Lessons from Berlin

[Karl]

Lessons from Berlin

Published: Sunday | August 23, 2009



Don Robotham, Contributor

AS WE bask in the glory of the brilliant performance by our athletes in Berlin, many have been moved to reflect on the deeper meaning of these achievements. And it is not just a matter of the athletic performance, outstanding as these have been. What is even more striking to all, including people in Germany, are the fine personal qualities of our athletes. They all display a natural human warmth rarely found among celebrities in the scripted public relations world of today.

The Spirit of the Macca Tree
We in Jamaica know where this refreshing naturalness comes from - memorably captured in the brief dance which Bolt and Asafa put down on the track at the end of the 100 metres in Berlin. It comes from Macca Tree and Waterhouse, from Maxfield Avenue and small districts in St Catherine, St Elizabeth, Manchester and other rural areas. These are the real salt of our Jamaican earth - nary a 'topanaris' among them, not one!

People who grew up in hard circumstances, in communities without electricity, pipe-borne water

or proper roads, with access to limited education and even more limited health care, with no friends in high places to pull strings for them, without either 'high colour' or riches, have risen to the global pinnacle in their chosen field, stunning the entire world. Berlin, according to one German newspaper, has been gripped by 'Usain-Bolt-Fieber'.


I have been fortunate enough to personally experience Bolt's genuineness. Recently, while awaiting a flight in the departure lounge in Norman Manley, in walked a tall young man dressed in a simple black
T-shirt and jeans, accompanied by two friends. Without the least bit of fanfare or showiness, like any other anonymous traveller, he walked over to a food bar and quietly placed an order - despite the absence of chicken nuggets on the menu!

This tall young man bore an uncanny resemblance to one Usain Bolt, but of course it could not possibly have been him. At least, so I thought. No way that an Olympic gold medallist who had already achieved international fame could be acting with such utter naturalness and modesty.

But, indeed, it was Usain Bolt. More persons finally recognised him and rushed to get pictures. He patiently obliged every single one, including me. I can only tell you one thing: don't be misled by the dancing and the grandstanding in front of the cameras. Usain Bolt is a real and true 'born Jamaican' and one very shy somebody.

The first lesson from Berlin, therefore, is what many have observed before. The real problems in Jamaican society are not located at the middle or the bottom. It is the top which cannot seem to get its act together. The negative human activities, such as homicidal crimes which develop at the bottom, actually spring from the top. It is the top which divided and armed the bottom. It is the top which is constantly squabbling and profiling and breaking world records - in conspicuous consumption.

What we need in Jamaica more than anything else is not lessons in values and attitudes for the mass. This is preaching to the choir. The sermons need to be redirected. Aim them at those who really need them: the shallow and materialistic uptown lumpen!

Berlin reminds us that there is present at the base of our society the potential to perform at the highest international levels under the right set of circumstances. No, Bolt is not "from outer space", Mr Prime Minister. He is from Sherwood Content! And the remarkable thing is that these hidden talents are not limited to one or two persons. On the contrary, they are widely distributed among a significant number of grass-roots people.
There are a number of historical reasons why this is so, not the least of which is the centuries old tradition of independent small farming. This goes back to our roots in African agriculture (the yam!) and continued all throughout slavery and after emancipation, the plantation system notwithstanding. Indeed, the more social, economic and political pressures have strived to stifle this spirit of Macca Tree, the more it rises up and refuses to be suppressed.

However, Berlin offers us another and more complex lesson: in the real world, this talent which is so widely present at the base and in the middle of our society cannot realise its full potential on its own. It needs the help and assistance of persons of all social classes, including those at the top, local and foreign. No G.C. Foster Sports College, no gold in Berlin. No Chris Blackwell, no Bob Marley. But - and this is the most important thing - no Bob Marley, no Chris Blackwell!

In a remarkable letter in The Gleaner last Thursday, Paul Lawrence made this point very convincingly. What we are reaping now are the fruits of the efforts of those who had faith in the great potential of the ordinary Jamaican person, male and female. The country is reaping the hard and prolonged sacrifices that all these persons - the athletes and their families first of all - made over many years, through many disappointments, amid fickle public support and on ridiculously small budgets.

Recentring Jamaica
But faith, hard work, discipline, patriotism and dedication - vital as these are - were not enough. As Paul Lawrence put it, "As in all things, money held the key. Could Jamaica support home-grown talent? Could Jamaica nurture and support world-class athletes, feed them, outfit them and support overseas travel to compete on the international stage? The money was the final piece of the jigsaw." Nuff respect to the firms in Jamaica, large and small, local and foreign - Digicel, Jamaica National, Victoria Mutual, Cable and Wireless, Grace, Sandals, SuperClubs, Puma, D&G and many others - who understand this vital point.

However, we should be clear on what makes this work. Our achievements attain the highest international levels when those at the top put the interests of those at the bottom and middle at the forefront of our activities. It is a question of giving genuine support to the mass - recentring Jamaica. It is not a question of manipulating the mass. The grass roots must be the core - the genuine foundation of the entire effort. This is crucial because we are only too familiar with the many hypocritical projects which pretend to 'put the people first'. Usually, those who proclaim this the loudest are to be distrusted. They are simply playing a game of trying to use the people for their own narrow advantage. But all such efforts, whether in politics, business or intellectual life are doomed to fail.

How do we go about recentring Jamaica to address the many serious challenges we face in our economy, education system, and in our social, political and cultural life more generally? This is the challenge which Berlin poses. If the achievements of our athletes suggest one lesson, it is that the regular grass-roots 'born Jamaican' is ready to meet this challenge. The problem is at the top.

[Don1]

Lessons from Berlin

Published: Sunday | August 23, 2009



Don Robotham, Contributor

AS WE bask in the glory of the brilliant performance by our athletes in Berlin, many have been moved to reflect on the deeper meaning of these achievements. And it is not just a matter of the athletic performance, outstanding as these have been. What is even more striking to all, including people in Germany, are the fine personal qualities of our athletes. They all display a natural human warmth rarely found among celebrities in the scripted public relations world of today.

The Spirit of the Macca Tree
We in Jamaica know where this refreshing naturalness comes from - memorably captured in the brief dance which Bolt and Asafa put down on the track at the end of the 100 metres in Berlin. It comes from Macca Tree and Waterhouse, from Maxfield Avenue and small districts in St Catherine, St Elizabeth, Manchester and other rural areas. These are the real salt of our Jamaican earth - nary a 'topanaris' among them, not one!

People who grew up in hard circumstances, in communities without electricity, pipe-borne water

or proper roads, with access to limited education and even more limited health care, with no friends in high places to pull strings for them, without either 'high colour' or riches, have risen to the global pinnacle in their chosen field, stunning the entire world. Berlin, according to one German newspaper, has been gripped by 'Usain-Bolt-Fieber'.


I have been fortunate enough to personally experience Bolt's genuineness. Recently, while awaiting a flight in the departure lounge in Norman Manley, in walked a tall young man dressed in a simple black
T-shirt and jeans, accompanied by two friends. Without the least bit of fanfare or showiness, like any other anonymous traveller, he walked over to a food bar and quietly placed an order - despite the absence of chicken nuggets on the menu!

This tall young man bore an uncanny resemblance to one Usain Bolt, but of course it could not possibly have been him. At least, so I thought. No way that an Olympic gold medallist who had already achieved international fame could be acting with such utter naturalness and modesty.

But, indeed, it was Usain Bolt. More persons finally recognised him and rushed to get pictures. He patiently obliged every single one, including me. I can only tell you one thing: don't be misled by the dancing and the grandstanding in front of the cameras. Usain Bolt is a real and true 'born Jamaican' and one very shy somebody.

The first lesson from Berlin, therefore, is what many have observed before. The real problems in Jamaican society are not located at the middle or the bottom. It is the top which cannot seem to get its act together. The negative human activities, such as homicidal crimes which develop at the bottom, actually spring from the top. It is the top which divided and armed the bottom. It is the top which is constantly squabbling and profiling and breaking world records - in conspicuous consumption.

What we need in Jamaica more than anything else is not lessons in values and attitudes for the mass. This is preaching to the choir. The sermons need to be redirected. Aim them at those who really need them: the shallow and materialistic uptown lumpen!

Berlin reminds us that there is present at the base of our society the potential to perform at the highest international levels under the right set of circumstances. No, Bolt is not "from outer space", Mr Prime Minister. He is from Sherwood Content! And the remarkable thing is that these hidden talents are not limited to one or two persons. On the contrary, they are widely distributed among a significant number of grass-roots people.
There are a number of historical reasons why this is so, not the least of which is the centuries old tradition of independent small farming. This goes back to our roots in African agriculture (the yam!) and continued all throughout slavery and after emancipation, the plantation system notwithstanding. Indeed, the more social, economic and political pressures have strived to stifle this spirit of Macca Tree, the more it rises up and refuses to be suppressed.

However, Berlin offers us another and more complex lesson: in the real world, this talent which is so widely present at the base and in the middle of our society cannot realise its full potential on its own. It needs the help and assistance of persons of all social classes, including those at the top, local and foreign. No G.C. Foster Sports College, no gold in Berlin. No Chris Blackwell, no Bob Marley. But - and this is the most important thing - no Bob Marley, no Chris Blackwell!

In a remarkable letter in The Gleaner last Thursday, Paul Lawrence made this point very convincingly. What we are reaping now are the fruits of the efforts of those who had faith in the great potential of the ordinary Jamaican person, male and female. The country is reaping the hard and prolonged sacrifices that all these persons - the athletes and their families first of all - made over many years, through many disappointments, amid fickle public support and on ridiculously small budgets.

Recentring Jamaica
But faith, hard work, discipline, patriotism and dedication - vital as these are - were not enough. As Paul Lawrence put it, "As in all things, money held the key. Could Jamaica support home-grown talent? Could Jamaica nurture and support world-class athletes, feed them, outfit them and support overseas travel to compete on the international stage? The money was the final piece of the jigsaw." Nuff respect to the firms in Jamaica, large and small, local and foreign - Digicel, Jamaica National, Victoria Mutual, Cable and Wireless, Grace, Sandals, SuperClubs, Puma, D&G and many others - who understand this vital point.

However, we should be clear on what makes this work. Our achievements attain the highest international levels when those at the top put the interests of those at the bottom and middle at the forefront of our activities. It is a question of giving genuine support to the mass - recentring Jamaica. It is not a question of manipulating the mass. The grass roots must be the core - the genuine foundation of the entire effort. This is crucial because we are only too familiar with the many hypocritical projects which pretend to 'put the people first'. Usually, those who proclaim this the loudest are to be distrusted. They are simply playing a game of trying to use the people for their own narrow advantage. But all such efforts, whether in politics, business or intellectual life are doomed to fail.

How do we go about recentring Jamaica to address the many serious challenges we face in our economy, education system, and in our social, political and cultural life more generally? This is the challenge which Berlin poses. If the achievements of our athletes suggest one lesson, it is that the regular grass-roots 'born Jamaican' is ready to meet this challenge. The problem is at the top.

Agree 110%

[Gamma]

my thinking exactly...the majority of jamaicans are decent had working and ambitious people. those with the task of governng us have failed by us miserable by exploiting elements of the lower socio-economic strata for gain power for pure peronal gain to aid corruption and cronyism!

[Don1]

my thinking exactly...the majority of jamaicans are decent had working and ambitious people. those with the task of governng us have failed by us miserable by exploiting elements of the lower socio-economic strata for gain power for pure peronal gain to aid corruption and cronyism!

exactamundo...mi tiyad ah di whole a dem...enuff areddy.

[Gamma]

glad yuh decipher what mi write because on a re-read...di typos did a mad mi!!

[Karl]

Lessons from Berlin - Ken Chaplin

Lessons from Berlin

KEN CHAPLIN
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

KEN CHAPLIN
The Jamaican contingent to the just-ended IAAF World Track and Field Championships crowned itself in glory as it dominated the sprint events in Berlin, Germany, and Jamaicans at home cheered themselves hoarse as the athletes won medal after medal and rekindled a sense of national pride. All this, however, was somewhat overshadowed last week by senseless killings in towns and villages, some without any apparent reason.

There were many lessons that could be learned from the performances of the Jamaican team at the championships. The first is that success is in direct correlation to the discipline, hard work and sacrifice one puts into training. A person gets out of life what he or she has put into life earlier. That is to say that young Jamaicans who do not take their education seriously and have no ambition to rise above adversity and instead waste their time at street corners are condemned to ignorance and poverty.

The second lesson is that in the murder and mayhem that the country has experienced over the past 30 years, many of the young people killed could have become champions of the world or leaders in many other spheres. The message has to be spread in inner cities, towns and villages across the nation that the gun can only bring infamy, not progress, so people should give up the illegal gun and see what contribution they can make in lifting up their communities and country in one form or another.

Let us build on the success in Berlin. Let the youngsters give up their guns and start a new life. The Government should immediately appoint the hero of Berlin, Usain Bolt - who in the last two years won six gold medals and set five world records at the Olympics and the World Championships - to tour Jamaica to motivate young people. Such a tour should not interfere with his training programme.

I do not believe any athlete in any era has been so adored by the host country as was Bolt in Germany. This was significant, as at the 1936 Olympics in the same stadium in Berlin, Adolph Hitler, the Nazi leader who believed in the supremacy of the white race, insulted the black American athlete Jesse Owens.

However, Owens made a mockery of the Nazi claims of white superiority, winning four gold medals. Significant also was the fact that Owens' daughter watched the 12th World Championships from the box where Hitler sat during the 1936 Olympics.

Jamaicans won 13 medals at the championships - seven gold, four silver, and two bronze. Only the USA with its much larger team won more medals than Jamaica - 10 gold, six silver, and two bronze. A commentator at the championships marvelled at Jamaica's performance, noting that Jamaica, a small country with limited resources, could do so well. And herein lies the third lesson. There is no reason why we should not do well in governance and in other fields if we apply ourselves to the task of building the country.

Three concerns

There were three major concerns relating to the championships: the alleged doping of five athletes in Jamaica before the team left for Berlin, a disrespect for the authority of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) by the management of the MVP Track Club, and beloved Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown not participating in the 4x100m relay.

Jamaica won the race, and it is my belief that our time would have been far better if Campbell-Brown was in the team. Many people to whom I have spoken felt that Veronica would have done well on any leg. There was no valid excuse for Campbell-Brown not starting. If the team's technical director, Donald Quarrie, decides that she must run a particular leg in the relay she has no choice but to run and protest later. I find walking away from her country was hasty, unforgivable and a demonstration of disrespect for the authority of the technical director. She must face the JAAA disciplinary committee when she returns.

The disrespect shown to the JAAA, the ruling body, by Stephen Francis, head coach of MVP track club, for not allowing his charges to attend a mandatory pre-championship training camp in Nuremberg, Germany, cannot be tolerated. There should be only one camp. If Francis felt that his camp was superior he should have pursued this objective of one camp with the JAAA earlier.

His harsh criticism of the controlling body in last Thursday's edition of the Jamaica Observer is unacceptable. In an interview with Kayon Raynor in Berlin, Francis is quoted as saying that the JAAA would be better served trying to eradicate doping from the sport than trying to persecute his athletes. That is not the central point at this stage. The central point is that his club defied the JAAA's authority by boycotting the accredited pre-training camp.

The JAAA had decided to send the athletes home, which I thought was the proper course, but under pressure from the International Amateur Athletics Federation, which felt that Jamaica should field its best team possible, the JAAA rescinded its decision. The matter should not end there. Both the coach and his charges should face the disciplinary committee when they return home.

Francis and his charges must understand that there is only one ruling body - the JAAA - and its instructions and directives must be followed or the whole structure of athletics in Jamaica will fall apart. The fact that his club performed magnificently - and this is no surprise because Francis is a first-class coach - does not alter the situation. These games are not only about winning medals. Demonstration of discipline and true sportsmanship are also important.

There was much discussion on the doping issue affecting five athletes whose urine tests at the Jamaica National Championships earlier this year contained a banned substance. The procedure relating to one of the athletes was breached and she was cleared. As regards the other four athletes, the matters involving a number of organisations, both in Jamaica and overseas, were so complex that time was needed to consider the issues instead of rushing them through.

It seems to me that once a prohibited drug is found in an athlete or group of athletes, they should be immediately suspended until the issue is finally resolved, because doping is a very serious matter.

[Gamma]

this one is kinda hollow....mi nuh sure seh the jaaa must be followed like the pied piper.....they too have a part to play in trying to do what is best for the athlete and thereby jamaica.