Our Vision
JAMAICANOMICS INC.: Curating the Legacy of Jamaican Achievements in the Diaspora & Promoting the Influence of Brand Jamaica Globally.
JAMAICANOMICS. BuildinG something out of little or nothing.
by Clive Williams
“An unexamined life is not worth living.” This quote from Socrates has been the driving force of my life in the past 25 years. During this time, I have asked myself countless questions about the complexities of the human condition, including my own; the examination of my life is my
process to find and understand my own purpose in the space that I occupy in an increasingly complex world. My purpose drives me to work to expand the limits of human potential and possibilities, not so much as an altruist, but more so as a pragmatist; I believe action must be taken to ignite the process of change. This examination of my life would be meaningless without acknowledging where my life began and how it shaped my personal development as a son, a father, a husband, and grandfather. I care deeply about Jamaica, where I was born, despite its
seemingly harsh, and unflinching façade, it exerts an energy and vitality that I am yet to identify elsewhere; it is obviously that mysterious allure, which continues to attract tourists to the island. Jamaica is fraught with problems, but (the irony is), it is brilliantly abundant with world class
talent, physical beauty, perplexing but contagious culture and a je ne sais quoi that remains legendary.
As a child of the 1960’s I experienced a Jamaica that was openly admired by world leaders as an emerging nation despite its small size; Lee Kuan Yew the then, newly minted Prime Minister of Singapore, so admired Jamaica and it’s potential – a culture bubbling with optimism, pride, self-
sacrifice and ambition, that he opined, “ Had I been given an island of that size, close to the United States, instead of a poor dirty Singapore, how much more I would be able to achieve.” I believe that a closer examination of Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore will allow the student of economic, social, and intellectual advancement a renewed and refreshing perspective of good government.
Problem: Jamaica, a country with such unlimited potential can become chaotic, unless murder and lawlessness cease to dominate the social consciousness; unless the seething conflict between the haves and the have nots is mitigated before the wealth gap widens further!
My curiosity spans a variety of genres, but over the last 20 years I have begun to synthesize the conflicting realms of Politics, Economics and Religion in an effort to unlock the secret of – why in a world of untold wealth, there exists an ever-growing disparity between the Rich and Poor? Isn’t it clear that when the wealth gap widens to the point where one can clearly identify the “Have’s and the Have Not’s,” the resulting discrepancy among people of all ethnicities, is envy, anger, and social disorder? Afterall, don’t we boast Economists and like Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes and Karl Marx who all articulated the magic formula of Supply and Demand, laying the foundation for the admixture of economic models in use throughout the world? So, what went wrong with the lofty theories espoused in the landmark economic tome – The Wealth of Nations?
The storied brilliance and organizational theories of the Social Scientists, Karl Marx, David Emile Durkeim and Max Weber, may be just that, in retrospect, remarkable stories of their times! Despite their genius at laying down theoretical economics, sociological and philosophical ideas for the society’s which they served, the Black family economy was not on their agenda; enslaved or formerly enslaved people were never factored into the upward mobility class, their economic welfare was never considered a case study in how they could acquire wealth. My proposal therefore is quite simple, the Black man, in particular the Jamaican at home or abroad must craft for him/herself an economic strategy that is based on the reality of his/her circumstances. We must become our Brothers Keeper regardless of his/her lack of Awareness and oftentimes – Ingratitude!
The legendary economists and social scientists could not foresee any number of ‘model-disruptive’ global developments-Population growth, Greed, Digital Technology, Racial/Social Inequity and Globalization.
Population growth: The massive and explosive growth of populations after the industrial revolution and their subsequent demands on society’s resources must have destabilized
traditional economic and social models. Since 1918 earth’s population has grown by approximately 6.1 billion.
Greed! The incredible promise of wealth from the legendary California Gold Rush to land grabs and outright thievery, especially in North America, South America, South Africa, Nigeria, Australia, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica, to mention just a few; that period of hostile take-overs established an unbroken era of Greed that has distorted all useful economic models. That greed has spawned an equally pernicious stepchild called Grifting; the need to swindle, deceive and con others out of their hard-earned money or property.
Digital Technology: this phenomenon ‘alone’ has disrupted the best laid plans of mice and men! Computer technology by itself has changed and recalibrated our lives so profoundly that millions of people will continue to experience economic, social, and educational disconnection.
Racial/Social Inequity: increasing research has confirmed that the growing disparities in wealth, health, education, and longevity, which are all products of institutional racial and social constructs..
Globalization: A growing number of businesses and organizations have chosen to develop international influence, limiting, and even abandoning their domestic mandates while maximizing their profits; less developed nations then become either victims or beneficiaries of those policies, creating even more disruption and dislocation than previously intended.
What is my point? The laws of supply and demand are in a free fall – the production, consumption and transfer of wealth is now contingent on what we now refer to as “The Supply Chain,” a new expression for ‘we don’t know where the goods are, we are trying to locate them, then we’ll find out who owns them, and then negotiate how to obtain them.’ That is the reality in which we live!
So, my question is, how can a small country like Jamaica increase its capacity to produce, reduce its consumption on foreign products and services, then ensure that its system of wealth transfer is equitable?
How do we account for the fact that a Marcus Garvey who departed his rural township in St. Ann, Jamaica without a college education, could have wielded such a considerable influence worldwide? His message and philosophy spanned continents, he established organizations in places of the world he had never been, transforming the thinking of oppressed people to rise up from their slumber and take responsibility for their destiny. If not for the Garvey’s of this world,
too many Black people would still be asleep.
MISSION: Identify, aggregate, and reinvest our assets at home and abroad in order to leverage our Economic, Social and Educational status in the world. Garvey’s achievements remain a beacon in our search for self-determination.
JAMAICANOMICS (building something out of little or nothing) “Promotes the impact and success of Jamaican Businesses, Professionals and Scholars in the diaspora, as well as trading/exchanging our Economic, Social, and Intellectual capital to build the Jamaican Brand at home, and abroad.”
Enhance strategic collaboration between the Jamaican diaspora and the homeland via the diplomatic channels, in order to understand how to share Economic, Social, and Intellectual capital with the homeland.
Identify, aggregate, and consolidate the assets and resources of the diaspora via research, polling, or other survey methodology, to facilitate interaction and exchange of goods and services in order to improve the lives of fellow Jamaicans everywhere
Actions: Implement Interactive Web platform to propagate our ideas. Jamaicanomics.com
Establish an independent online polling system in order to understand the needs of the diaspora more accurately.
Curate the stories of successful Jamaican businesses / professionals / scholars as a library / collection of stories to inspire fellow Jamaicans.
Facilitate the interaction of Jamaican businesses/professionals/scholars with the diaspora and vice versa. This action will serve to create a database of Pro-Active Jamaicans in the diaspora.
So, am I crazy? Am I deluding myself to even think that an idea as simple as this can gain traction? I could be. But this is one ‘fool’s errand’ that I have begun, and hopefully, along the way, I just might attract some more idealistic, crazily hopeful, and optimistic fools like me who are willing to Revolutionize our Relationships!
JAMAICANOMICS INC. Is a Social Enterprise Corporation registered in New York State.
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