As Jamaica is celebrating its 61st Anniversary of Independence the motto that has been chosen for this year’s celebration is ‘Jamaica 61 Proud and Strong’, and certainly it’s a motto that has some significance for the country, because yes, the country has provided some strong leaders and strong individuals and there is much to be proud of.
And so in celebration, we can remind ourselves of these achievements, but we must also be prepared to meet the challenges of today with strength and with integrity, and to produce a proud nation.
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As we look in the 61 years of Independence, Jamaica has produced strong leadership that has guided the ship of government with determination, imagination, commitment, and with a great degree of wisdom and has guided the ship of Jamaica through many turbulent waters to a point where we can be proud of where we are as a country and the possibility to make significant progress.
We must remind the youth that to have made it through the 61 years, Jamaica has come through with strong and tested leaders with strength, proud individuals from Norman Washington Manley thru Sir Alexander Bustamante, followed by Donald Sangster, The Hon. Hugh Shearer, Michael Manley and the Hon. Edwards Seaga, The Honorable P.J. Patterson and the first and only woman Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Honorable Portia Simpson, and the former Prime Minister, the Honorable Bruce Golding and the current Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
And so 61 years of stewardship have steadied Jamaica’s direction and has built a strong brand globally for Jamaica in several areas and have guided this country to be recognized for its many positive attributes around the world.
The Jamaica Independence movement has strong support in the Jamaican diaspora for years, and served as a catalyst for political activities and independence movement drive.
Almost 30 years before Independence, The Jamaica Progressive League in New York was very active in organizing awareness issues universal adult suffrage for Jamaica, and through many years funding and advocating for political and economic independence. They were stalwarts like W. Domingo, and W. A. Roberts, President of the Historical Society, who spent a tremendous amount of effort and time organizing the Independence movement in Jamaica.
Today, the Jamaican diaspora still serves as a strong support for Jamaica and Jamaica’s potential, and should not be overlooked, but should be embraced in a constructive way to help to further its growth and development.
The Diaspora and its remittances has served as one of the mainstays of Jamaican economic strength, and should be acknowledged for that, and not only acknowledged, but to be allowed to continue to expand its self-support and development for the country.
So through the 61 years, Jamaica has established in the world, a solid brand with support of Jamaicans at home and abroad, and these elements need to be admired, respected and certainly play a role in Jamaica as it faced many challenges.
Individually and collectively, Jamaicans have established and developed a reputation of forward-making significant contributions wherever they might reside and also making sure that their homeland is well provided for, providing as we mentioned billions of dollars in remittances back to Jamaica.
So there is an essential ingredient for a country to take up and to, in the motto of this year, be strong and proud.
However, there are many obstacles to overcome. Jamaica currently faces a tremendous challenge with respect to crime and violence. Violent crime in on the rise, and so is the rate of murder. Corruption at all levels of the country’s operation is having a negative impact. Financial institutions are suffering from scamming. Returning residents are plagued by safety and security issues, and gangs have a significant role to play in what is happening in the country and need to be controlled.
And then of course, you are faced with the danger of climate change, which is a steep hill to climb for the region and, in fact, for the world, but Jamaicans again are a strong and resilient people, and we can look to playing a significant role as we look internationally to come to solutions of this existential problem of climate change. So as we look to the future, we must look for a determined and visionary leadership with the discipline and commitment to bring about the effort that is needed to climb the hill that Jamaica faces, not only Jamaica, but several of the Caribbean countries.
Jamaica is not short of talent and the absolute goodwill among Jamaicans at home and abroad to solve these problems to work on them; so as we celebrate Jamaica and we celebrate its strength and pride, we want to look to these attributes as we face challenges that the country must resolve.
Carib News as it does every year has on display strong and proud Jamaican-Americans with aspirational stories and inspirational achievement and Carib News looks at these Jamaican-Americans in the way of their contribution to their adopted homeland, their birth and heritage homeland, and to identify and celebrate what is now known as the Jamaican-American Power 100 where people making a significant difference in the country and around the world, and people who we can also identify as leaders, for not only the current effort in Jamaica, but also serve as role models for the future.
Yes, Jamaicans are strong and proud people and we need to give credit for that as we urge strong and proud people to apply that strength and pride to solving those present problems that we now face, and that our future independence celebrations can be continued to be joyous and positive and continue to show Jamaica in its highest light.
Currently, Jamaican-Americans are in very high places in the United States. From Vice President Kamala Harris to Congress member Yvette Clarke, Sheila Lee Jackson, also a member of the US Congress, and several members in the Biden Administration are of Jamaican heritage. These are just a few examples of the people serving the diaspora not only in the US, but also in Canada and around the world.
So yes, there is much to be proud of, and much strength that has been shown.
We extend hearty congratulations to Jamaica and Jamaicans on the 61st Anniversary of Independence and we applaud and celebrate Jamaica POWER 100 who make us so proud and let us remain forever, hopeful celebrating 61 years strong and proud.
