Former president of the National Democratic Movement, Hyacinth Bennett, has launched a new lobby group.

Jamaicans for Action, she said, is not affiliated with any political party and does not intend to vie for leadership of the country. The lobby group, Bennett explained, will try to address a raft of Jamaica’s social and economic problems, including crime and violence and the educational system.

“Let me make it clear that while Jamaicans for Action is an inclusive organisation, we are non-partisan and do not seek state power. We are not affiliated to any political party whatsoever,” Bennett told scores of persons at Thursday night’s launch at the Hydel Group of Schools in Ferry, St Catherine.

“In fact, we jettison personal agendas, narrow party considerations and undertake to move in unity to save Jamaica,” she added.

But her lengthy presentation – in which she bashed the country’s political leadership for its arrogance, the government for its failure to admit mistakes and its haste to make the Caribbean Court of Justice the final court of appeal – left some in the audience confused about the actual role of the new group.

“I want to know what action we, as a group, are going to take to deal with the problems facing the country?” one member of the audience asked.

“We are embryonic at this stage, so we will write down your concerns and take it from there,” Bennett replied.

The group’s steering committee will be meeting over the next few days to discuss the way forward, she said. The members include journalist and political commentator, Lloyd B Smith; psychiatrist Dr Wendel Abel; former NDM member, Barry Wharman; school principal, Jacqueline Waite; Dr Letitia McPherson; Bishop Doris Hutchinson; and four sixth-form high school students.

According to Bennett, the JFA’s mandate includes:

. the establishment of people’s co-operatives and other self-help income-generating projects;

. education programmes at various levels;

. resistance of more taxation in the absence of effective representation and in the presence of waste, inefficiency and corruption;

. the monitoring of legislation such as the Terrorism Prevention Act; and

. environmental awareness and protection strategies.

Bennett was elected head of the NDM in May 2001, two months after founder and president, Bruce Golding, resigned following the party’s poor showing in the North East St Ann by-election.

At the end of August 2003, after 15 months at the helm, she resigned citing a “desire for more time to pursue her studies”.

Shortly after Thursday night’s launch, she told the Observer that the “season” when she was about to do her studies has ended.

“My life is made up of seasons, and the season when I was about to do research for my PhD is somewhat closed now and I am now moving into rescuing Jamaica,” she said.

“Who is to tell, when the ‘season’ comes back again I may go back in the PhD work.”