Celebrating Patterson on his 90th birthday

The following is a continuation of historian Arnold Bertram’s reflection on the journey of former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in recognition of his 90th birthday yesterday.

Part 5 – The Climb to the Top 1972-1992

In the two decades between 1972, when PJ became a Cabinet minister and 1992, when he was elected Jamaica’s sixth Prime Minister, PJ climbed to the top of the political ladder.

Jamaicanisation of the Tourism Industry

One landmark in this climb was the transformation of the tourism industry which he undertook during his tenure as minister of the tourism portfolio which he was given in 1972.

Before PJ, progress in the development of the tourism industry was calculated in terms of number of tourist arrivals and expenditure. PJ Patterson radically changed this method of evaluating the contribution of tourism to Jamaica’s development by establishing his priority for the industry as “the total transformation of the tourism industry to take it from servitude to service, from exclusion to inclusion and from benefits confined to hoteliers only to broader levels of participation.”

He began by taking steps to ensure that every Jamaican had access to the beaches in Jamaica. As a part of this campaign, he opened Doctors Cave Beach in Montego Bay to the public, which had previously operated as a private Members Club. The Jamaica Tourist Board was mandated to mount a training programme to ensure that senior management positions, which traditionally had been reserved for foreigners, would now be filled by Jamaicans.

Inter-Consults

Throughout his political career, PJ always took an interest in the welfare of his colleagues. After the 1980 general election, PJ systemically made contact with his parliamentary colleagues who had lost their seats. What he found was that a number of them were facing an uncertain future, with no clear economic prospect for the future. PJ’s response was to offer his assistance in using the expertise of his colleagues to establish a consulting firm, which he named Inter-Consults.

Another quality which endeared PJ to the Jamaican people was his magnanimity. When Michael Manley retired in 1991, Portia Simpson Miller challenged PJ for the presidency. Patterson’s conduct throughout the campaign was exemplary. Simpson Miller had been his protégée and he managed to establish his own credentials for the job without disparaging her claims. He won by an overwhelming margin and appointed Simpson Miller a senior member of his administration.

Part 6 – Initiatives that made the critical difference to PJ Patterson’s success as prime minister

During PJ’s 14 years as prime minister, pride of place in his achievements has traditionally gone to the transformation of Jamaica’s physical infrastructure, with the construction of highways and the modernisation of airports and sea ports. However, there were also a number of initiatives which showed another side of Prime Minister PJ Patterson, which the Jamaican people grew to appreciate.

Reggae Boyz

Jamaica’s journey to the 1998 World Cup finals began with a conversation between PJ Patterson and Captain Horace Burrell, who was then president of the Jamaica Football Association. In this conversation Burrell outlined his dream of Jamaica reaching the finals of the 1998 World Cup which PJ enthusiastically embraced. PJ gave Burrell the letter of introduction to President Itamar Franco of Brazil, which facilitated the cooperation between both countries and led to the recruitment of René Simões as Jamaica’s football coach. The rest, as they say, is history.

Establishing two-way communication with the Jamaican people

One of PJ’s earliest initiatives as prime minister was the establishment of a unit in the Office of the Prime Minister to ensure that every piece of correspondence to his office received a response. This unit, headed by a senior educator achieved that objective.

Live & Direct

Another initiative to maintain two-way contact was the Live & Direct programme. This programme took the prime minister to communities all over the island, where he had the opportunity to listen to the people and respond.

In a letter to PJ, Michael Manley remarked,

“Live & Direct was a marvellous combination of the images of the contemporary culture, opportunity to get to know the people and the chance to listen and be heard. Add to all this the calm style and judicious approach and you have created a complete image which will be sustained because it builds upon a truth of your personality.”

Prime Minister’s Youth Awards

The introduction of an annual awards ceremony for outstanding young Jamaicans in every field of endeavour motivated the pursuit of excellence and created a well-deserved national focus on the development of young talent.

Special Awards Day for Outstanding Teachers

Values & Attitudes

In 1992, the year that PJ Patterson was first installed as Jamaica’s prime minister, he recognised the urgent need to come to terms with the deterioration in moral standards, the breakdown of family structures and most frightening of all was the failure of too many people to differentiate right from wrong and the increasing tendency to resort to violence to settle differences.

It was against this background that in 1994 he convened a National Conference on Values and Attitudes. What he sought was an alliance between the Government, opposition and civil society to develop a national programme to inculcate sound values and attitudes.

Unfortunately, the national alliance required for the success of the programme never materialised, and Jamaica continues to deteriorate socially as a result due to its rejection by the Opposition.

IN RETIREMENT

PJ Patterson retired in 2006 after 14 continuous years as prime minister, which made him Jamaica’s longest-serving prime minister. However, even in retirement he continues his life of service.

Calabar High School

PJ never lost contact with his alma mater and seized every opportunity to play a major role in the sustained development of the school as an active member of the project launched in 1919 aimed at “Making Calabar the School of First Choice: Excellence in STEM Education and the Use of Technology in the Learning/Teaching Process”.

The PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy

Located on The UWI Campus, Mona, The Institute has established the framework for the co-ordination of public advocacy and development between the Caribbean and Africa. The many tributes paid to him by African leaders include the prestigious Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo-Gold by the Government of South Africa.

The University of the West Indies (UWI)

He has also established the PJ Patterson Endowment Fund to provide scholarships for students. His services have earned him the Chancellor’s Medal and the Order of the Caribbean Community.

West Indies Cricket

He chaired the Governance Committee on West Indies Cricket. The Report of October 2000-7 is regarded as a seminal appeal for structured changes to promote the development of the game in the Caribbean.

The People’s National Party

In retirement, PJ has maintained an active participation in the People’s National Party, the party to which he has dedicated 66 years of his life.

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of PJ Patterson

As the Jamaican people and members of the international community join in the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the birth of PJ Patterson, we recall his life of exemplary service to the Jamaican people, to his party and the political process along with his path-breaking contribution to nation-building. Members of the international community join us in the celebration as they recall his contribution to the Caribbean community and his progressive role in the cause of African liberation and South-South cooperation.