POINT, Hanover — Former Prime Minister P J Patterson has called for the implementation of a wholesome values and positive attitudes crusade, similar to the one he had launched in the early 1990s, aimed at addressing the ills of the society to include violence.

“I don’t mind what you want to call it. Irrespective of how we package it, what Jamaica needs now is a crusade to restore the wholesome values and positive attitudes which are the important legacy as a people, and which are essential to our progress as a nation,” Patterson urged.

The former long-serving prime minister made the call on Saturday during his address of the Rotary Club of Lucea 44th Annual Presidential Installation Dinner.

During the installation ceremony held at the Grand Palladium Hotel located at in this western Jamaica community, retired educator Nerris Hawthorne was installed as president by her predecessor, Neville Anderson.

Patterson, during his address, argued that such a non-political initiative must be placed at the top of the country’s agenda.

“It can’t be seen as a partisan programme. It has to become a national imperative which must be placed at the top of the country’s agenda,” Patterson urged.

With that said, the former prime minister is hoping that the next Vale Royal talks between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader, Dr Peter Phillips will be used to send a clarion call for all Jamaicans to participate in such a programme.

“I wish that the prime pinister of Jamaica and the Leader of the Opposition, the next time that they meet in the Vale Royal talks, would join together as one in issuing clarion call to our churches, our schools, our trade unions, our business sector, our NGO’s (non government organisations) and our service clubs that Jamaica is going on a crusade to restore wholesome values from Morant Point to Negril Point. And if necessary, there are four past prime ministers. They can rope us into the exercise as partners to give it the thrust and political support which is necessary,” expressed a willing Patterson.

Pointing to the popular proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”, Patterson said that there is a need to return to basics.

“Nowadays, that sense of self-respect, that sense of caring, the sense of protection of our children, that is what we need to restore,” Patterson urged.

“We need to draw on these aspects of our heritage and focus on those retentions which will impact positively on our possesses, on our values and our patterns of behaviour. When we do, we find that they strengthen our human and social capacity and, at the same time, enhance our prospects for economic growth and our well-being as a nation,” Patterson added.

Patterson, who was raised in Hanover as a boy shortly after he was born at Rousseau Road in south St Andrew, argued the need for a sense of self-respect and care for each other and pointed to the need to always remember the poor and the elderly.

“One thing that sticks in my memory — every Sunday when you go to Sunday School and church and you come back (home), before you settle down to your Sunday dinner, you got a carrier (bag with food) to take to the people, your neighbours who were poor, who were elderly, who were sick,” recalled Patterson, who added, “We need to build that sense of self-respect and care for each other in Jamaica again.”

He noted that this does not mean that a Government should be absolved from discharging its responsibility. “But let’s be frank. No Government can do it by itself without the support and the involvement of the people,” Patterson noted.

Patterson, during his time as prime minister, had introduced the positive values and attitudes programme in 1994 with the aim of addressing indiscipline, incivility, and violence within the society. However, the desired intent of the programme failed due to lack of societal buy-in which led to a relaunch in 2003.