Speech

Opening Remarks by Karen Hilliard for the presentation of the The Political Culture of Democracy in Jamaica, 2008 survey - April 2009

As prepared

Kingston, Jamaica | Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Good morning everyone. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the public presentation of the 2008 Political Culture of Democracy Survey conducted by the Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt University and the University of the West Indies, Mona.  LAPOP began over 20 years ago with a study of democratic values in one country, Costa Rica. The study, conducted every two years, now includes 23 countries. This is Jamaica’s second time participating, having been added for the first time in 2006.

Today we will hear from Dr. Elizabeth Zechmeister, representing LAPOP and Vanderbilt University; and from our UWI colleagues Dr. Lawrence Powell from the Centre of Leadership and Governance and Mr. Balford Lewis from the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work.

We are also pleased to be joined by our distinguished panel  - Professor Trevor Munroe; Assistant Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant; Mrs. Donna Parchment Brown; Mr. Gregory Simms; and Rev. Al Miller who will provide their perspectives on the presentations. 

Our goal is that today’s event goes beyond a mere presentation of findings.  We selected three topics that we think warrant public discussion – Corruption; Police-Citizen Relations; and PsychoCultural Factors in Jamaican Democracy. 

We want to stimulate dialogue and discuss the policy implications of the findings. We also want help people make the connections between the findings and their roles as citizens, and therefore contribute to meaningful outcomes.

USAID is quite proud to be one of the main sponsors of the Americas Barometer, one of LAPOP’s many projects. These studies are useful to us as development partners in several ways.  They track public opinion, behavior and attitudes towards issues of democracy and governance throughout the western hemisphere.  

In essence, The Political Culture of Democracy survey is a tool that shows the state of the country through the eyes of the people. It is a longitudinal report with data and findings that can inform policymakers, donors and citizens about problems; trends within the country and across the region from year to year; and helps us to track how we are doing on issues critical to a strong and functional democracy. It also provides valuable information that helps ensure that donor and civil society programs remain appropriate to Jamaica’s culture and development priorities.

The survey has also created an opportunity for pursuing greater linkages between the public and private sector, civil society and the university community.  It is an example of how academic research can be relevant to solving serious development challenges.

The survey is a proven and reliable instrument that gives us insight and provides us with a ‘reality check’ with respect to the views in the public domain versus what we hear in the media, or in our professional circles.

We hope that the findings that will be presented this morning will stimulate your thoughts and actions.  I urge you to participate in the discussion and to provide us with practical recommendations for the way forward.  Look at this as an opportunity to assess Jamaica’s situation, propose solutions to challenges identified, build on our successes and maximize on the various opportunities for meaningful change.

Thank you.