Questions about Jamaica Arise

1. What was the role that the People's National Party (PNP) played in the anti-colonial struggle?

The PNP might be the most important movement leading to Jamaica’s independency from Great Britain. It was one of the first groups who fought against the colonialism and that united the people with the objective of getting freedom and rights.

One of the main achievements of this political movement during its early years was giving political education to the people, which lead to future improvement. Maybe its first big hit was getting the right to vote in 1944, to every adult, man or woman. This was the first step towards real independency, which finally happened in 1962.

2. What was/is the role of women throughout the 75 years of the PNP? (Give at least 3 examples)

The ideology of the PNP was inherently inclusive, but at its foundation, it was mainly men who took the primary role in the politic side. However, it doesn’t mean that women were absent. Figures like the politician Agnes Bernerd and the artist Edna Manley were fundamental in spreding culture and political education in Jamaica, while also helping people interest in these topics and their freedom.

When time passed, in 1973, the PNP Women’s Movement was founded, whose objectives were getting women the rights they deserved in this society, like mutual payment and a maternity leave act, in which they were successful. This is one of the most important parts of the party to this day.

In the present, women have an vital role in Jamaican politics, tied or not to the PNP. For example, the senator Angela Brown Burke, who is the vice president of that party.

3. How did the implementation of democratic socialism affect the Jamaican people?

Socialism was, from the very beginning, one of the fundamental ideologies before the origin of the PNP. During the 70s, president Michael Manley opted to change the direction of his government from a traditional socialism to a more radical side, democratic socialism, similar to the Salvador Allende’s UP movement and period in Chile.  This included making close ties with Cuba during The Cold War.

At first, the implementation of this new ideology led to some good changes, however, when years went on, Jamaica saw an increase in inflation and in violence, eventually leading to a economical, political and social crisis. Manley considered that these were consequences from the involvement of USA. After this, in 1980 the PNP lost the presidential elections to the Jamaican Labour Party, but the violence and economical struggle stayed for the years to come.

4. How does the PNP justify privatization and its role in creating a path of neoliberal reforms in Jamaica?

The PNP justifies the privatization policies because they think that it will give them immediate economical resources that they can use to pay the international debt that the country has, mainly after the economical crisis in the democratic socialism period. The use of that strategy will, in fact, turn the country’s economy to the neoliberal system.

The implementation of the reforms would be mainly to confront the economical trouble Jamaica is facing at the moment, with a high unemployment and high unemployment rate, but that means that the PNP would turn away from the socialist ideology they were founded with.

5. How do you compare the role of PNP in the film, Ghett'a Life (Lenny Thompson, Derrick's Father) versus the documentary?

The PNP from the movie represents the late years of the movement, closer to the present, characterized by corruption and the separation from the people they are supposed to represent. The character of Lenny Thompson represents part of the state of the politics in modern times, as he is a character who followed the orders of a mafia boss who led to his election. That character, Sin, shows a corrupt person whose interests are selfish and completely separated from the people.