Tupac “2Pac” Shakur, now deceased rapper, visited me recently. So did his mother, Afeni Shakur.

It happened after I stumbled across writer and theologian Donnell McLachlan’s Instagram post ripping into Canadian rapper Drake’s initially unchecked alleged abuse of intellectual property and absolute contempt for 2Pac’s legacy, hip hop, ‘black’ people, and women. That prompted me to research Afeni. I didn’t know (or couldn’t remember) much else about her, other than “she was a Black Panther”.

Then the following morning, in-between preparing breakfast, I started browsing the rest of McLachlan’s feed. It was intense. A series of biographical clips, presented by multi-award-winning documentarian Adam Curtis, relaying epic tribulations endured by 2Pac and Afeni blew my mind. There’s so much I didn’t know. There’s too much most people do not know about the bravest among us.

The Shakurs forced me to re-evaluate previous thoughts regarding the devolution of professional entertainers in Jamaica (and, more recently, our African motherland). But their story’s relevance hits beyond business. The facts, especially details of a court-of-law–proven case of entrapment, reopened my eyes to the reality of the lengths to which hegemonic forces will go to malign and sabotage leading freedom fighters.

Nine months ago, most onlookers assumed ordinary global citizens could do nothing to impact the future of Palestinians. A tiny, yet impactful, minority thought otherwise. Today, a seismic transformation in the geopolitical landscape is unfolding before our eyes. World figures who had expressed unconditional support for the aggressions of an ostensibly exempt-from-law State are doing an about-turn. An application for arrest warrants for rival leaders in the conflict has reached the International Criminal Court, and as we witness bombings of refugee families in ‘safe zones’ — flagrantly defying multilateral calls, resolutions, and pronouncements for ceasefire — more countries are joining South Africa’s case against what many believe to be an occupying genocidal apartheid State, Israel.

What did the earliest activists know that most people didn’t? Why would anyone have expected to shift history’s course in such an unusually swift, intentional way? And where’s all this heading?

Well, as Curtis would explain it, 2Pac’s story isn’t about creative industry dynamics per se. It’s about the value of, and competition for, the general public’s attention. Just as businesses compete for our attention to get us to buy goods and services, political leaders the world over compete vigorously for us to buy into narratives and policies. Mass buy-in is a permission slip to do whatever. There’s little they value more.

There’s a key difference with politicians though, we don’t have to actively agree in order to buy in. We can agree, or be quiet. So the misinformation, the intimidation, the distractions, and the incentivisation of apathy (through barriers to representation and voting) are all, in potential effect, equal to pandering. Attention is the whole ball game.

Your attentional decisions affect everything, at home and abroad. Foremost is our right to life and self-determination. Whenever, wherever, politicians lack impetus to act in humanity’s collective interest, treating human life as being of less importance than their personal ambitions. Those are the circumstances for which your attention matters most.

To be precise:

● Your eyes, ears, and voice matter

● What you leverage relationships and connections for matter

● Boundaries you set on where your money can go matter

● Far more than you’re likely to realise, your daily presence online matters; your support of audience numbers for anti-genocide coverage is, in itself, helpful action

● And, undergirding all of the above-mentioned, your integrity and consistency matter

OUR OBLIGATION AS JAMAICANS

With the unprecedented shift in public sentiment towards their plight, having been crystallised by an exponential rise in public awareness across Earth’s most militarised societies, the global fight for Palestinians’ freedom isn’t over. It has, effectively, just begun.

We are obligated to escalate pressure on our own Government — earlier initiated by Jamaica Council of Churches, Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal, National Integrity Action, Stand Up for Jamaica, Advocates Network, Jamaica LANDS, Opposition members, social media activists, protesters, and (I imagine) very sensible strategic advisors within the Administration — to accept and implement Jamaica’s majority will.

We respect the moral duties encoded in our national pledge, we understand that brute disregard for international law poses greatest risk to small states en masse, and we know taking decided action will cost us less than the alternative. As such, our representatives must:

1) unequivocally decry all genocidal assaults and endorse South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice

2) demand the cessation of arms shipments to genociders, regardless of their location, in compliance with international law

3) fully disclose interests in and — until the humanity of Palestinians is equally honoured — cut all Jamaican-Israeli trade and diplomatic ties

It’s through holding present-day instigators, perpetrators, and accomplices to account that future genocides can be prevented. We must all do the most we can to achieve that outcome. Each of us has the capacity to discern and commit to particular roles we can play best. But it’s important we do so right now.

“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Though one may vehemently reject the politics of former Russian leader Vladimir Lenin, it would be unwise to reject the veracity of such a profound historical observation. A palpable opportunity for humanity has arrived to assert right over might, and no one who cares should be standing on the sidelines in 2024.

Major political change requires many activities to unfold simultaneously. If even one necessary thing is missing, or ceases prematurely, the desired change will be delayed.

Let’s stop waiting on other people to do necessary things. Control your attention.

Anika N C Kiddoe is an economist and social impact consultant. Send comments to anikakiddoe@gmail.com.

Anika Kiddoe

Jamaicans are obligated to pressure the Government to accept and act on majority will.

Our voices matter.