JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Calls for National ‘One Love’ Movement at Conversations for Greatness Conference

The hundreds of participants who attended the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Conversations for Greatness (CFG) Conference recently, at the Jamaica Pegasus were challenged to join the ‘One Love’ Movement and play an active role in transforming Jamaica through the ‘Power of Love’.

The ‘One Love’ Movement, inspired by the African principle of Ubuntu ‘I am because we are’, is an extension of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation’s Conversations for Greatness (CFG) Programme which is focused on empowering Jamaicans to tap into their God-given greatness in order to impact their own lives and by extension their communities.  The Foundation hopes to ignite a sense of personal responsibility among Jamaicans to bring to reality the equitable nation conceived as part of Vision 2030. 

Donna Duncan-Scott, group chief culture & human development officer at JMMB and one of the conceptualisers of the CFG programme, underscored that the National Motto, National Anthem and National Pledge, already act as a roadmap to realizing Vision 2030 and creating the Jamaica we desire. She challenged the audience to not only recite the words of each but to live by them and start the transformation at the individual and community level.

“If we are serious about bringing back the love to Jamaica, then we each have the responsibility to live the principles of the motto, anthem and pledge, (because) when you really examine it, (they) also reflect the principles of ubuntu, ‘I am because we are’ and by extension, ‘we are because I am’ and eventually ‘Jamaica is because I am’. This is the ‘One Love’ mindset,” she said. 

In delivering the CFG’s call to action, Duncan-Scott outlined how impactful the ‘One Love’ movement can be if each person plays an active role. “Who do you choose to be? Changing a nation is an impossible dream unless we each get involved. I challenge everyone here today to join this movement by transforming your own life and encouraging at least one other person to commit to the movement. If we each take on that challenge, by 2030 we’ll be having (a tremendous ripple effect in our communities, with an army of transformed individuals), strong and ready to take back Jamaica with the Power of Love.”

Patricia Sutherland, chair of the Foundation in her presentation, extended the scope of the challenge by encouraging the audience to be introspective and to interrogate their own belief systems and learned behaviours. “We must all realize and accept that our assumptions drive our behaviour. Before Jamaica can begin to change, we must each challenge our belief systems, learned behaviours and even our lived experiences. Until you’re aware of your own belief system, you cannot live differently. Check yourself. Check your biases. We have to check ourselves and reshape who we are being through our actions, so we can help to create an equal and equitable Jamaica, with the best interest of all, which is what we all want.” She also noted that some of these biases are ingrained in our history of slavery and have become commonplace in our culture, it however requires a collective responsibility and shift in mindset. 

Paul A. Blake, counselling psychologist, minister of religion, motivational speaker and five-time author, shared from his personal journey and how the ubuntu principle and support from his community, including his teachers, transformed his own life. He endorsed the ‘One Love’ movement and during his inspirational delivery reminded the audience that every individual’s success is connected to someone else. “Success begins with me but when I succeed, we succeed together. If we can help to change one life, then one love is what we benefit from,” outlining that as such he sees it as his duty to pay it forward and has done so through avenues like mentorship.  

Perhaps fittingly, the conference was capped with reggae music - a genre that is known universally for spreading messages of love and social change. Reggae singer Tarrus Riley had the audience on their feet singing enthusiastically along to his set. Complementing the message of “One Love”, the Pegasus ballroom was also transformed with Jamaican themed décor, complete with coconut handcart and pan chicken man, adding to the ambiance reflect the theme.

Celia Ebanks, programme manager at the Foundation and CFG conference organizer, outlined that her organization intends to continue to build on the momentum, by creating a space to allow individuals to take part in the ‘big picture’ of transforming Jamaica. In further sharing details of the plan, she said, “Working as a team, we intend to facilitate support systems to help guide the process and the networks that have been developed through the conference and foster the positive results that have been seen in the schools, in which the CFG programme has been implemented.  We will also expose more Jamaicans to the CFG principles and tools through ongoing online training opportunities, with one such workshop slated to start in the next few weeks.” The aim is to have tangible steps taken to transform Jamaica, recognizing the value of small consistent changes that have a monumental impact. 

The genesis of the CFG programmes dates back to 2015, where the Foundation rolled out the mindset programme in the schools and saw marked improvement, including a reduction in absenteeism, disciplinary infractions and suspensions, improved parental involvement, greater cohesion among school staff; and increased trust levels in schools.