The time for polite discourse masking deep national anxiety is over. The hour demands plain speaking and decisive action. I bring you a stark but hopeful message: Jamaica’s finest hours are not behind us; they are waiting to be forged by our collective will.

Despite the pervasive gloom, together we can transform Jamaica. But this transformation demands a fundamental shift in our mindset and our actions.

Let this be our unwavering mantra: ‘Put Jamaica First to Make Jamaica Win!’

It’s deceptively easy to surrender to the narrative that ‘Jamaica can’t change’. The daily realities can be overwhelming. When official figures report 50 citizens murdered in November, and a staggering 52 more in the first two weeks of December alone — an average of 22 lives extinguished per week — despair can feel like an encroaching tide.

But I challenge you today: Do not allow the weight of current realities to crush the vision of what is possible. For a moment, step outside the confines of what you know and dare to imagine a new Jamaica. What does this revitalised nation look like? Do you see a First-World infrastructure, a society in which productivity flourishes and safety is not a luxury but a given? Do you see an island where every citizen, irrespective of background or address, is treated with first-class dignity and afforded genuine opportunity? What kind of Jamaica do you demand?

Hold fast to that vision! Because there is one undeniable truth about us Jamaicans — if we can truly conceive it, if we genuinely set our hearts and minds to it, we can make anything work! And make it work we must! The critical question is now: Are you prepared to actively contribute your strength, your voice, your commitment to dismantling what is failing and build what is desperately needed?

This is not a whimsical aspiration; it is a national imperative. We have a solemn duty to reimagine and construct a new Jamaica for ourselves, yes, but more profoundly, for our children, our grandchildren, and all future generations. The power to build this new Jamaica, the one that fuels our most profound hopes, does not reside with a select few or some external agency; it rests squarely with you and me. We must issue an unequivocal ‘No’ to the old, tired, and failed ways, and a resounding ‘Yes!’ to a new beginning.

Success or failure as a nation is not preordained; it is a choice. The Jamaica we inhabit today is the direct outcome of choices made yesterday, last year, and over preceding decades. Consequently, the Jamaica of tomorrow will be shaped by the choices we make in this pivotal moment. Your individual choices determine your personal destiny; our collective choices determine our national destiny. Do we resign ourselves to the current trajectory or do we courageously choose the path towards the new Jamaica? The decision is ours.

It is high time, indeed past time, that we put Jamaica first, to make Jamaica win. I am acutely aware that not everyone is prepared for this fundamental reorientation. But we cannot, and we must not, permit the inertia of a resistant few to derail the progress of the determined many. The moment to secure victory for Jamaica is now. And with divine assistance, we shall overcome every obstacle that stands in the path of building this new Jamaica!

I am, by conviction, on an assignment to help build this new Jamaica, but this monumental task can only be accomplished with you. A dedicated team of us, leaders from diverse sectors, has meticulously developed a strategic plan. Its efficacy depends not on complex ideologies but on foundational virtues: humility, genuine cooperation, unwavering commitment, and the unified will of us, as a people, to see it through.

Consider an analogy from the world of sports — a language we Jamaicans understand intimately. Winning teams require effective coaches! A squad of individually brilliant players, without astute coaching, will invariably falter against a less talented but well-coached and unified opponent. Why? Because without a coach individual agendas prevail. Without coordination and a cohesive team strategy, the synergy essential for victory remains elusive.

Winning demands unity, powerful motivation, and sound tactical execution. Without accountability to a coach, individual egos can derail team objectives. Ego and selfishness are a blueprint for failure, even with immense talent. These principles are universal — applicable to sports teams, families, businesses, and, most critically, to nations.

Could this persistent lack of principled, focused coaching be a significant factor in Jamaica’s political challenges, explaining why we are not consistently achieving national victories? This analogy starkly reflects our political process over the last 45 years, perhaps longer. Our founding leaders, who guided us into Independence, were themselves coached by church fathers, instilled with moral values — righteousness, truth, and justice. These principles were woven into our national anthem, motto, and pledge, constant reminders of the values we must uphold. We started as winners, but somewhere along the journey, things went awry.

Who, then, currently coaches our two main political clubs/teams, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP)? I can tell you his name, for he seems to advise both sides with equal ineffectiveness — Mr Nobody! And when these clubs enter the political contest, who do they truly represent: their club or their country? The answer, I believe, is painfully clear to most.

Jamaicans are inherently winners. It is embedded in our national character. Across myriad fields, globally, when Jamaicans commit, we excel. Many recall World Cup ‘98. “Little” Jamaica was the the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to qualify! Though many players were amateurs, team Jamaica had the winning formula, beginning with good coaches: Carl Brown ensuring unity, Rene Simoes providing tactical genius, myself and others contributing inspiration and motivation to solidify the will to win. Teams cannot achieve sustained success without good coaching.

As a nation, we have been loosing for too long. For over 40 years we’ve attempted to win with the JLP and PNP, and frankly, “Dem can’t make Jamaica win”. Astoundingly, after four decades of Jamaica falling short, the JLP and PNP are asking us, yet again, to do the same thing, in the same old way. This cannot continue.

The core problems are twofold: a persistent refusal to unite and put Jamaica first and an absence of effective national coaching. “Every man a do dem own ting.” Each party possesses individuals of talent, but without unity and overarching guidance focused on national, not partisan, victory, Jamaica will continue to lose. The imperative is clear: Put Jamaica first to make Jamaica win.

There is another critical problem to overcome — infection! An insidious baton of destructive behavioural practices has been passed down, like a virus, contaminating the political process. This infection has spread to successive leaders and followers on both sides. The teams are infected, hindering optimal performance. They are not fit to play to win for Jamaica. Perhaps a period of national quarantine is warranted until they divest themselves of this debilitating virus.

The winning solution demands more than superficial changes. We need national coaches — a council of elders — to select a true Jamaican team comprising the best hearts and minds, drawn from all sectors, managed effectively within a new system, guided by new paradigms, all dedicated to creating a new Jamaica that works for everyone. The fundamental flaw is our outdated, deeply entrenched colonial governance system. We have a bad system, with virus-stricken, unfit players who are often ego-driven, mired in disunity, and lacking true national coaching. They are, under present conditions, guaranteed to lose for Jamaica.

It is against this stark reality that we call for a radical paradigm shift. A new, united, restored Jamaica, built on a solid foundation, employing the proven formula that will make Jamaica win. With every election cycle, one of the two major parties wins at the polls, but Jamaica, the nation, consistently falls short of its goals. If we desire a different outcome, we must adopt a different approach.

We must build this new Jamaica, now! This endeavour requires unity and a spirit of oneness; it requires one love. United we stand; divided we have been falling for far too long. The decades of corrupt seeds sown — strife and division — have produced the bitter fruit we are reaping. Those who cultivated this environment cannot restore it by themselves. A team of us leaders believe the next five years are critical to our national survival. We must act decisively to break this cycle of defeat. Therefore, the composition of the next Government is of vital importance.

We are prepared to mobilise our nation to create this new Jamaica. Both the church and the political establishment must accept their share of responsibility for our current state. The Church must be held accountable for its frequent silence, its fears, and its limited engagement. Politicians must be held accountable for the division and the preservation of an old, failed colonial system which they have further corrupted and which is now spiralling out of control.

Church, awake! You sleeping giant, arise and reclaim your role as guardians of the people’s welfare. Defend the poor and the weak. Fight for justice and truth, exposing evil systems and structures. Mobilise your people to stand for righteousness and secure a solid future for our children, teaching the values needed for success. We call upon the political parties to enter a period of quarantine, to renew themselves, reject the old order, and prepare for genuine servant leadership in the new Jamaica!

We have devised a workable plan on how to build this new Jamaica. We are, therefore, renewing a call for a Government of National Unity, in one of its optional forms, as an operating principle for one five-year term with set goals, to fix the nation’s fundamental, nagging problems. Unity is the key. This Government of National Unity would embody a ‘Jamaica First’ mindset, with players selected from the best hearts and minds willing to serve, drawn from all sectors and the existing political teams. The process will be overseen by a Council of Elders of the Nation. These seasoned elders would act as a panel of coaches to select and guide this united Jamaica team, ensuring players put Jamaica first to make Jamaica win! They would serve for one five-year term, after which the team would dissolve, leaving a new environment for renewed political parties to contend. We have people in mind to serve as these seasoned coaches.

We are prepared to mobilise the nation in a movement of “Jah people” to give hope for real change. We must believe that Jamaica can and will be transformed. If we just choose to put Jamaica first, we can make Jamaica win. We are tired of losing to crime, violence, division, corruption, and poverty. We are prepared to do all we can to mobilise the nation to unite for a new and better Jamaica. Our macroeconomic indicators may show superficial gains, but this often fails to translate into improved lives for average Jamaicans due to the existing flawed system. Limited opportunities persist for university leavers, housing costs are prohibitive for young people, and our health-care system struggles, promising a difficult future for many.

We live in a fear-filled society, with deepening hopelessness in our inner cities and rural townships. An alarming number of Jamaicans see their only hope overseas. Our politicians should be profoundly ashamed. There must be a drastic change; we have to put Jamaica first.

The JLP and the PNP, as currently configured, cannot achieve this transformation alone. We will work with them, if they are willing to be coached to make Jamaica win. However, if they remain unwilling, we must consider other alternatives, as our commitment to this nation transcends party politics. Our sole focus is the betterment of the new Jamaica.

The challenge has been issued:

• Youth, millennials, rise up and make your voices heard! Your future is at stake.

• Fathers and mothers, act for your children and grandchildren.

• Business community, think anew. Choose to help us free the system from frustrating bureaucracy, break the chains of corruption, and create real development opportunities.

• Workers, demand and help create a new, empowering environment.

• Church people, unite! Get up, stand up for what’s right! Save Jamaica, now!

Citizens all, with God’s help and fresh thinking, we can make Jamaica win. “Memba” ‘98! We can do it again with the right formula: Good coaching, unity, motivation, tactical strategies, and hard work. We can make Jamaica win!

That decision is in your hands. You cannot leave it to ‘dem’. Your future, and that of your children, is determined by the decisions you make now.

Reverend Dr Al Miller is the founder of Whole Life Ministries and senior pastor and apostolic voice of Fellowship Tabernacle Ministries.

After four decades of Jamaica falling short, the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party are asking us, yet again, to do the same thing, in the same old way.

Al Miller