I first visited Tivoli Gardens in 1996. Like most Jamaicans, my preconception of Tivoli Gardens was shaped by media reports that highlighted the violent aspects of such inner-city communities. However, Tivoli Gardens was singled out as the archetype.

Andrew Holness

So, I will admit that there was more than an iota of fear in my mind. I was pleasantly surprised that much of what had shaped my preconception was myth. In fact, beneath the veil of criminal notoriety, Tivoli Gardens has managed to make tremendous leaps in its social and economic development. I will proffer a view that, at first glance, may seem ridiculous.

Tivoli Gardens is the inner-city community best poised to make the transition from ghetto to middle class!

Consider that Tivoli Gardens had its origins in a part of Kingston that was essentially the city landfill. It was the vision of Edward Seaga that created Tivoli Gardens. From the outset it was an exercise in social engineering.

The easy part was erecting the buildings, but changing culture and attitudes is a long-term endeavour. I recall watching a documentary on the Tivoli Gardens project where Mr Seaga was explaining why the park benches were curved, humped and without backs. If the benches were straight and flat persons would use them as permanent beds.

And if they had backs persons would sit on the backs and rest their feet on the seat. Such was the thought that went into the development of that community. The same vision and thought launched Denham Town and Hannah Town.

In many respects, these area were developed not as mere housing projects, but as total communities. They were equipped with schools, crèche, maternity homes, clinics, golden age homes, community centres, business/trade centres, sporting and recreational facilities.

Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin. Tivoli mother of all garrisons

For Tivoli Gardens especially, social and culture development was deliberately promoted through dance, drama, music and sports. Without question, political affiliation has also coloured the social development of the community. Indeed, its social and economic development as a community is inextricably intertwined with the Jamaica Labour Party.

For Labourites, and for PNP supporters too, Tivoli is considered the JLP's mecca. This comes with a heavy price. For while Tivoli Gardens is the strongest area of support for the JLP it is also an Achilles heel.

That Tivoli Gardens evokes so much fear and conjures images of well-organised gunmen threatening the Jamaican State, has always been an effective trigger in a strategy to attack Tivoli and provoke a response.

The PNP propaganda machinery has craftily placed in the minds of Jamaicans the thought that Tivoli Gardens is behind crime in Jamaica and that the wickedest and most notorious gunmen come from Tivoli.

In a country where people are fed up with this seemingly uncontrollable crime problem, there is little patience or sympathy for a community like Tivoli, even if innocent persons are killed in the execution of a political agenda. The JLP is duty-bound to defend Tivoli, but in defending Tivoli to those who buy the PNP propaganda we appear to be defending crime.

I am deeply saddened that Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, Chief of Staff of the JDF, and someone I hold in high esteem, has decided to (knowingly or unknowingly) become a mouthpiece for the PNP propaganda machine.

His unsolicited and unnecessary intervention has only served to reinforce deeply held positions over the issue. Those persons who buy the PNP propaganda will cite the Chief of Staff's statement as confirmation from a credible source.

Persons living in Tivoli Gardens, and other such communities, will cite the Chief of Staff's statement as confirmation that the security forces dislike, and target, their communities. Though the intention of his statement may have been to give a frank assessment, it has moved the nation further away from resolving the Tivoli issue.

Tivoli is no different from any other inner-city community, except that it is more evolved in its structures and by virtue of public perception has become a very closed community. Nevertheless, Tivoli lies in the heart of the market district and next to the industrial district and the waterfront.

Tivoli could be a thriving community economically. That community must be the most successful community at national and regional competitions. Make no mistake, Tivoli is also blessed with its share of ambitious and successful people.

To break the PNP strategy of attacking Tivoli, which places the JLP in a dilemma, the leadership of Tivoli (and the JLP) must now revisit the vision of its founder, Edward Seaga - that of creating sustainable, peaceful and thriving communities out of ghettos.

Tivoli has the leadership, and that organisation, to do it - and within the boundaries of the law. Recall that there was a time when the former MP, Edward Seaga, felt it necessary to handover the names of criminals who were terrorising the community to the police.

Today, the community has overcome those problems. The internal murder rate is now zero and crime generally is negligible. Tivoli has come a long way in making peace with its neighbours. Tensions and war between Rema, Hannah Town, Arnett Garden and Tivoli Gardens have cooled.

I was present at the first peace match between Tivoli and Arnett Gardens at the Tony Spaulding Sports complex and I saw cold apprehension melt into warm handshakes as leaders at all levels displayed maturity and mutual respect.

The peace has endured. One needs only to observe the capacity crowds at the Premier League football matches between the communities. If you are tired of the New Kingston Hip Strip, check out Passa Passa on a Wednesday night, or rather on a Thursday morning.

These are major achievements for an inner-city community. Compare these achievements with mayhem and terror gripping similar communities. Making peace and subduing the crime beast did not occur by chance. Leaders took conscious decisions and executed them.

It is argued that the leadership in Tivoli is so strong and well organised that it can effectively enforce its own law and order and in fact challenge the law and order of the Jamaican state. After the West Kingston Massacre in July 2001, I was having lunch with a senior government official who commented that gunmen in Tivoli Gardens should stop shooting at the security forces when they enter the community.

He went on to say that Tivoli must decide whether or not it is a part of the Jamaican state and subject itself to Jamaican Law. I agreed with him substantially, but pointed out to him that the reverse of his statement is also true.

The Jamaican state must also decide whether or not it is going to accept Tivoli Gardens as part of the Jamaican state and afford the people of Tivoli the same rights and treatment as person who live in Mona or Jacks Hill.

The greatest blow Tivoli could deliver to the PNP and naysayers like Chief of Staff Lewin is for them to transition from ghetto to middle class. The process began some 40 years ago. This generation of Tivolities need to rekindle the vision and refocus their energy and resources to the task.

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