Dear Editor,

Jamaica, the blessed country, depends on each of us to fulfil her promise.

As individuals, institutions, and communities, ours is the task to apply intellect, emotion and knowledge to the issues and opportunities that emerge.

To overcome the three Cs of COVID-19, crime, and corruption, we must be able to walk humbly, do justice and show mercy.

In partisan politics, love, loyalty and the home team are paramount, while in good governance we see integrity, respect, and duty under the rule of law as vital. Bridging this will require civic knowledge and accountability.

Jamaica has been described as practising ‘segmentary factionalism’ and ‘victory addiction’, both creating hyper partisanship, resistance to fair comment, a preference for framing problems within past acts and revisionist history and the use of the digital platform to excoriate real or imagined ‘enemies’.

This pattern may have contributed to a sense of powerlessness, cynicism, and loss of respect for and engagement with some of our institutions and issues.

Let us support the honest work of our institutions and commit ourselves to play our part so that “Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity”.

Donna Parchment Brown

Political ombudsman

Kingston