IN a recent article in the Observer, I asked the question: ‘what does democracy mean in Jamaica today’? I would like to take up some of the issues raised in this column, with reference to the example of the Montego Bay Marine Park. Let’s first turn to what a democratic society needs in order to function.

Democratic societies need outlets for people to come together around new collective visions. Where these outlets are not provided we find protest, apathy and, sadly, all too often in the case of Jamaica, violence. Jamaicans know this better than most, with an in increasing voter apathy and organised violent gangs. However, there are no clear answers to these serious problems. No single ideology will help us here. In a recent book called New Caribbean Thought, co-edited by Brian Meeks from UWI, Folke Lindahl writes:

“No abstract intellectual theory can determine the direction of society or the outcome of politics; only slow, practical and tentative steps inside of established institutions can promote productive and legitimate policies, and only an active, energetic and independent civil society can provide the mores and milieu for a dynamic democratic culture.”

In other words, let’s be real about democracy in practice. A practical example of what I believe to be democracy is emerging at MoBay’s Marine Park.

A new common vision is emerging around a common cause. The MoBay Marine Park is becoming an outlet for some of those that work along the coastline to express their concerns, and it is helping them develop ideas for employment.

The groups that are taking part, cross the traditional categories of class, race, gender, expertise, age and so on. They include the concerns of fisher-people, but also involve those working in the tourist sector, scientists and conservationists. The following are only a few examples. Fisher-people and scientists have been growing sea moss, in order to develop a range of products. As one scientist said to me “You can’t tell a hungry man to stop fishing in order to save the environment, but you can help him get alternative employment”. Locals want to plant more mangroves, and assist in the development of a mangrove trail, canoe and kayaking tours and water taxi services. They would like to get involved in manatee tours as well. Others want to be trained to develop turtle hatcheries, and divers have become interested in a small-scale ‘wrecks’ programme, sinking eight metre for visiting tourists to dive and find. Long time Sandals has provided resources to the MoBay Marine Park. Sandals already takes pride in buying local produce. This was encouraged by the now director of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, Selena Tapper. The Environmental Foundation and other organisations could also help those small initiatives talked about above.

They have thankfully given money to the Marine Park already, but the sorts of initiatives that are being talked about above clearly do not need big bucks, and are self-sustaining. Those that are not self-sustaining, are not good ideas, and should be rejected.

MoBay Marine Park is repositioning itself as a focus point in order to assist in the development of initiatives.

Jill Williams (the executive director) continuously and ceaselessly points out to us the dangers of polluting the waters. In particular, there is increasing concern that the reefs are being destroyed. MoBay Marine Park also needs support in order to facilitate the great ideas that are being developed with the community. It is well positioned to sell MoBay to the wider world on behalf of the hotels, but also to facilitate small-scale public initiatives. MoBay Marine Park is a significant asset. Why is it not used to market MoBay to the wider world? All over the Caribbean, marine parks are a central focus of the tourism product. Just look at the examples of the Soufriere Marine Management Area from St Lucia, the Folkestone Marine Park and Reserve from Barbados, Bonaire Marine Park, Bucoo Marine Park from Tobago, and so on. If you think you don’t have the assets at MoBay, think again. Most importantly, the people who live in MoBay do not see the Marine Park as their enemy. There is much more conflict over the use of resources in many of the other marine parks and reserves of the Caribbean. The MoBay Marine Park is a great platform to launch a common vision from. I would hate to think of MoBay as ‘opportunity lost’.

It is more important than ever for MoBay to stand out from other resorts at this time – to bring in as wide a range of tourists as possible. The ideas developed between MoBay Marine Park and fisher-people, for example, can only benefit the all-inclusives and other hotels, as well as the wider population of MoBay itself. When these ideas are linked to those concerns of Jill Williams, about the need to stop polluting the asset that is MoBay, seems like we have a common vision developing around the MoBay Marine Park.

So I will end with a note to Dean Peart, the new Minister of Land and the Environment. Marine Parks are notoriously difficult to get right. I am not disposed to praising the marine reserves that I have written about in other Caribbean countries. However, the people of MoBay Marine Park, and the community that they are involving, are coming up with some really innovative ideas. Just as these ideas are practical and likely to have long-lasting effects, I am sure that so will be the support given to any politician who helps nurture them.

Dr Jonathan Pugh is a research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster in London