By Arley Gill From Caribbean360

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, Tuesday October 28, 2014 – I submit that National consciousness and awareness is the quintessential sector of the new economy. I will attempt to demonstrate how that consciousness, which I speak of, positively affects our nation’s economy.

It is that consciousness that will encourage us to eat what we grow and grow what we eat, for instance. If we do so, our food import bill will be significantly reduced. The agricultural sector will experience sustainable growth and development, because farmers will have a ready local market for their produce.

Additionally, it would afford our poultry and livestock farmers the opportunity to invest and expand their production, because our people would understand that when they go in the supermarkets they will not purchase any imported chicken. We will buy our own and if we do not have, we’ll be prepared to do without. That is the level of consciousness I am talking about.

Moreover, there is no pressure from government, no breach of WTO rules. We are simply making a conscious effort to eat what we produce and, by so doing, we are only eating healthy. ‎We will do more with our bananas, breadfruit and ground provisions.

Macaroni pie will be replaced by yam pie; potato salad by breadfruit salad; cranberry juice by coconut water; and the list goes on. Of course, what I am articulating is nothing new. Every government, past and present, has spoken about it. Only the Revolution Government (1979 – 1983) made a valiant effort to implement. How did they attempt to do so?

The PRG tried by raising the consciousness of our people. That consciousness does not stop at our table. It extends to our clothing. We will wear more of our clothes by our local designers. This will give rise to the development of more cottage industries; and the sustainable development of our creative industry, which is a billion-dollar industry globally.

It’s the same for our music. The more local music we play and we purchase, the more our local musicians will be able to work on their music full-time, because they know there’s a ready market. Grenada does not have a proper copyright regime; but, if it did with all the foreign music played in Grenada, thousands of royalty monies would have been expatriated to the USA.

The picture is similar with an examination of local television and radio. With three television stations and more radio stations per capita than anywhere else in the world, local content remains woefully lacking; and, as such, the Grenada economy does not benefit as it should.

Now, I am not advocating a total local diet, or total local wear or entertainment, or that we live as “cavemen’’. Far from this; we have to share of the things of the world, as much as we invite them to share with us. All this consciousness will do, is to engender a more significant economic consumption of things local. ‎The Americans have done so successfully.

Americans know that their cars, for example, are not the best. Yet for all, they drive around in their Buick and Chevrolet with great style. They are proud of everything American. And, when the French get them annoyed, they rename French Fries to Freedom Fries and there is no problem with that.

Of course, in America you will find cars from other countries prominent on the market as well. Most developed countries have that mentality. The Germans are world-famous for their automobile engineering, but that does not mean you will not find a Toyota in Berlin; or, a Mercedes in Tokyo, despite the fact that the Japanese love their local brand vehicles.

The fact of the matter is that for industries to thrive, local support is critical. In most developing countries, there is an attitude to shun locally made products; and in Grenada, we are no different. That mentality needs to change if we are to develop. To a great extent, Jamaica and Jamaicans – more than anyone else in the developing world – have done more than others to change that mentality and attitude.

Jamaicans love their music, food and culture. They have a strong influence on other cultures in the world. So much so, that when a young Grenadian artiste sings a good song he automatically speaks as a Jamaican.

When developing countries were shipping their athletes to the US for training, Jamaicans were confident and conscious enough to train and develop their own and to telling effect. They now dominate the world in sprints. I cannot rationalize this high level of consciousness with the “bleaching of the black skin culture’’; but Jamaica, by and large, is a good example of national consciousness. ‎

In the 1960’s and 70’s there was the Black Consciousness Movement sweeping through the world. It did a lot for black people; from civil rights in the USA to independence in Africa and the Caribbean; to educational and employment opportunities for people of non-white origin.

We need a national consciousness to sweep through the Caribbean islands; this time to awake our people from their slumber. Could you imagine Caribbean children having Halloween parties in the Caribbean?

The views expressed in this column are solely those of Arley Gill. Arley Gill, a lawyer and magistrate, is a former Grenada minister of culture.

IMAGE: Fountain pen writing the word conscious

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