If its New Year message is anything to go by the new administration of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, (PSOJ) clearly believes in people power.
The organisation in its New Year message has outlined and pledged its support for a number of initiatives which it believes will assist in ridding the country of the crime, violence and general indiscipline which it sees as threatening "to disrupt the economic and social fabric of our daily lives".
There cannot be any quarrel with the initiatives as outlined by the PSOJ. Where there can be some debate is about how the objectives are to be achieved. If it is about people power, as we have suggested, then the PSOJ ought to tell us how this people power is to be mobilised.
The organisation makes the very relevant observation that the people of this country need to demand change instead of asking what the Government is doing. And it has offered its support to activities and actions to take the country out of the "quagmire of violence and corruption".
It offers 10 suggestions that it feels will assist in starting the process of change. They range from a request for people to volunteer to assist in the betterment of their communities, to providing information about crime and police brutality, to calling on the police to end the extortion rackets and the rule of the don.
Other suggestions include support for the Anti-Corruption Commission, the elimination of the drug transhipment trade, forcing the drug dealers to live elsewhere and the creation of jobs and housing through the reduction of interest rates.
All of the suggestions are laudable and if implemented could result in a transformation of the society. But, we would contend that somebody has to lead the charge, as it is unlikely to happen spontaneously.
The PSOJ says that we need to "take Jamaica back from warlords, criminals and hooligans". And that "in 2002 we must demand the return of a peaceful society, a better managed environment, a society that gives hope to us and to our children".
We believe the organisation should go one better than pledging its support for these worthwhile initiatives. That in co-operation with civil society it should be prepared to mobilise and lead the process of change. It is well-placed to do so.
