JAMAICA IS at a crossroads, there is a gap between generational leaders, and we will need better communication between both sides if we are going to identify and address the plethora of issues facing our society, grow our economy and create jobs. If we do not come to terms with this, then the dream we all have for a prosperous, thriving Jamaica reminiscent of the past will never be realised. The recently concluded One Young World Leadership Summit created an unparalleled opportunity for youth from around the world to engage global leaders on a level playing field. Considered by many as The Young Davos, the four-day event brought together 1,300 under-30 brilliant minds from 190 countries to Sandon City, Johannesburg, South Africa. The high profile summit has garnered the attention of numerous global leaders, including Kofi Annan, Winnie Mandela and Sir Richard Branson, who participated in dialogue sessions with the young delegates, to identify issues and ideate solutions towards positive global change. I was one of two Jamaicans fortunate to participate, and I hope more Jamaicans will be able to attend next years summit in Dublin. The Gleaner first reported on my pursuit of the summit on August 5, promoting my crowdfunding campaign for the summit. Following that article, I successfully raised US$6,610 to offset travel and summit fees. I am extremely thankful to my donors. I decided to crowdfund to show others that the option exists and it can work right here in Jamaica. Sadly, I often meet young people from the region forgoing their dreams because they think they cant put funding in place. You can spend your whole life waiting for good news or you can go ahead and create it. Crowdfunding offers us the opportunity to create it, by reaching out to friends and family to ask for their support in a structured, visible and transparent manner. The summit experience was well worth it. Kudos to the organisers David Jones and Kate Robertson from Havas Worldwide, they managed to put together a stellar event. It is a truly a powerful and inspiring platform. Engaging environment We had the opportunity to discuss global issues with more than 40 world leaders in a very serious and engaging environment. They told stories of their journeys to success and expressed their thoughts on where the world is heading, as well as what the next generation of leaders needs to do better. The underlying theme of the summit was that the world faces more problems than ever before, but no generation has ever been better equipped than mine to deal with the issues we face. One of the most pressing topics discussed was that of youth unemployment, a global problem which prompted passionate dialogue. I was especially interested as this is a problem plaguing my generation in Jamaica and the Caribbean. There are numerous variables to explore, but one thing seems consistent - we are preparing an entire generation for jobs we are unable to create. We are graduating talented university students at a rate that far outweighs market needs. The common solution pitched was entrepreneurship - I am a firm believer in the potential of entrepreneurship to transform our stagnant regional economy. The success of entrepreneurship in the Caribbean region will rely on a paradigm shift in culture. We have cultivated a business culture that is for the most part conservative, risk averse, and adversely sceptical, where failure is the ultimate sin. This is born in our education system and eventually invades our everyday lives. People in the Caribbean seem to be very afraid to pursue or accept bold, disruptive ideas; for the most part, businesses are created in proven sectors, leading to oversaturation of markets. Young people who decide to start businesses are often greeted with pessimism and a lack of support. It will take considerable time for this shift in thinking to be achieved, but Kofi Annan told us change is a process, not an event. In order for this shift to take place, we need to accept that there is a regional problem - strangulating bureaucracy, lacklustre leadership, high energy costs, a small consumer base, lack of appreciation for creative industries, and a region that is not as united as many would like to think. To our political leaders I kindly ask, step up to the plate and serve the people. It is time to put country before party. We are never going to experience any kind of stability or prolific growth in the region if policies, framework and governance are based on what will make the other side look bad instead of what will be in the best interest of the country. I am 27 years old, and my generation has never experienced transformative change. We are dissatisfied with the historic record of disappointments and we are not very receptive to lip service; you cannot tell us it is working if it is simply not working and has never worked. Paul Pohlman, the Global CEO of Unilever, said to us You cant talk yourself out of problems you behaved yourself into. What happened? I would like to call upon the current generation of leadership to listen keenly to youth and involve them in your executive decision- making process. Open your doors to them, lend advice, support them and invest in them. Remember, many of you were once in our shoes; as one delegate posed the question to Arianna Huffington, the current generation of leaders were at some point under 30, they would have also been frustrated with the way things were and wanted change, they were mavericks in their own right, so what happened? Former NBA superstar Dekembe Mutumbo once said, When the elevator takes you to the fifth floor, send it back down to get someone else. This is an idea which Siemens is trying to drive into its employees via various mentorship programmes around the globe. I am asking you to be open-minded. The fact is that our youthful ideas solve problems which are often not tangible to you. At some point you will have to accept that when we say everybody is doing it, it means everybody is doing it. You simply cant solve tomorrows problems with yesterdays solutions. Youth, I encourage you to pursue those crazy ideas and dont let anyone stop you; form businesses, fail and start again - failure is not the opposite of success, it is the stepping stone to success. I also encourage you to knock on doors. All too often we complain about how stubborn the older generation is, when most of us have never tried to communicate with them effectively. We are hardly persistent, giving up at the first sign of adversity. Commit to creating innovative bankable business solutions to widespread problems; then do it so that no one dead, no one alive, no one unborn can do it better. Finally, we all need to work together. Jamaicans have lost their sense of trust between each other, which is no good for the ease of doing business. I believe economies are built on the meeting of people and, therefore, trust is exceptionally important. I think we can all agree that what we have now is not working, lets try something different. Its time to build a better, stronger Jamaica and region for all.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:55:03 +0000
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