The illusion and necessity for change

The Editor, Sir:

A sojourn in England between 1997 and 2000 gave me the opportunity to understand the foundations and mechanics of a concept which I am dubbing 'change without changing'. A complex process of commissions of enquiry, parliamentary committees, white papers and green papers and consultations seemed to be an ingenious way of suggesting that change was coming but, alas, in the end it was an illusion.

The fact is that the populace treats much of this with a very cynical yawn and thinks our politicians, policymakers and private sector think that we are that stupid, or is it that they don't care what we think.

Fast-forward to post-colonial independent Jamaica where costly commissions of enquiry are held quite often, and instead of implementing the frequent findings about crime, violence, electoral reform, land reform, etc., more commissions are held. I would like to see some research on the cost and outcomes of all of the commissions of enquiry which have been held since Independence.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES

What happens when the citizenry of a country loses confidence in its leaders? One part of the country leaves physically, another part leaves partially and develops a visiting relationship with the country coming and going to another country. These divided loyalties create another set of problems, including ambivalence and only partial commitment. Another set operate as predators, stripping the resources of the country like locusts. They slash and burn, leaving nothing in their wake.

Thankfully, there is another group which digs deeply into its own and collective resources and produces innovation. They certainly need to be identified in the country when so many have given up and feel that change is unlikely. Paradoxically, then, we need to realise that in spite of our cynicism it is this group which has the future in its hands.

The question is: how do these kinds of Jamaicans take charge ofthe process of transformation? How do they transform the concept of 'change in my interest by me and for me' to any notion of 'us and we'? Nearly three million individuals do not make a nation. A nation has to be forged, a collective ethos has to be revived. We need to believe in ourselves in spite of all other indications to the contrary.

I am, etc.,

HILARY

ROBERTSON-HICKLING

UWI, Mona