For God's sake Jamaica, wake up! We are in danger of losing our God-blessed nation. There are four very good reasons why we must act and act quickly. First, if for no other reason than stark, naked self-interest. Second, because, if one is gainfully employed here, there is no greater place on God's Earth for one to live and bring up one's children. Third, because Jamaicans are leaders, not followers, we must set the pattern for other Third-World nations faced with our predicament to follow. And fourth, no Government can do it alone.

The culture of indiscipline, corruption and coarseness which will shortly consume us all, did not start yesterday. It started spreading its tentacles decades ago, and we have sat silently by and watched the development with only a spasmodic murmur. We may not be able to staunch the haemorrhage in our present crop of young persons, but we have to ensure that the next generation is shown a different and better path to travel.

The immediate solution for our unskilled young persons is employment, and the obvious routes are construction and farming - both labour intensive. Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton is on track here, but what he needs is a system for 'farm workers' to be transported to farms (we are quite happy to go to freezing Canada for such a purpose, why not here?). For construction, the restoration of Kingston as the pearl of the Caribbean provides endless possibilities.

pay our way out

Now, Jamaicans, at home and abroad, possess enough money to pay our way out of this inherited recession and generate a buoyant economy. The question is, how can they be persuaded to part with it? As a nation, we have become politically tribalised animals, therefore, there never will be a time when we all will entertain such a call from the Government of the day. We, therefore, would have to select a body of persons (male and female) in whom Jamaicans here and in the diaspora would not only be willing, but anxious, to entrust money for the purpose of salvaging our capital.

Bearing this in mind, I wish to make three proposals in which all Jamaicans, as well as lovers of Jamaica, can participate:

First, Jamaicans would be invited to suggest names of Jamaicans (here and abroad), who would, in turn, be invited to become trustees of the funds collected towards the restoration of Kingston. The plans for this restoration are already on the drawing board, only awaiting funding. I see where Digicel has set the example, which I hope will be the catalyst for our capital's restoration. I would, therefore, invite all Jamaicans everywhere (even the windshield wipers) to donate US$5, or its equivalent in other currencies, to a fund to be managed by these trustees, the method of collection to be as perfected by President Obama.

Second, Ministers Holness and Spencer to be invited to encourage the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica to undertake the creation or acquisition of a video on parenting (from womb to maturity), such a video to be mass-produced in such numbers that it could be distributed to ante-natal clinics islandwide, where mothers and fathers would be required to watch it in order to qualify for any prescription benefits.

church school

Third, all children born since the start of this century to be required to attend church school (that is our target group), and the Church to be charged with the task of getting them out in every community (inner and outer city).

Should this experiment fail, well, at least this generation could say we tried; but should we succeed, even partially, imagine the possibilities of replication. Then, and only then can Jamaica truly begin to see the fulfilment of the prophecy entrenched in our National Pledge of 'playing her part in the role of advancing the welfare of the entire human race'.

I am, etc.,

HOWARD HAMILTON, QC

Kingston