CHAIRMAN and lead principal of mobile telephone company Digicel, Denis O’Brien is encouraging all Jamaicans to exhibit civility and good grace toward each other whether it be in the workplace, home or the community.

To that end a campaign has been initiated called “Respect”, soliciting the aid of the country’s leading corporate and civic bodies to foster and inculcate this mantra.

Addressing some of the country’s business leaders at a luncheon held at the Terra Nova All-Suite on Wednesday, O’Brien made it unequivocally clear that this was not a Digicel initiative but one where Jamaica’s leading companies will be playing a role and submitting ideas to see to it that Jamaicans treat each other with dignity regardless of class, gender, race, where one comes from, sexual persuasion and so forth.

The Digicel boss went on to point out that the history of the world shows that great things are accomplished when people are civil toward each other and work together in peace and harmony.

Turning his attention closer to his homeland Ireland, he said that for many decades sectarian violence had savaged and divided Northern Ireland. However, the Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement of 1998 saw both unionist and nationalist parties working together in the Assembly and basically sees Northern Ireland self-governed. The Agreement saw the decommissioning of all weapons on both sides (Catholics and Protestants) and an instituted power-sharing agreement which has led to greater harmony.

O’Brien, who is also chairman of the Digicel Foundation, said that on his passing he didn’t want to be remembered as a sort of eighteenth century buccaneer who just rapes and pillages countries but would rather like to give back and make a valuable contribution to the countries where Digicel has a presence; that he would like to see people live rewarding, fulfilled lives where respect and civility prevailed.

An advisory board has been formed to see to it that the Respect Campaign is implemented. It consists of : Adam Stewart (Sandals/ ATL), Christopher Zacca (president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica), Peter Moses (Citibank), Earl Jarrett (Jamaica National), Thalia Lyn (Island Grill), Brian George (Supreme Ventures), Tony Hart ( Founder of the Hart Group of Companies), William Mahfood (Wisynco), Jason Henzell (Jakes Hotel/Treasure Beach Foundation).