Jamaicans observe Michael Manley’s centenary

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, as the international community observed International Human Rights Day, the centenary celebration was also in place, marking the 100th birthday anniversary of Jamaica’s late and former Prime Minister, Michael Norman Manley, born Dec. 10, 1924. A trailblazer for human rights and once a fearless advocate tackling critical issues to help make impactful positive changes in the lives of the poor, vulnerable, and underserved.

Members of the executive of the Michael Manley Foundation, the Manley family, former prime of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, Jamaica’s opposition leader, Mark Golding, local dignitaries and politicians, and members of other entities all gathered at the Little Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica, to listen to Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, as guest speaker for the event.

The former prime minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, made the introduction as the guest speaker. Patterson said that Mottley “continues to provide outstanding leadership for the entire Caribbean. She has stepped up to take Manley’s place and is now a major proponent of a new global economic order that acknowledges the dysfunction and antiquated nature of the current system,” Mr. Patterson stated.

Patterson said he commended Mottley’s Barbados initiative, which aims to restructure the global financial system and tackle problems including growing debt, climate change, and sustainable development for small island developing nations.

In speaking about the late Michael Manley, Patterson stated that the foundation of Manley’s concept was “a search for equality and the building of a just society, a cause to which he devoted his catalytic energy, his fertile imagination all eloquently couched with the persuasive oratorical mastery.”

In addition, Patterson also noted that to strengthen Caribbean-African connections, Mottley is carrying on Manley’s efforts to foster international solidarity for justice and reparations as head of the CARICOM Commission on Reparatory Justice.

In her comments and response to the centenary celebration, Ms. Mottley noted that one of Michael Manley’s legacies was resilience for change, and one change that needs to be addressed is the new world order, which is in solidarity with the climate crisis. Mottley said the
late prime minister Manley would have been lamenting for a common purpose to fight climate change. “It has literally creeped into the reality of the lives of those in the global north, whether through fire, floods or hurricanes …no part of the earth is exempt from it.”  Mottley expressed.

The centenary event’s guest speaker said Michael Manley had influenced Barbadian politics and significantly promoted regional integration for the Caribbean community. The prime minister of Barbados also suggested that ” there must be mature conversations and there must be technologies for all to save ourselves from the climate crisis.”

“Although countries may disagree on the causes of climate change, we cannot disagree on the reality of the disasters and must find common areas to work on, …we must meet to discuss the progress on climate,” she suggested. “We can no longer move in one direction when it comes to the climate crisis.”

Prime Minister Mottley said the global crisis should not allow everyone to go in one direction but should instead help us to demonstrate more commercial skills. “It has been thrown at us more than ever before…that solidarity is not in a vacuum because what we are asking for is to divert critical finance of the new world order,” she added.

Mottley declared that climate change is about reliance, and our plans must be how to fight this battle. She called on the entire Caribbean community to collaborate so that small states could survive or for the Caribbean to become collateral victims. She noted that there are diverging views, “…and there is going to be real problems as the world seeks to align behind superpowers.”

The Barbadian prime minister called for changes in economic strategies for the Caribbean. Mottley added that it is absolutely and utterly important that the commitment for a Caribbean Community remains as a region.

As part of the Centenary celebration for the late Michael Manley, the Michael Manley Foundation recently relocated his collections to the University of the West Indies, Mona, ensuring that future generations will have access to his writing, policies, and vision.