Jamaican Diaspora : Aspire Edition

Aspire Edition

Kwame McPherson

The Solution to Economic Crisis So, this is what I know about being a woman

Editor’s Note

Good leaders are able to asses a situation and foreshadow its future. They take what is in front of them and create a blueprint that will enable them to stay relevant. All organizations and institutions have a leader; whether it is home, school, work one person has to set the dominant agenda for the group’s survival. Are you up to the task? All leaders must consider the following:

1.

Time It maximizes production and minimizes stress.

2.

People They use people’s talent effectively under proper supervision 3.

Money use as a tool not as a weapon bills have to be paid and goals can be accomplished 4.

Pronoun This is the difference between manger and leaders. There is no I in we; remember to use we, us and ours.

5.

Meetings Make sure it has a purpose and agenda or else there will be no incentive to attend the future ones.

6.

Networking This strengthens the organizations ecosystem. You learn from others, for no one is an island.

7.

Vision Tie the past position to the future. You can mark accomplishment based on how far you have come to where you are going.

Janice K. Maxwell – editor

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Kwame McPherson

One of the most beautiful things about Jamaica is looking at its lush green agriculture from on high as the plane emerges from the clouds and descends, seeking to land on this emerald isle of the Caribbean.

A sparkling sunshine adds to the mysticism creating a backdrop of hues and colours - a magnificence that takes ones breath away. To add to this renowned beauty is the brilliance of the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. White surf lapping the beaches, rugged rocks and mangroves, the mirrored-like opaqueness, a wonderful reflection of the same sky one flies through; this island, a mirad of colours, a mixture of textures.

On my travels this sight never seizes to amaze and capture me, reinforced by the joyous clapping of returning patriots as soon as the plane touches terra-firma. And yet when I do land and eventually interact with various types of people, whether professional or otherwise – they all want to leave. This has made me wonder why, what is their reality that even today forces them to consider leaving such a beautiful and mystical place.

I migrated at an early age to Jamaica, with my father and brother, after the failure of his and my mother's marriage. Honestly I can say that most of my early English memories have been lost and only a few remain. Sometimes I glimpse myself being in school (wearing the inevitable short pants, socks and sandals), playing with my brother, watching my sister learn how to ride a bicycle and my most significant memory of hiding under the kitchen table as my parents fought each other. Obviously, London’s dark and grey weather was not my only unhappy memory, since my few pictures would return stark and unwelcoming. It also seemed the weather added to my emotional burden of being unhappy. It was only later in adult life, did I realise that absorbing a new way of

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being in a foreign environment was not conducive to me, my family or community, and could be detrimental to my well-being. But that is totally different story.

So, life in Jamaica, at the time, was the happiest one could ever imagine it to be.

Great, happy memories of how we were dynamic, innovative and aspiring young people, forging our own destiny, creating our own lives - in a land where we were free, unlike those who grew up in England, for example, struggling for an identity fighting oppression, confronting a racist system. We were free to express. Free to be. Even though the colour existed, at the time, we did not see it. So, we had youth club and high school rivalries, trips across the island, visiting the country looking for relatives, elders and young alike; there was so much to do, to see, to experience.

But, inevitably and

one by one, we became

adults and left “The Rock”;

continuing the practice of

migration that began well

before

mass movement. But it

seems, also, that in our

origins,

Ancestors,

kidnapped

those

so

many years ago, were the

forerunners. As apparent

that since back then we

were forced to go to newer

climes. Today we choose

to go to these “greener”

pastures.

our

transhipped,

Nonetheless,

the

Windrush1

and

the

issues in Jamaica, at that

time, are the same facing

most young people today

– lack of education, lack of opportunities and thus a job, the inability to purchase their own home and so on. Back then crime was also an issue but not like it is today. Now, the added ingredients of so many young people out of work in addition to those who have been deported, added to the need for materialism created by greed, corruption and the drugs trade, have resulted in a potent mix of idle young people manifesting negative behaviours and actions. Its ugly head seen across the Caribbean as I write. On this issue, I sincerely think that running away will not alleviate the situation, instead, those of us in the Diaspora need to be returning to assist in the upliftment of our people 1

In 1948, a large group of our foreparents, Jamaicans and other Caribbean people were invited to the socalled motherland, Great Britain, to assist her in her Second World War aftermath development, depriving the Caribbean of its sons and daughters, and starting a trend that continues today…

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in the Caribbean as well as in the Motherland (and by that I mean Alkebulan or Africa, its better known name!).

Today, on my visits home, crime has been the main cry of those seeking to leave.

But before crime was an issue – what was it? What forced us to want to leave? I know the driver for me was economic as well as educational opportunity but I ask myself what could I have truly achieved or contributed to if I had stayed. What would this journey have been like without the racism, the fight to be “accepted”, to be confident in whom I have always been and not allowing the “system” to demean and demoralise me - who I am.

Many Jamaicans are familiar with the States, UK and Canada from what they see on TV, buying into a dream that has not materialised for many. They only need to know the stories of many of those who have gone before. For some reason this is not the case; true tales are not known, especially the ones of No Irish, No Dogs, No Niggers.

Instead many have relatives who have returned, give a false impression of what they have achieved in the States, UK, Canada or anywhere else, conveniently excluding the hardship details they had to endure like struggling to make ends meet, confronting the institutions that does not and wishes not to fulfil their basic human needs. Some would claim “farrin” is a bed of roses, money comes easy and life is great. It can be but from my experience and those around me, it is a slog, a battle and is not as simple as it seems or made out to be.

But are they aware of the history or legacies which exist in these environments? I was not. Or do they even care?

Having this lack of knowledge reinforces stereotypes and unnecessary struggle, for example, African Caribbean people who born, lived and grew up in Great Britain story is so much different from African Caribbean people who born, lived and grew up in Jamaica or Caribbean. This is same for African Canadians in Canada or African Americans in America. Different legacies, still yet intertwined. This difference is across Diaspora and magnified in the way we are in these new environments. So how do we equip ourselves and others to understand what this means and impacts in their potentially new life? How do we tell someone in Jamaica that England is not what is, until you understand from an African Caribbean person’s perspective, who lived and 5

grew up there, what it truly means and has meant for them? Do we even care to ask these questions?

Many, in my opinion, seek solace by migrating to places where they believe their life will be wonderful not realising that just the colour of their skin can be seen as threat – worse if you add intelligence, focus or ambitious. Still, I don’t believe that what someone thinks of you should stop anyone be all they are blessed to be or to use as excuse but the reality is that in the West (in the main), structures and opportunities are based on one giving up who they are to “achieve” or to be “accepted”. How do those who don’t know anything about those who have gone before face these challenges, if they have never been equipped to do so?

But then, am I making this all up? Have I had the privilege of living abroad, a hindsight opportunity in realising what leaving home really means?

On a recent trip to Jamaica, I met professionals who felt that Canada would be a better place to live. These are people in jobs which provide various perks (including car, clothes, house allowance etc) that would take them a number of years to obtain in a newer environment. In most cases they would have to return to college or university to re-educate and re-qualify so that they can obtain employment and still start at the bottom of the ladder. I have had the privilege of living in various countries including Canada and it is known that qualified people like doctors from parts of the world have ended up driving taxis! Are we this desperate that we give up on our homeland to go somewhere where we just exist? Or am I yearning for a life now long past like our foreparents who left for greener pastures before me?

One thing I have come to terms with is that I now know that living away from home has taught me so much. I am grateful for the opportunity and if I could live my life again I would probably make the same choice, the only difference being I would rather travel and return home, than leaving home and returning every now and then. Also, I recognise that my responsibility is to educate and inform those who believe that leaving will make their situation better or their life would be complete. In most situations that is not the case, in others, maybe. But one thing I do know is that many people residing abroad miss Jamaica immensely and if the country was a different place they would return.

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Without a doubt, for many who have left it is the best that could have happened in what they have achieved, whether to support the family and friends or to build their dream home. The thing is, as said before, a seed for yearning for anything “farrin” has been planted. And even as the world has grown smaller and more opportunities does exist because of this Information Age, there are ways of capitalising on that right where we are.

There are many questions, too many to explore in this brief article. Still I do hope that I have planted seeds and that in someway make others think before deciding to leave. There is a lot of work to do right where we can be. But then maybe my musings are bias, not taking into account people’s situations? Maybe I am talking about ideals?

Anyway, whatever else, for me, I am ready to return home to empower those and educate them on what “farrin” is truly and really like.

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Introducing Partnership with People (PWP) - the Solution to the Economic Crisis

Michael Irving Phillips www.hotcalaloo.com Jamaica, the Caribbean and the World Economic Crisis

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n Russia, this once mighty Soviet Union, government workers go three months without pay. Even in the recently privatized industry there, workers not only go without pay, but sometimes are paid off in goods produced. For example, they receive some manufactured clothing and have to hawk it on the streets to earn a buck. The former Asian tigers, symbols of prosperity, like South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, have seen their economy tumble and now face hard times and disillusionment. With the exception of the US and some of 8

the European Union (EU), countries are mired deep in this economic crisis.

Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean are no exceptions.

Enough is Enough In Jamaica like most of the world, the economic "salvation" was imported.

Privatisation, globalisation, IMF imposed structural adjustment, currency liberalization, free trade, etc. have failed. How much longer shall we pursue these policies before our leaders realize this? Unfortunately, our leaders may be powerless to change course. Even in their own countries, they have no say.

The fact is these policies have undermined the economic sovereignty of our countries to international organisations like the IMF, the World Trade Organisations, the World Bank, etc. These organisations are dominated by big rich countries and multinational corporations. Right now the WTO has imperiled our banana trade with EU. Consequences In Jamaica the failure of these policies are so evident as shown by: • Banks have been dropping like flies • the dairy industry recently had to dump 76,000 liters of milk part of which is due to cheap imported powdered milk • The privatized sugar industry collapsed under millions of dollars in debt and fell back into Government hands • The beef industry were forced into public protest at McDonalds which buys only imported beef because it is cheaper by 14 cents per pound.

• The Jamaica cement company is millions of dollars in debt as cheaper imported cement makes big inroads into the local Jamaica market • Farmers in the parish of St. Elizabeth leave their abundant crops unharvested because they cannot compete with cheaper imports 9

• The banana companies have restructured into one Agris Services company to be more competitive with the "Dollar" bananas of multinational US corporations led by Chiquita. Every worker was made redundant and the new company rehired about 2000 of them, but at lowers wages and decreased benefits. The workers are not happy but "glad to have a job". • these "Dollar" bananas are so much cheaper than the local ones, if they were imported into Jamaica, would wipe out the Jamaica banana industry. So we could not only lose the EU market, but even our own local market

For Whose benefit?

Who is benefitting the people of multinational Chiquita, are. Not the world, even in bear down on the them into Wallmart up against a Privatization, trade...they all play multinational corporations.

from these policies? Not Jamaica. But, corporations, like only here, but all over NAFTA countries. They local industry, driving bankruptcy, like a mom-and-pop store. globalization, free into the hands of

Partnership with People (PWP) - the Way to Prosperity Still the IMF is calling for more aggressive privatization for Jamaica and most other struggling countries. This privatization is a bound-to-fail policy.

Governments end up selling off their money-making entities, for which there is demand, and get stuck with the money-losing ones. This is a clear formula for failure. If it were the other way around, then I would be an enthusiastic supporter. But this privatization is not the only game in town. I am proposing a 10

new game, Partnership with People (PWP). PWP will not only bring prosperity, but has the potential to restore the country to its people and from the clutches of powerful insensitive multinational corporations.

Introducing Partnership with People (PWP) The Government will set up PWP corporation. PWP will in turn form subsidiary corporations specifically to provide goods or services at a profit. These PWP corporations would be relatively autonomous but under the umbrella of PWP. Some features of these PWP corporations will include: •extensive feasibility study to ensure profitability potential •obtain marketing and other technical expertise on short term contract •take advantage of Government contacts and access • determine formula for success by comparison with like corporations not only in Jamaica but worldwide • this formula will then be followed rigidly •PWP would run the corporation for a limited time to ensure profitably and high standards •PWP would then sell the enterprise to private individuals, partners, but maintain control by an iron-clad contract which would spell out very rigid terms such as: •the name (Trademark) of the enterprise could not be changed • sale to a partner would be in the form of a down payment with a % of sales coming to PWP in perpetuity or for some defined period.

•PWP would control management style deciding such fundamentals as training standards and salary of employees 11

•PWP would provide advertising, and state of the art professional marketing and management •Supplies would be bought only from PWP sources •Buildings would have to be maintained according to PWP standards with no changes without PWP authorization •Since PWP policies and management techniques are obtained from established successful companies, failure to follow to the letter would void the contract and the private partner could even lose the enterprise and forfeit their deposit. This is a vital aspect of this plan as it depends on following what works, and models like these have a greater than 90% success rate.

An important aspect of PWP is that since unlike other Govt. operations, this one is for profit, employees salary would depend on the profits of PWP. Basically, the bigger the profits, the better is the pay. Given a certain time to turn a profit, PWP should not only pay for itself but provide revenues to the Govt.

In a nutshell, PWP is a franchise operation in which the Government is the franchiser and private individuals, partners, would be franchisees. Currently franchises are very expensive, making it difficult to find partners. So, be creative financing. Substituting products and services for financing, manipulation of fees and royalties, and such flexibility might have to be used to ensure supply of partners, each with a real stake in the business.

Background Recently I was in France. There, I obtained a map of Paris. The map was free and produced by the McDonalds Fast food corporation. There were little golden arches all over the map, each indicating where a McDonalds was located. I thought something was wrong with that picture. Well PWP will fix that picture without doing like Bermuda, which banned McDonalds from that country.

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Franchises are everywhere for everything here in the US, from Kwick Copy printing shops, maid service, Post Office boxes....everything. Besides they have a greater than 90% success rate and soon I predict they will be sweeping the Caribbean. All that money leaving the Caribbean, unless PWP is launched......

Success Back to McDonalds...

A very good friend of mine, a fellow Jamaican, attended high school here in the US. He then went to college, my alma mater, Howard University. Upon graduation, he went to England and became a barrister. He then returned to Jamaica. About 4 years later, he threw in the towel, abandoned Jamaica, and returned to the US. A barrister in the US! Worthless! In a few months I heard he had exchanged his legal wig for an apron and had become a manager at McDonalds. Now, years later, he has 2 McDonalds franchises and is wealthy!

The Challenge The immediate challenge is can the Government successfully set up its own franchises? Now is the time to find out before we have to compete with more multinational corporations coming in and taking the bread out of our mouths.

There are lots of information and expert consultants on franchising. We do not have to re-invent the wheel. A visit to the Internet will show a wealth of information on all sorts of franchises.

Ben and Jerry Ice Cream deserve special mention and real consideration as a model. They are a franchise corporation with a social conscience and prove that this is not incompatible with profit. Their highest paid employee up till recently by policy made no more than 8 times the lowest paid employee. Of course, this ratio is probably too low to attract partners, but it shows how this can be an incredibly fair and equitable system. "Yes Virginia...we can use the incentive of the profit motive, but without the contamination by greed."

Sources of PWP Franchises 13

•Government Divestment - instead of the traditional privatizing, each enterprise should be evaluated for PWP feasibility, and adopted if prospects for profits look good.

•Existing successful private enterprises - Historically, franchises usually have started out as a single business. With success, the operations are then spread by franchise to other areas, even internationally. In this instance, PWP will look at certain successful private enterprises in the country, evaluate their feasibility for PWP, and if good, invite the owners to expand via PWP. So branches might open up in other areas all over the country. This way ensures a proven product, and an expert partner (the owner), who would derive additional benefits for his or her expertise and extra managerial duties for each additional store.

•Existing struggling private enterprises - Some business are struggling because they need professional management, capital investment, and/or better organization. PWP could seek out such businesses, invite owners to join, and reorganize them professionally under PWP guidelines and terms.

•Create brand new enterprises - Instead of waiting for private sector, Government would set up a profitable business to fulfill some need in the community, establish its profitability and value, and then turn it over to PWP. As they say, the way to entrepreneurial success is to "find a need and fill it".

•Also, private individual could identify a business potential, for which he needs help to set up. He could then convince the government to set it up as a PWP project with him as the partner if he or she qualifies.

The Choice Recently I saw in the Jamaican papers much fanfare about the opening of a Century 21 Real Estate office in Jamaica. More franchise profits to a foreign company and also getting free advertising advantage over our own Jamaican real estate companies! That map of Paris...roads of money leading back to 14

McDonald corporation! These multinational corporations are coming and it will be "join them or go out of business". We'll become like the little stores in the US when a WallMart comes in the area. They all die!

These franchisers do provide excellent management, but they all follow a proven formula. In this information age, PWP too can follow that formula, elevate the level of service and business standards extensively, make money for our partners and the Government, and rescue our respective countries from rich multinational corporations. PWP is flexible too as it can decide what operations to undertake, and the rate at which to spread these operations. It can select the more feasible. PWP invites partners to join it without forcing anyone. Critics might contend that PWP is not new. To be sure, franchising is not new, which is good, because it has an established record of success. But, PWP is a new role for Government. The choice is clear. Is it the enfranchisement of our people by PWP or our continued disenfranchisement by rich multinational corporations? The choice has got to be PWP or at least it deserves a try!

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So this is what I know and I’m still here

SO, THIS IS WHAT I KNOW ABOUT BEING A WOMAN

I was born female.

That made me a woman.

My mom called me her baby girl.

That made me a woman.

I am a sister to my siblings, a mother to my daughter and a wife to my husband.

I’m a girlfriend, a hated enemy, counselor, mediator and yeah sometimes an instigator.

That makes me a woman.

When I was in the fifth grade boys were interested in what was underneath girls dresses.

So they slid pieces of broken mirror in between the laces of their gym shoes and made up excuses to stand close to me and my girlfriends at recess so they could 16

look up in between our legs. When we found out what they were doing, we hit them sharply on their backs with the flat palm of our hands and they would run away, afraid of more reprisals from us.

That gave me power like a woman.

On the first day of middle school and the end of summer vacation, I wore my first bra and got my period. I decided to wear a scoop necked, choker attached, short sleeved baby blue double knit top with a denim maxi skirt and platform sandals. I was new to my class and when I entered I met a bunch of strange faces, just like mine, but I was the only girl who decided to wear a long skirt. So I stood out.

I felt different because all the other girls wore miniskirts or jeans.

That made me feel like a woman.

In high school things changed.

The dynamics of my life changed.

I didn’t have the same friends again.

New teachers, new school, new classes, new boys, new men, new attitudes.

In one blazing moment when we all sat together for the first time you could smell it in the air.

It was thick because we were all taking deep breaths at the same time.

The sexual tension, the anticipation of the day and then swoop!

The door opened and it was like a back draft of air got sucked out of the room.

You could see the fumes of air being sucked into our lungs as he put down his folder and pen and introduced himself.

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“I’m Mister, Homeroom Teacher”. You fill in the blank. “And from this day forward you will be referred to as Mr. or Miss, whatever your last name is.”

That made me think of myself as a woman.

I fell in love with him in my senior year.

He had his choice of girls in my opinion.

Our lockers were next to each other.

Had been for two years We shared lunch and classes together but he never really seemed to notice me.

Until one day.

I wore my nicest pants, prettiest shoes, curled my hair tight, slathered some Vaseline on my lips and a big confident smile.

I was determined to get him to see me as more than just this girl next to his locker.

When he stood next to me that day, I looked at him from the corner of my eye and gave him a smile and said “Hi.” It was the longest five seconds of my life.

But that was the plan.

Just give him a good long look at me and saunter away.

In homeroom he asked for a pen and I gave him one and turned around as if not to notice him, but secretly hoping he would say more than thanks.

He turned back to me and asked if I was sitting with anyone at lunch

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We sat together from that day on.

Became best friends.

I was in love with him. My first love, my first lover, father of my first child, my first broken heart.

That made me think like a woman.

I’m nineteen years old now and I am in city college. I’m a mom, an employee, I’m smoking weed, experimenting with coke. I’ve had three other lovers. I’ve got my own place. My baby’s daddy has baled on me with no reason why and I’m alone, and scared.

I have so much to do and no time to do anything with any real assurance of the outcome.

But I’m the only one making the decisions now.

So I go with my gut and take my chances.

Some work out. The rest, I still don’t know.

But every day is different and I just keep moving. juggling my day and night. Day after day.

This makes me a woman From he day I got married, to the husband I have today, to the children I bore in this marriage, to meals I’ve cooked, the diapers I’ve changed, the booboo’s I’ve kissed, teeth I’ve pulled, arguments I’ve adjudicated, tears I’ve cried, jobs I’ve held in my spare time; if that ever really existed, volunteer work, play dates, parties, nights out, lights out, daybreaks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, to vacations and lack of recreation; from paying bills and managing business deals, taping sports games, shopping for first shoes, first bras, first pads and suits and coffins 19

and flowers and baby showers and more weddings, to my first gray hairs and retirements plans and long nights of rest and tossing and turning and doctor’s appointments, to health care professionals and laundry climbing up to my knees.

When all I really wanted, was to sit in a hot tub of water, with bubbles, listening to my favorite tunes, while holding my drink of choice, with refills waiting, without someone knocking at the door asking for their shoe, sock or just to pee.

From the moment I entered this world and the doctor said “It’s a girl”.

That made me a woman.

And I could go on but it would be more of the same.

The same days which bleed into each other because as I live each day, I have to make decisions off the cuff that have nothing to do with the scheduled time table of events that are charted in my calendar of the things that are planned to do and the things I have to do everyday. Not to be confused with the things that come up everyday that require my immediate attention and how I put most things on the back burner to simmer until the waters drained out.

Because while I know how to juggle today, tomorrow and right now. And when to take the pot off the fire and rescue the vestiges of my day so I can wake up fresh the next morning and begin again.

These things make me act like a woman These are some of the things that have brought the woman out of me. The plethora of decisions I make daily don’t define me. They personify me.

So this is what I know and I’m still here.

One day my daughter will read this and look at her life and these words will not make her a woman but she will look at her own life and define the things that have made her, the woman, she will be one day.

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