Dear Editor,

Despite the rapidly declining social norms and standards in Jamaica as well as our propensity for violence, aggression, and ‘badmanism’, I am hopeful as an Optimist and a member of several voluntary organisations.

I still maintain that all is not lost for Jamaica. There are still many decent, loving, kind, law-abiding, and hard-working people in our society who, under great pressure, are doing their best to offer hope and push back against hopelessness, despair, and negative attitudes or tendencies.

One such group is the thousands of volunteers who offer their talents, skills, knowledge, time, resources, and goodwill to build better individuals and communities. I can easily speak to the thousands of justices of the peace; members of school boards; church groups; youth clubs; service clubs, such as the Optimist club, Kiwanis club, Rotary club; neighbourhood watch groups; and citizens’ association groups. I could go on and on!

Despite all these voluntary organisations, with many outstanding volunteers, I can’t recall hearing any of the regular members getting a national award or recognition for voluntary service to their country. Normally, such an award is reserved for individuals from the upper echelon of society, with no consideration for the thousands of ordinary volunteers who, through their efforts and examples, have given extraordinary service to community and country.

Let us not fool ourselves, grass-roots upliftment is not attributable to middle class benevolence. It is the ordinary people who sell their labour for small wages and turn around volunteering their talent and time who have held our society together. It is the ordinary people who sacrifice their time and carry the disadvantaged on their backs.

Many of us are afraid to talk about it, but the national honours and awards mechanism represents an elitist system of selection which is mistakenly referred to as a representation of the so-called cream of the crop.

May I submit to the National Honours and Awards Committee as well as the Government of Jamaica that a review of the selection process for such an award be undertaken with the aim of providing a seat at the table for ordinary Jamaicans who are outstanding volunteers in their respective fields of influence.

I would recommend for a start that the composition of the National Honours and Awards Committee be reconfigured to include a fair representation of ordinary Jamaicans. I have not given up hope on Jamaica, but I fear that unless something is done to increase and improve the level of volunteerism in the country and motivate those of us who are giving of ourselves, very soon we will become a society of selfish people overrun by greed, with no regard for the common good.

There are too many outstanding, yet ordinary, Jamaicans who receded into the obscurity of history without a whisper of recognition from their country for the many years of voluntary service rendered. It is time the Government moves to right this wrong.

One other recommendation I would make to recognise outstanding, yet ordinary, volunteers is to have a National Public Service and Volunteers Hall of Fame in which regular Jamaicans can be inducted for outstanding service.

Let us give recognition to the many outstanding, yet ordinary, volunteers who have given of their service and have served well.

The word is always love.

Andre’ A O Wellington

Justice of the peace

President, Spalding Citizens’ Association

andrewellington344@yahoo.com