MLKJ Essay Competition - Jade-Ashley Carberry

By Jade-Ashley Carberry Belair School

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How can Jamaicans break down barriers and work more closely together? Give examples of how misunderstandings and prejudice can lead to conflict.

THE new, fast, sports car sped down the road to the upcoming corner, its driver flawless, with not a speck of dirt or sweat upon his face. The car made an abrupt stop in a line of traffic where it met upon an old, dirty pick-up truck on the other side of the road, holding its driver, who was tired from a hard day of work. The two drivers stopped beside each other, glancing at one another in disgust.

"PIG!" cried out the pick-up driver through his window. Infuriated, the sports car driver fired a stretch of dirty words across to the pick-up owner. As the line of traffic eased up, the pick-up owner drove away, wondering why this rich man called him such names. "CRASH!" The sports car driver dashed out of his car, only to find that he had hit an actual pig. The sports car now had a big dent and the pig was lying dead in the road.

This is a comical example of how misunderstanding and prejudice can lead to disaster and confusion. What was meant as a useful warning was interpreted as abuse through the disdainful eyes of prejudice. Jamaica is riddled by prejudice and misunderstanding. These conflicts of class consciousness and political bias are rooted in mistrust and ignorance. The way to dispel these is with communication and education. My suggestions to address these factors in Jamaica revolve around these two pillars.

One way of promoting increased communication in this land we love involves identifying groups in which prejudice is rampant, then facilitating events which highlight the beliefs held by each group. This allows the participants to discuss the conflicts and differences they experience. For example, events such as Community Town Hall Meetings, National Debates, and Unity Camps can be encouraged. The dialogue must be managed and common values focused on.

I believe the focus here should be on youth because adults often demonstrate an unreasonable reluctance to change. Groups that feature sports and fun activities that will captivate the youth, while promoting cooperation, is one effective way of creating change. Adults can support these groups by participating in family fun days and other inter-community events. Introduce more special programmes in the schools from an early age which focus on communication skills and conflict resolution.

Another approach is through music. I posit that if the government came to some agreement with the dancehall artistes, who have such a profound influence on our Jamaican youth, to support the society by performing conscious, and wholesome lyrics of unity and co-operation, we could be one step closer to resolving conflict and bringing solidarity and peace to our nation.

The challenges of prejudice and misunderstandings are not easily overcome. The concerted efforts of the nation are required to effectively rival these issues and bring about needful changes. This will not happen overnight. However, with the aforementioned suggestions clearly understood, and effectively attempted, the desired results will be achieved eventually.

Did you watch American football's Super Bowl on Sunday?
	Yes, but just for the advertisements
	Yes, just for the game itself
	Yes, for both the game and advertisements
	No, I did not watch the Super Bowl.

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MLKJ Essay Competition - Jade-Ashley Carberry