OUT OF MANY, ONE PEOPLE - SEPT 2007

ELECTION SUB-PLOT

So the Jamaican Elections of 2007 will be remembered for its Supreme Court being asked to address the important issue of “Who is a Jamaican?” or “Are you Jamaican enough to serve your country?”!!

This I think is an appropriate summation of the electoral choice Jamaicans faced.

There was a perception that the long-term serving party portrayed itself as being somewhat parochial and of the proud, but outdated, disposition that “we ah go do it on our own and show de world”. A nuttin wrong with that independent spirit - but is that relevant to today’s world or indeed how most Jamaicans see themselves!!

On the other hand the then opposition party had a distinctive international outlook for our country and this came across in the statesmanship of their leader, their support base and in their party’s media campaign and communication channels eg. YouTube.

Independence is commendable but mutually beneficial Interdependence with the wider regional and global communities serves all nation states with a better chance of developmental success in today’s inter-connected world.

So, in a sense, Jamaica’s electoral choice was - “Real Yardie” OR “International Jamaican”? – and they have chosen.

NATIONAL IDENTITY – SINGLE OR MULTIPLE?

To be sure the question of national identity bedevils many countries. In fact it is a global question which manifests itself increasingly in many ways. We talk of failed nation states (Afghanistan, Sudan), artificially constructed (mainly colonial legacy) nation states principally in Africa, states within states (Kurds in Iraq), newly emerging states (former Yugoslavia) etc. And for some people their religious identity supercedes national identity and allegiance, much to the frustration of the local national authorities!!

Truth is, most nation states did not exist 200 years ago even in Old Europe (Italy born in 1861, Germany born in 1815, etc). Over the centuries Mankind has moved identity and “allegiance” from villages to towns to city-states to nation states (countries) to supranational-states (EU) and this evolution will continue.

This evolutionary New World Order is rapidly accelerating in our 21^st Century.

The New World is being shaped by a wide range of phenomena - global climate change, global pollution, global disease transmission, global migration of people (legal and illegal), global movement of money, goods, information and know-how. We are being forced to acknowledge our mutual interdependence on planet Earth and the deficiencies of the traditional nation state concept are being exposed.

So welcome to the Global Village and the “One World, One Love” existence which Bob Marley prophesied. This is the present reality and foundation for the world’s future.

Progressive Nation States - which people, including “Jamaicans”, show a preference to migrate to – acknowledge this global reality and have developed ways of accommodating all-comers to their shores in a pragmatic way which benefits their society and economy.

For them the “Dual Nationality” concept (multiple passport holders, green card holders etc) has allowed their countries to benefit and prosper through the significant and regular admission of foreign-born peoples with multiple and diverse identities (despite the rhetoric of their own “nationalistic” media and some self-serving politicians).

JAMAICANS – “WE AT HOME” & “WE ABROAD”

And what says Jamaica on this matter of multiple identity – are we progressive or reactionary?

Are we Jamaicans Abroad – many with dual nationality - now to be deemed second class citizens of Jamaica? Not patriotic enough? I know many Jamaicans, some within my own family, who are scattered all over this globe but who are no less Jamaican than those “At Home” and demonstrate this with their contributions to Jamaica – in cash and in kind.

Indeed there is a Jamaican minority “At Home” who are doing incalculable reputational damage to our “national identity” through their criminal activity. To whom do they owe their allegiance?

Others At Home, through their general mismanagement of our resources and economy are devaluing our national currency and increasing the poverty of the Jamaican nation state. To whom do they owe their allegiance?

Because of this unfortunate reality many of us Jamaicans – At Home & Abroad - unashamedly swear greater allegiance to the US$, British pound or Canadian dollar than the Jamaican dollar. Fortunately it is because of this Dual Identity existence and Greater Allegiance(?) We Abroad are able to send back, gladly, a small portion of “foreign” wealth - representing billions of JA$ a year - to the spiritual home we all call Jamaica.

Let us also acknowledge that amongst Jamaicans At Home, there are those who see Africa as their first allegiance (in their own words), those who are more British than the British (they still revere the British Monarch as Jamaica’s Head of State) and those who are JAMERICANS through and through (their money and assets are mostly in the USA - bank accounts, real estate etc).

But this is what makes us Jamaicans, Jamaicans – Out of Many One People – Amen!!

JAMAICAS GLOBAL FUTURE

Jamaica, amongst a select group of countries, is no longer just a geographical space or nation state. Some may refer to it as a Brand but I personally believe Jamaica is a Cultural State of Mind which fosters the New World Order community allowing diverse peoples to live in harmony – One Love. Jamaica has become a strong world culture precisely BECAUSE it is all-inclusive and outward-looking and we must not lose this empowering characteristic.

In short, Jamaicans are a diverse global community now settled all over the world and we even occupy cyber space as a virtual community.

I hope the Jamaican Supreme Court shows visionary leadership and updates our Laws and Constitution (that my late father helped draft at Independence) to reflect current realities of our people and its Diaspora appropriately answering the relevant questions “What Jamaica is about and stand for” and “Who a Jamaican is”!!