Local Gov’t Minister Encourages Strong Community Spirit

Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, Portia Simpson Miller has called for the revival of the strong community spirit, which has in the past enabled the country to rise above difficult experiences and challenges.

Mrs. Simpson Miller was giving the keynote address at the official launch of the Charles Town multi-purpose complex in Charles Town, Portland on Sunday, November 28.

She said a strong community consciousness was now needed to drive the national development process and build the kind of cooperation that would redound to the overall benefit of communities throughout the country.

Emphasising that such a revival would more effectively bring about the emergence of meaningful and sustainable development programmes in communities, Mrs. Simpson Miller said it was the strong community spirit and consciousness of the Jamaican people that had inspired them to overcome the disadvantages of colonialism and pursue the task of nation building.

She pointed out that community development programmes had always played critical roles in the effort to eliminate poverty and underdevelopment, and added that the implementation of such programmes was of critical importance in the struggle to bring about social and economic progress for Jamaica.

The Community Development Minister noted that well organized communities would always be able to formulate development programmes aimed at addressing the multiple needs, which existed in them.

Asserting that her Ministry was desirous of seeing more communities become strongly organized, she said strong and organized communities would make the process of local government more effective and accountable to the people.

Minister Simpson Miller congratulated the residents of Charles Town for the work they had done to make the complex a reality and encouraged them to build on that achievement as a means of aiding the overall development of the community.

The complex, which was built with the cooperation and financial support of the Social Development Commission (SDC) was constructed at a cost of $10 million, and will be used as a venue for sporting activities and other social events to be held in the community. The launch was attended by a large gathering, inclusive of persons representing various community organizations.

Other speakers included State Minister for Agriculture, and Member of Parliament for Western Portland, Errol Ennis, and Executive Director of the SDC, Robert Bryan. Speaking with JIS after the function, members of the community expressed pleasure over the fact that the facility had become a reality.

They said the complex was a well-needed development and gave the assurance that it would be given the best care and protection and utilized in the best way possible.