United Nations Development Programme

World Peace and Understanding

Presentation by

Gillian Lindsay-Nanton

Resident Representative

United Nations Development Programme

Kingston, Jamaica

The Rotary Club of New Kingston

International Breakfast

Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel

Kingston, Jamaica

Friday, 19 November 1999

ADDRESS AT

ROTARY CLUB OF NEW KINGSTON

19^TH November 1999

WORLD PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING

Mr. Delano Hayre - President - Rotary Club of New Kingston

Ms. Hilary Jardine - Sargent -At--Arms

Mr. Errol McKenzie - Vice President

Others at the Head Table

Members of the Diplomatic Corp

Ladies and Gentlemen

INTRODUCTION

Every year the United Nations observes the International Day of Peace. This is because the promotion of peace and security is central to the work of the United Nations. In 1981, the General Assembly declared that the opening of its regular session in September, quote "shall be officially dedicated and observed as the International Day of Peace and shall be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples", unquote. I should also tell you too, that this year, the International Day of Peace coincided with the launch, at the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of the International Year for the Culture of Peace.

One might very well ask, Why a Culture of Peace? The sad truth is that war, violence, poverty and prejudice are the day-to-day experiences of many millions of people throughout the world.

THE GLOBAL CONTEXT

For the United Nations, there is no higher goal, no deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing armed conflict. If one were to review the record, what appeared to be a hopeful trend toward fewer and less deadly wars since 1992, was reversed in 1998, as there was a significant increase in terms of violent conflicts in that year. As you must know, armed conflicts broke out in Angola, Guinea Bissau, Kashmir and Kosovo, between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and most recently in East Timor with its transition to independence.

One interesting phenomenon is that 90 percent of armed conflicts takes place within, rather than between, States. Moreover, within recent years, the evidence suggests it is poor countries that have been far more likely to become embroiled in armed conflicts than rich ones. A recent study done by the United Nations University demonstrates that countries engaged in war generally suffer from inequality among domestic social groups. This inequality might be along ethnic, religious, or economic lines and is in large measure reflected in unequal access to political power that often precludes options to peaceful change.

The evidence also suggests that economic decline is strongly linked to violent conflict, for in a shrinking economy it is the elites and those with the political power that work to protect the status quo at the expense of the already marginalized segments of the population.

The strongest base for peace is prosperity and equality and the surest way to prevent armed conflict is to promote sustainable development. Strategies must be developed to prevent war and armed conflict. Building a culture of prevention is therefore essential. However this is not an easy undertaking. It requires cooperation across a broad range of different actors, agencies and departments.

But peace does not only mean the absence of war. Building a culture of peace means fighting hunger, social injustice, poverty, and inequality rather than each other. It entails governments spending on social programmes, and adopting sustainable development practices. It includes the practice of good governance and promotion of the rule of law, transparent political processes, a commitment to eradicate corruption, an independent judiciary, an impartial police force, a free press and vibrant civil society institutions and as well, respect for human rights.

JAMAICA- THE CURRENT SITUATION

Specifically with regard to Jamaica, there are many severe problems that threaten human security and the social stability of the country.

While over the years, significant progress has been made in the social arena on a range of fronts, there are major disparities and contradictions when the data is disaggregated. Jamaica, with support from a number of international and national organizations, has been able to reach very high immunizations levels and school enrolment rates. However, many of these achievements mask severe disparities between rural and urban populations and between the wealthy and poor segments of society and demonstrate deceptively positive pictures in relation to survival and development indicators.

One need only examine the situation in the Kingston and St. Andrew areas and the contradictions are all too evident.

Jamaica has the third highest per capita murder rate in the world, behind South Africa and Brazil. Earlier this year there was a 17-day period in which some 66 murders took place; and the murder rate for the past several years has been close to 1,000 in a population of about 2.5 million. The vast majority of these murders have taken place in the urban communities of Kingston and St. Andrew where there is wide spread alienation among the population, low self-esteem and the absence of social cohesion.

In these communities, hard core poverty is widespread. Some 25 percent of these households have no sustainable income sources due largely to lack of education and skills and as well, the absence of physical assets such as land and capital. The lack of options and the failure of the economic system to generate employment opportunities compound the problem and continue to condemn significant portions of these communities to a life of poverty and unemployment.

There is also the phenomenon in which certain communities have been dubbed as "garrison communities" where members of a particular political party reside and exclude those of other parties. Hostilities between rival "dons" and their community members are quite common and this is reinforced by a justice system that is perceived to be bureaucratic, ineffectual, and discriminatory against those who lack the financial means.

The continued contraction of the Jamaica economy over the past three years has compounded a difficult social situation. And the prospects for a resumption of growth this year are not encouraging.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

A lot!

I believe that a climate of social peace and stability must be restored in order to create the environment for investment and growth. In order to achieve this, it requires the involvement of all major groups in society with the aim of determining optimum solutions within the constraints that are presented.

Particularly with regard to the private sector, there is a strong nexus between the business community and security concerns as, quite clearly, investments and thriving markets and human security go hand in hand. Hence active support for better governance policies can bring about business environments in which private sector development and human security flourish.

The role of nongovernmental organizations and their involvement and participation in the development process is also fundamental. The strengthening of community councils that permit popular participation in decision making on matters that affect the economy and in implementing solutions to community problems, and acting as a counterweight to the existing 'drug' and 'don' culture in many of the inner city communities, remains an urgent task.

The empowerment of communities should assist in preserving peace, social order and personal security and positively impact the environment for investment and growth. Relatedly, a strategy for social protection that effectively targets the poor and with the view to attenuating the social consequences of the current macroeconomic environment is a necessity.

Several programmes are ongoing and focus directly on promoting a culture of peace, in educational institutions, communities and among the youth in Jamaica. These include Peace and Love in Schools (PALS); The Addition Alert Adolescent Programme; The Values Orientation Project; and Change From Within. Several multilateral and bi-lateral agencies are also involved in supporting programmes in this area.

In closing, I wish to commend the vital role being played by the Rotary Club of New Kingston in seeking to alleviate poverty and to improving the lot of the most vulnerable in our society. It is organizations like yours, and its members who give freely of their time, energy and resources that will contribute toward building a strong Jamaica.

CONCLUSION

Speaking on issues of peace and security, this is what the United Nations Secretary General- Kofi Annan had to say - "Peace may indeed be a complex challenge, dependent on action in many fields and even a bit of luck from time to time. It may be a painfully slow process. And it may be fragile and imperfect when it is achieved. But peace is in our hands. We can do it".

Thank you so much for your kind attention.