The Power of Collective Action
True change requires collective action, not just individual survival or passive waiting. A reminder that when we unite with shared purpose, even the most broken systems can be changed.
Let me say this as clearly and lovingly as I can:
Jamaica is not “them.” Jamaica is us.
The government isn’t “the country.”
The rich upper echelons of St. Andrew aren’t “the country.”
The foreign investors aren’t “the country.”
We, the people, are the country.
And when the people stop moving, the nation stops growing.
We’ve Been Conditioned to Watch From the Sidelines
Many Jamaicans go through life like we’re visitors in our own country.
We walk the streets without pride.
We speak about Jamaica like it belongs to someone else.
We behave like we’re just renting space, waiting for things to improve, hoping for “better.”
But if all we do is hope while doing nothing, we’re not just bystanders.... we’re accomplices.
We are a part of the problem by choosing to do nothing.
A Nation is Only as Strong as Its People
Politicians will only do what the people allow.
Systems will only continue if we don't challenge them.
Corruption will stay alive where there is silence and division.
So when people say,
“The system too big fi change,”
I say:
The system only feels big because we’re all standing apart, Not together.
Unity is Power
We’ve seen what a little collective energy can do:
A strike that stops business as usual.
A protest that forces the media to pay attention.
A boycott that shakes an entire industry.
But imagine if that power wasn’t just a moment.
Imagine if it was a movement.
Not just one roadblock here, one outcry there.
But organized, sustained, collective pressure from a nation of people that knows their worth.
That’s what real change requires.
Why Don’t We Act Together?
Because we’ve been trained to focus on self in a depleting way:
“Mi have fi look out fi me.”
“Dem nah help me, so why mi fi help dem?”
“Mi cyaah save the country when mi cyaah save miself.”
And yes.
Survival is real.
People are struggling.
The economy hard.
But separation is part of how systems keep us weak.
Because when we’re divided, we’re easier to control.
When we’re focused only on individual struggle,
we forget the collective dream.
Jamaica Is Waiting for You to Rise
The government should work for us. Not the other way around.
The nation is shaped by what we allow and what we demand.
And every time we act like we don’t matter, Jamaica loses something that keeps it going.
My ending note is this....
Don’t just ask what Jamaica can do for you.
Ask what you and I together can do for Jamaica.
And then....do it.
Even if it's small.
Especially if it’s small.
Because when the small acts align, they become unstoppable.
Curious about how to get back your voice and power?
Dive into my blog series on agency.
A deeply reflective journey on breaking passivity, healing inherited patterns, and stepping into your role as an active force in your life and community.