THE current security crisis spawned by the Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke affair has jerked the society out of a paralysing complacency. But at the same time, a despondent state of mind prevails — a situation not helped by the fact that the Government has not yet regained its self-confidence.

We are brilliant at diagnosing and describing the problem, but not so adept at designing the solution. Yet this is a time for solutions.

The Government might still be wobbling from the blows it has taken recently, but it must regroup now with a clear and precise plan to move the country forward, to take advantage of the narrow window we have been afforded by the routing of the criminals by the security forces.

Former Prime Minister Michael Manley once explained that his plethora of social programmes to alleviate poverty was not politically motivated or fiscally irresponsibile, but the cost of maintaining peace and social order. Material deprivation in Jamaica is such that an ever increasing number of young unemployable males turn to crime.

In this regard, we note the finance minister’s estimate that we will need US$1 billion to consolidate the security operations and put in the necessary social amenities to fill the void left by the criminals. We look forward to seeing details of that plan, assuming, as we must, that there is one. But it is not a job for Government alone.

The Government, in co-operation with the private sector, the trade unions and the churches must immediately launch a sustained programme of civil rehabilitation and social construction.

Three approaches come to mind immediately: first, poverty alleviation; second, education; and third, employment.

A programme of poverty alleviation is urgently needed to fill the vacuum left by the cessation of handouts with which criminals gained the loyalty of some poor people. The utility companies must therefore reconsider how quickly they move in to disconnect electricity and water supplies in the ‘liberated’ inner-cities.

Education must concentrate on the early years of childhood. Primary education must be compulsory for all and must be complemented by school-feeding and after-school programmes. The curriculum should concentrate on reading and writing English (the most widely spoken language in the world), Mathematics, Civics and an introduction to Science.

It is at this tender age that values and civility are inculcated and the basic human being is formed. Education for the youth should not be confined to academics but should be skillsoriented and employment focused.

The “unemployable’ must be provided with the opportunity for participation in a programme of re-skilling the labour force. This, in many instances, will be more rudimentary than that provided by HEART. Re-skilling must be followed by a period of employment so that the experience, habit and discipline of work become a normal part of life. Productive employment is the key to self-actualisation of a human being and is the basis for citizenship.

Naturally, this costs money in an already tight situation, but if we are to be a civil society, then as a country we must find a way to afford it. It is not beyond our ingenuity to find creative solutions to this problem. In any case, we do not have an option.

A crisis is a terrible thing to waste, as social psychologist Dr Leahcim Semaj reminded us recently. The current crisis is an opportunity that must definitely not be wasted.