. There were other amusement places like Coconut Park and Coney Park that every child loved going to, and that was $75 and $150, respectively. They had merry-go-round, half moon ride, donkey cart, bumper cart and roller coaster. Coney Park also had a game shop where you could go and play Nintendo.

TUITION: In 1992, my prep school fee was $3,000 per term; it was less in the earlier years too. In 1997 when I did CXC, registration was $500 and the subject fees would range from $550 to $580, depending on the subject one was doing.

TRANSPORTATION: All students paid $5 for bus fare on the public buses. Encava buses used to be for ‘schoolers’ in those days, and that’s what I used to pay from Portmore to Half-Way Tree. Then, taxis were little more expensive and that cost about $20 from Half-Way Tree to Maxfield Avenue. – Arianne Hammond

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THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

BARBARA ELLINGTON/ PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDITOR

Today Mary Styles is retired but continues to do community work in Christiana, Manchester.

RETIRED POSTMISTRESS REMINISCES

Mary Styles makes the ’62 float parade!

My heart burst with pride and beat with happiness to see our flag go up for the first time.

Barbara Ellington Public Affairs Editor

HE GRAND parish celebration to mark Jamaica’s Independence in 1962, took place at the Prison Oval in Spanish Town, St Catherine and retired postmistress Mary Styles (then Hanniford), felt proud to be among six of the the best young ladies chosen to represent the town. Retired since 2000, she happily took the The Gleaner down memory lane during a recent interview at her home in Christiana, Manchester. “We went through lots of grooming in preparation for the big day. This included learning to walk properly by balancing several books on our heads, lessons in deportment and how to sit correctly,” Mrs Styles said. “It was an exciting time, people came out to greet us as the float went through the town,” she said. The outfit she wore was sponsored by Palmer’s Metal Beds and comprised skirts, a peasant blouse and strands of beads; everyone carried a flag. As is noticeable for the 50th anniversary, everywhere was decorated in the nation’s new colours, black, green and gold. Of the historic moment, Styles recalls, “My heart burst with pride and beat with happiness to see our flag go up for the first time,” she said, as she sorted through stacks of black and white pictures that she has kept. She said parties went on all night in what for her was an amazing experience, but best of all, there was no violence! Since that experience, Mrs Styles embarked on an exciting journey in the island’s post and telegraph system, doing stints in almost all of the 14 parishes. When she began, her salary was the princely sum of 275 pounds sterling per year. Of the work over the years, she remembers that whenever there was a hurricane threatening Jamaica, they would notify the public by raising a red flag at the post office.

Avid collector Among the treasured items she has collected over the years are: I Her letter of appointment to the civil service in 1957. I Pictures of her lessons in Morse code (she was proficient at 40 words a minute). I Cards showing proof of her Gallon Club membership in the Blood Bank. I The 1963 commemorative stamp in honour of Carol Joan Crawford’s Miss World title.

“It was an exciting time, people came out to greet us as the float went through the town”

I Commemorative old Jamaican sterling coins. I Commemorative coin issued when Jamaica hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1966. I Commemorative coin issued on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.

“A red flag was a part of the inventory of every post office,” Mrs Styles. “In the early days, we had to perform many tasks for the public, even write letters for persons who could not do it themselves, we were very involved in community life; everyone came to us,” Mrs Styles noted. She said that during her stint at the Tower Isle Post Office, located at the hotel of the same name, she had a chance to be an unofficial ambassador to Jamaica as she was able to tell foreign guests many positive things about Jamaica.

TELEGRAPH SERVICE The telegraph service was vital to the country; at five characters to a word and one shilling for 12 words, it was a 24-hour service. They had to relay news stories from reporters to The Gleaner, using Morse code. “Telegrams were important; on one occasion, I had to travel to England along with the late Excel Dias (a cop), to give evidence in a drug case. Being the telegraph clerk who took the telegram, the court wanted to hear my side in detail,” she said. Mrs Styles has held several supervisory and other positions in the following locations: Cross Roads, Kingston Spanish Town, St Catherine Tower Isle, St Mary Balaclava, St Elizabeth Ocho Rios, St Ann May Pen, Frankfield and Spaldings in Clarendon Montego Bay, St James Mandeville, Williamsfield and finally, Christiana in Manchester.

FUNNY SIDE Throughout the years, Mrs Styles recalls many strange addresses at the post office such as: Billy Graham, Many Apples (Minneapolis), Many Soda (Minnesota). OR: Bringing Christ to the Nation, In Care of This Station. We even saw letters addressed to Santa Claus; I later visited the real Santa house in Northern Alaska,” she said.

her young e middle) and ot rade in th in en dd hi tially ndence float pa Mary Styles (par d in the Indepe te pa ci rti pa ho ust 6, 1962. ladies w atherine on Aug C t S n, w To sh Spani

“ ...parties went on all night in what for her was an amazing experience, but best of all, there was no violence!” Originally from Bensenton in St Ann, Mrs Styles has visited many places including: Rome, Venice and Florence in Italy, Germany, Belgium, London, Jericho, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Sea of Galilee, the Wailing Wall, the Garden of Gethsemene and Ireland as well as several Caribbean islands on cruises, with her late husband. These days, Mrs Styles still assists farmers and higglers with getting their National Insurance Scheme benefits, she is active in her church work, she visits shut-ins and does her gardening. barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com

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Youth take charge of the

DREAM

John R. Myers Jr. Gleaner Writer

HE JAMAICAN Dream may be different things to many people. For Fabian Brown, president of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Association, it is about assisting, developing, and coaching individuals towards a level of independence. “I think the patriot in me will suggest that I have a responsibility, I have a stake, I have a serious contribution to make to my society called Jamaica,” said Brown.

LACKLUSTRE

RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Karen Henry, president University of Technology Students’ Union.

Fresh as the head of the group for up and coming businessmen and women, Brown is not among those who feel frustrated or restricted by the lacklustre efforts of the current crop of leaders. Instead, he believes that if more persons began to contribute to the process, then the Jamaican Dream would be attainable for more persons. “While the persons in the various governance spaces – public or private – have a

The United Nations and all its agencies working in Jamaica congratulate the Government and people of Jamaica on the 50th anniversary of Independence. We also proudly celebrate the fiftieth year of Jamaica’s status as a member state of the United Nations. Since its membership, Jamaica and Jamaicans have played a noteworthy role in the United Nations’ system by assisting to focus international attention on the advancement of human rights, equitable human well-being and economic cooperation, and gender issues. Jamaica has served as Secretary General of the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women held in Copenhagen. It is also worthy of mention that Jamaica led the designation of 1968 as the International Year for Human Rights to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and emphasize the promise of the UN Charter. Jamaica has exemplified its commitment to the principle of human rights through its persistent opposition to apartheid and racism. Jamaica was the first country to declare a trade embargo against South Africa and led efforts to lobby the General Assembly to adopt the International Declaration and eventually the Convention against Apartheid in Sports. The country also played a lead role in negotiating the path to Zimbabwe's independence. Jamaica may be a Small Island Developing State but its ardor and talents are influential ranging from the people, art, music and cultural icons, to sports and athletics that define its Brand. Jamaicans have represented themselves and their country at all levels and have brought distinction to the country and the region. At a time when ethnic/ religious/cultural differences are causing bloodshed and divisiveness, Jamaica has shown that it is possible to be one from many. It is clear from Jamaica’s national roadmap for inclusive development - Vision 2030 that the wealth of the country has to be managed by a better and more equitable distribution of the fruits of the productive processes. This will ensure a better quality of life for all. In fostering its emphasis on promoting sustainable development, the Government of Jamaica is to be commended on being a leader among the Small Island Developing States by strategically creating a Ministry for climate change and a climate change department to be fully operational by the end of this year. The renowned Jamaican creativity and energy have advanced its attempts to tackle economic challenges, including the historic Jamaica debt exchange programme as a possible debt management strategy for heavily indebted middle income countries. We are confident that Jamaica with its drive, commitment and ability to make tough decisions can overcome any challenge to making the promise of Vision 2030 a reality through constructive partnerships and bilateral and multilateral cooperation. While joining the merited celebration of the fiftieth year of Jamaica’s independence, the UN system also takes the opportunity to commit continued support to the Government and people of Jamaica. We look forward to a consistently strengthened relationship, as together we seek to fulfill our common mission of attaining equal opportunities for all, ensuring that no one is left behind and meeting the visionary goal of making Jamaica an enviable place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business.

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PHOTO BY MARK TITUS

A member of the Church of God of Prophecy Dance group performs during the HIV/AIDS Youth conference in Hopewell, Hanover.

responsibility, it is not about them and them alone, but it is about me as an individual,” Brown argued, amid complaints that leaders have failed to create opportunities to enable youth to live their dream. Daniel Wilson, incoming president of the University of the West Indies Students’ Guild, supports Brown. “To me, if you are going to be speaking about the youth as the future, then there should be some things put in place to ensure that the Jamaican Dream, or the continuity expected to live out the Jamaican Dream, is actually, done in a positive and strengthened way to move our country from where we are coming from to where we want to go.”

Ryan Small, president of the National Youth Council, bemoaned the exclusion of the youth and their contribution to the decision-making process. “My Jamaican Dream also is for young people to be viewed as the solution and not the problem. Too often, our young people are viewed as the problem. Look at what we contribute to society! Look at what we have to offer!” he said.

INEQUITIES Anake Henry, who is a student of the University of the West Indies, advocated for an end to the inequities that prevent people from taking advantage of the opportunities that exist. “I want to see a Jamaica that is totally egalitarian, and where ambition and drive are not the exception,” she said. It is an issue that Floyd Green, the new president of Generation 2000, the young

PLEASE SEE DREAM,H7

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

ST MARY: WHAT IS THE JAMAICAN DREAM? Derrick Blake,

Shantell Duncan

The Jamaican dream is to be self-sufficient, where we don’t have to depend on other countries and financial institutions to get us out a trouble.

To be a better place and to stop crime and violence. We can achieve this by cooperating with each other and working together to stop crime and violence.

Norman Gordon The Jamaican dream is to get a better education, more accountability from politicians. We also need better road infrastructure, and more farming done. The country should be more friendly to investors and investments.

Soyan Aris To have a better Jamaica, everybody having something to do and all the young people getting work to uplift themselves. We can achieve this through better education.

Jamaican dream lived cess in design; fashioning costumes for the NDTC and a line on show at Caribbean Fashion Week in 2006. He was named the new artistic director of the NDTC after the passing of Prof Rex Nettleford.

Barrington Moncrieffe Jr Barrington Moncrieffe Jr, known lovingly as Uncle Barry, is an impeccable dancer. He joined the NDTC in 1962, starting out as a supporting dancer and eventually becoming a male lead. When he retired from active performing he became the artistic coordinator and associate director, and executed his duties with commitment, self-will and artistic credence. His service to the NDTC was interrupted by a three-year position at the prominent Vassar College in New York. In 2002, he debuted as a choreographer for the NDTC with a work based on ‘bruckins’ in collaboration with Joyce Campbell, for which he received a silver Musgrave Medal. Moncrieffe has also found suc-

Trevor Rhone Trevor Dave Rhone, award winning playwright, screenwriter, director and actor, was born in the rural town of Bellas Gate, St Catherine, a town that he immortalised in his memoir Bellas Gate Boy.

He studied drama at the Rose Bruford College in England. When he returned to Jamaica, he founded Theatre 77 which performed at the Barn Theatre in Kingston. His published plays include Old Story Time and Other Plays (1981), and Two Can Play and School’s Out (1986). He also had a career in film, most notably co-writing The Harder They Come (1972) with Perry Henzell, directing Smile Orange (1976) and writing Milk and Honey (1988) and One Love (2003). He was celebrated throughout his life: receiving the Order of Distinction (1980), the Ward Theatre Season of Excellence Award (1988), Musgrave Gold Medal Award (1988), Canadian Genie Award (1988), and the Norman Washington Manley award (1996). He died on September 15, 2009. He was 69.

Louise Bennett-Coverley Poet, comedienne, singer, songwriter, folklorist, writer, social activist and actor, cultural ambassador The Honourable Louise

Bennett-Coverley brought Jamaican Creole out of the markets and into books, media and homes around the world. She was the first black woman to have her own show on BBC radio and throughout her life used the radio to take the Jamaican language to the masses. Her shows included Laugh with Louise, Miss Lou’s Views and The Lou and Ranny Show (with Ranny Williams). She was a working actor and appeared in many National Pantomimes and a few films, most notably Club Paradise (1986). She also published five books solely and was a contributor, editor and additional writer on many others. She was a noted singer and songwriter; performing on her children’s TV show Ring Ding. She

Egbert Riley The Jamaican dream is that we become a developed country by the year 2030, and that Jamaica become the place to live, work and raise families. This can be achieved by good governance, transparency in government, weeding out of corruption.

write the popular song Evening Time, and in 1988 her composition You’re Going Home Now won a nomination from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for the best original song in the movie Milk and Honey. In 1954, she released an album: Jamaican Folk Songs sung by Louise Bennett. She has won many awards; Member of the British Empire (MBE) (1960), Order of Jamaica (1974), Order of Merit (2001), Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of the West Indies (1983), Honorary Doctor of Letters, York University (1998), Poetic Pioneers Award (2011), Norman Manley Award for Excellence, and The Institute of Jamaica’s Musgrave silver and gold medals for distinguished eminence in the field of arts and culture. After her death on July 26, 2006, papers, photos and works in her possession were handed over to McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, to be digitised and made available for the world to learn more about Miss Lou.

James ‘Jimmy Cliff’ Chambers James ‘Jimmy Cliff’ Chambers had his first hit single, Hurricane Hattie, when he was 14. But his global fame exploded with the

Albert Kittson I would like to see the people dem get some work and the younger one dem get a skill and see if we can help to develop Jamaica, tek them out a poverty.

release of the soundtrack for the 1972 film The Harder They Come. Jimmy Cliff remains reggae’s longest-serving reggae ambassador, receiving international recognition before Bob Marley, with his 1975 entry into the Billboard’s album chart. Although recording hit singles throughout the ‘60s, it was when he was chosen to represent Jamaica at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York that he signed with Island Records and set out to take reggae music to the masses worldwide. He was awarded the Order of Merit (2003) and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2010). Cliff has collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello and Annie Lenox. His music has been covered by Willie Nelson, Cher, Jerry Garcia and Fiona Apple. He still tours and released his 29th album, Sacred Fire, this year.

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The dream lives on

Ellington

HE JAMAICAN dream of yesteryear has morphed, partially due to advances in technology. Veteran broadcaster Fae Ellington said for past Jamaicans, the dream was to achieve national and personal excellence. “It (Independence) was like the birthing of something new that would allow us to secure our place as individuals, our place in history, and that security would have come through equal opportunities to education and a safe society,” said Ellington. She noted that similar sentiments transcended to caring for the environment. Terms like global warming weren’t used, but were understood. “It’s almost as if we have moved away (from that), and we have now

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Osborne paid dearly. Safety and security is what that all embodied ... and just understanding there was an opportunity for people to excel,” Ellington said. She admitted that older generations are partly responsible for not passing on the values.

VALUE SYSTEM “(But) the value system that we had ... there was an assault on it when new technologies were available to us,” Ellington told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum. As such, she noted that the value system, and subsequently the dream, morphed. Former media boss Kay Osborne felt the American dream, which she likened to ours, has also changed. “But it is how you action it and

Cowan the way that it’s demonstrated in the culture that needs clarity.” Citing a conversation with young Jamaicans, Ellington said they saw themselves as citizens of the world, and didn’t have the same passion for the island as their elders. “It’s not that they’re wicked and evil and ‘stay bad’, this is their reality.” Tommy Cowan, managing director of Glory Music, said Jamaica needs to have a clear vision, and any exposure to new things should only be accepted only if they complement the vision. “Up to now, if you go to Japan, you can’t just get 100 TV channels to see, because it is not in line with the country’s vision, so they won’t allow it (certain content) to creep in so as to contaminate their society.”

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‘Live! Don’t just exist!’ Susanie Lee Reid’s peace plan for Jamaica n’t have to be in a negative way. I don’t have to lead a gang, but I can lead a group.’ So in that way, it will impact the communities on a whole. “We have students in every community, and if this programme is in every high school, then it will definitely impact society on a whole.”

Carl Gilchrist Gleaner Writer

OCHO RIOS, St Ann: HE SPEAKS with a passion that makes you believe that whatever she puts her mind to, she can achieve. After two gruesome murders that struck close to home, Susanie Lee Reid decided she would devise a peace plan to bring lasting peace to her dearly beloved Jamaica. Already, there is a promise of endorsement by the Ministry of National Security, which has said there is no money to initiate the programme, estimated to cost around $5 million. Reid’s plan is to include the people as, she argues, it is they who are perpetrators, victims, and witnesses of crimes, so they should be central to any crime-solving effort. She first felt the effect of crime six years ago. Reid told her story to The Gleaner recently, minutes after ending a job interview at a hotel in St Ann. She had journeyed from her Albion Mountain home, a few miles south of Port Maria in St Mary for the interview.

UNBELIEVABLE “Some years ago, my brother’s mother was killed. She was raped and her throat slashed. She was left by the wayside. A couple years afterwards, Aamir Scott, who was a close family friend of mine, was murdered, and that was just horrible! That was just unbelievable! I just couldn’t believe something like that happened in St Mary! That was just out of this world!” Aamir Scott went missing on September 14, 2008. His dismembered body was found in a bag in bushes two days later. He was 11 years old. Reid explained that Scott’s death motivated her to write a song. “That was what led me to the theme song, and in writing the song, I came up with the entire project. I wrote that song in about five minutes, and I cried the entire five minutes because that was just a horror story that I just didn’t expect to happen in Jamaica. That was the inspiration. In any case, the inspiration to get up and do something is just to watch the news, read the papers. That’s all we need to do.” The main thrust of Reid’s peace plan is the establishment of peace clubs in all high and junior high schools across the island. The peace plan comes with five main objectives: To make Jamaica a safe and peaceful country; to foster an

Inspired by her parents, Huntley and Beryl Reid, Susanie has been running an outreach programme through her church, Assemblies of the First Born of God, in Albion Mountain, and saw how reaching out to youth could help change them positively.

OUTREACH GROUP

IAN ALLEN/PHOTOGRAPHER

Susanie Lee Reid understanding of the difference between fear and respect; to let youth know it is necessary to have an education; to obliterate the phrase ‘informers must dead’; and to abide by the motto “Out of Many One People”. “The establishment of the peace clubs would later lead to the establishment of a foundation as I would wish to continue on a yearly basis with the award of a peace trophy to the top club and school,” Reid explained. “On a yearly basis, we would see how each club is impacting its respective school, based on statistics – whether we have less fighting going on in school, whether fewer people are getting suspended, whether we have fewer people being caught gambling. This is how we will know if the club is actually working. “My expectation is that there will be less violence in the school system. Students will start working together more as they will have a better avenue to express themselves and would be able to do so in a more positive way. “Things that they learn they could bring back to the community. Some of these persons, who could be bad vibes at school, would be exposed to something different, so when they go back to their communities, they could say, ‘I can be a leader just the same, but it does-

The peace clubs would be a permanent structure in the schools and would be run by a combination of guidance counsellors, peer counsellors, and deans of discipline. “The peace club would be a safe haven for troubled students,” Reid further explained. “It’s basically an outreach group. It’s like an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), so to speak. You’re an alcoholic, you can’t stop (drinking) by yourself; you’re a troublemaker; you can’t stop by yourself. Come here, we will help you. This club will show you can be a leader in a positive way; you don’t have to fight to get attention because you can do other things to get attention.” Reid has devised a plan to raise funds to start the programme. This includes the recording of a song she wrote, titled News Mekka, with accompanying video. Proceeds from the sale of this package would go towards funding the peace plan. “This is where we would call upon the private sector to help in the sale of the CDs and DVDs, whether by sponsoring to fund a particular area, or purchasing the package to give to customers on customer appreciation days, or even to staff.” Students will be motivated to buy the CDs and DVDs as buyers will be entered into a ‘Dream Come True’ draw, with a winner coming from each school. The top three schools selling the most discs would receive special prizes. There would also be a’Live! Don’t Just Exist!’ peace tour around the island.

Susanie Lee Reid may be contacted at susanieflynch@hotmail.com.

PHOTO BY MARK TITUS

A member of the Church of God of Prophecy Dance group performs during the HIV/AIDS Youth conference in Hopewell, Hanover.

Sleeping dream? Neville Graham Gleaner Writer

OUNG BUSINESS leader Ryan DuQuesnay is questioning the sincerity of Jamaica’s political leaders as they have continually failed to deliver on promises over succeeding years. “They seem to think that it is enough to just set a new deadline every time and postpone their obligation to be at the forefront of the fulfilment of the Jamaican Dream,” DuQuesnay charged as he wondered whether the Jamaican Dream was still alive. He was critical of Jamaica’s leaders for continuing to ask that people be content with their lot. “They keep them (some Jamaicans) ignorant because they seem to want it that way,” he lamented. DuQuesnay, of Lithographic Printers, was participating in a Gleaner Editors’ Forum on the Jamaican Dream at the newspaper’s North Street, Kingston, offices. He said all around him, he saw amaz-

IAN ALLEN PHOTOS/PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan DuQuesnay

Stephen Price

ing people whose talents needed to be nurtured and a collective vision engendered and focused. Equally scathing in his comments was LIME executive, Stephen Price, who lamented that, “the people who are supposed to be CEOs ... , the people running (Jamaica’s business) at the constituency level are not fit for the purpose”. Price said that as a result, the

persons going forward at the ministerial level could not perform optimally and, therefore, the quality of governance suffered. “Thank God for the permanent secretaries because if it were not for them, then, I don’t know how the various ministries would function!” Price opined that the dearth of administrative and managerial talent at the leadership level would

DREAM CONTINUED FROM H1 professional arm of the Jamaica Labour Party recognises, saying that his Jamaican Dream revolves around equality and access to such things as education regardless of whether persons are born in rural Jamaica or in the inner city.

ZERO But the head of the young entrepreneurs group maintained that “too often, we sit in fora like this and we focus the conversation on the political directorate – the what they should do, could do, they never did – and take it away from our own responsibilities...” According to Brown, “What is of utmost importance is us recognising that we ought to be part of the

RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Anake Henry solution and not part of the problem, and if all we do is gripe about the what we should have and never did, then we become a part of the problem.” Small conceded, but pointed out that “we are seeking to create opportunities for us to determine

how we go forward with our future. We cannot overlook the fact that those who are there now will determine the structure that we will have in the future.” In continuing, he explained: “It is not that we are placing our future in their hands, but we are holding them accountable for our future ... One of the things that we have to do as youth leaders – it is something we always speak about – is for us to first put all hands on deck and say, ‘This is what we are going to push’.” The idea of taking charge of attaining the dream is not lost on Karen Henry, president of the University of Technology Students’ Union. “I believe the possibility of a dream coming to reality is when we wake up. I do believe that one of the things we need to do ... is to literally wake up!”

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Members of parliament take a beating from young professionals. ultimately hurt the drive towards a distillation and attainment of the Jamaican Dream. Price called for a return to the time-honoured principle of the community raising the child.

“We need to return to the community raising our kids. Who asks a question when we see a child wiping windshields at the stoplight or otherwise begging? Where are their parents? Why are they there?” he asked.

Earlier, Price charged that successive governments had failed in their duty to translate the Jamaican Dream into workable policies and programmes. At the same time, he said the people had not articulated the Jamaican Dream.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

Margaret can’t forget the historic event

Awestruck

Christopher Serju Gleaner Writer

HEN THE Gleaner caught up with Margaret Greta Smith at her Edgewater home in Portmore, St Catherine, on Wednesday, August 1 (Emancipation Day), she was rereading for the umpteenth time the official programme for the Independence function at the National Stadium. Though half a century old, the fourpage document, printed by the Government Printer, Duke Street, Kingston, is still in very good condition – not much the worse for a few creases and holes.

REPRESENTATION A representation of the original coat of arms atop the front page, reads: “National Flag-Raising Ceremony and Fireworks Display at the Jamaica National Stadium on Sunday, 5th August, 1962, at 11:00 P.M. in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret, C.J., G.C.V.O and the Right Honourable The Earl Of Snowdon.” The minute-by-minute breakdown of the programme suggests that a great deal of preparation and rehearsal went into getting it right. For example, at 11:00 o’clock, the Royal Party enters the arena and drives to the front of the grandstand where the princess is received by Premier Alexander Bustamante, who presents the chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, the commissioner of police, the chairman

of the Arts Celebration Committee, and the guest conductor of the combined choirs. A minute later, Princess Margaret returns to the royal box and receive the royal salute. By 11:02, the guard of honour marches off, and at 11:03, a display by the mass bands is under way. This attention to precision timing continues with the guard of honour saluting the Union Flag, prior to the first verse of the British National Anthem being played at11:58. Then at 11:59 the guard of honour salutes the Jamaican flag and both verses of the Jamaican National Anthem are played and sung by the choirs and the audience. At 12:01 a.m., His Excellency (the governor) and (now) Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante return to the royal box and resume their places. Then at 12:02 a.m., according to the programme, the fireworks display begins. While appropriately impressed by the pomp, pageantry, colour, and overall excitement of the occasion, Smith, who turned 79 on February 24, seemed to have been awestruck by the fireworks more than anything else. She recalled: “When mi see the fireworks and then mi see the flag up in the air, mi seh ‘Rahtid!’ Bwoy, it was really thrilling! It was really thrilling, a tell yu!” Half a century later, even with the advances in technology, Smith, who lived in Harbour View then, continues to be impressed by the awesome display.

CHRISTOPHER SERJU PHOTOS

Margaret Smith, popularly known as Greta, peruses a copy of the programme issued for Jamaica’s Independence celebrations on August 5, 1962, at her home in Edgewater, Portmore.

Margaret Smith compares life under colonial rule to the way things are now.

THE GLEANER, MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 | SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE EDITION

Roving With Lalah

Jamaica: 50 Golden Moments

A walk down memory lane

parades the J’can Dream R

OVING WITH Lalah, the community feature written by Robert Lalah that has been a favourite among Gleaner readers for nearly seven years, continues to highlight a special kind of Jamaican Dream. By simply giving voice to everyday people engaged in uniquely Jamaican situations,

Roving with Lalah reveals that the spirit of the Jamaican people remains unblemished. Roving with Lalah – More Slices of Everyday Jamaican Life, the second collection of these stories, was released in April by Ian Randle Publishers, and since then, has been flying off the shelves. Jamaicans at home and abroad have been eager to get the book because for them, it rep-

resents the ultimate Jamaican Dream: that no matter how much time passes and how things change, the character of the Jamaican people remains the same. ‘Roving with Lalah – More Slices of Everyday Jamaican Life’, is available at all major bookstores locally and at amazon.com.

RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ian Randle Publishers’ Christine Randle and The Gleaner’s Byron Buckley review a copy of ‘50 Golden Moments’.

Get your copy of what is certain to be the hottest book of the year. Lalah

THE CELEBRATORY activities of the first Independence in August 1962 are captured in the book, Jamaica: 50 Golden Moments 1962-2012. Festivities at the National Stadium, the visits by Princess Margaret and United States Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and the lowering of the Union Jack at Up Park Camp are some of the events recorded in the first chapter of the souvenir publication. In nearly 200 pages, the book traces the tentative steps taken by the young Jamaican nation during the early years after Independence and the ensuing decades. Through photographs and newspaper pages it captures high points, or defining moments, in the independent nation’s 50-year existence. The publication takes readers down memory lane to relive or witness milestones or achievements in politics, cultural arts, sports, industry, and finance. For the first 50 years of our existence, the nation has

etched an unmistakeable identity among the community of nations. Our stable democracy, athletic prowess, artistic genius, enviable tourism industry, and entrepreneurial achievements, celebrated in this book, act as a spring board from which Jamaica can launch into the future to achieve greater glory. The book retails for JA$3,000, US$35, and £25. It is available at: •Major book stores in Jamaica •Gleaner Library, 7 North St, Kingston Tel: 922 3400 •Ian Randle Publishers, 11 Cunningham Avenue, Kingston 6, www.ianrandle publishers.com •The Weekly Gleaner, 1st Floor East Moorfoot House, 221 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ, Tel: 0207 510 0340 •Global Book Marketing Ltd, 99B Wallis Rd, London, E9 5LN; Tel (local rate): 0845 458 1580.

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