What Is It: Cheap Politics, Power Tripping or Real Empowerment?

Today's post is an audio blog. Listen here.

Transcript: 

I grew up at a time when political activism, tension and awareness was at its highest in Jamaica.

My mother was an activist of the meanest order. She and a group of women in my and the surrounding communities were what you call stalwarts of their political party.

It was nigh impossible for me not to have been affected by the fervour for democracy, equality, justice for all and more so for us as citizens of the so-called Third World.

I was attending political rallies, helping with "canvassing" in our constituency, assisting behind the scenes at polling stations from the tender age of 10.

Little wonder that by my18th birthday, not only was I a member of the youth arm of the party but was co-chair of an important mobilization committee. Later years would find me working in the communications machinery during elections, as well as contracted as the campaign publicity officer on several candidates' campaigns including senior ones currently in the government of Jamaica.

By the time my family and I migrated to Canada, the politics-fatigue was beginning to set in. Why? My motivation in anything that engages me is to help others, to bring about and/or support meaningful change in people's lives.

While much had changed in Jamaica between the advent of the Right Honorable Michael Manley and our migration in early 2000's, fundamentally the mentality of the majority of my beloved Jamaica had not.

Dependency was and remains the singular most debilitating and disturbing, to me, characteristic of too many Jamaicans. The notion that politicians are demi-gods perpetuated through a culture of hand-outs and creation of sycophants, have kept my country people looked in a dance that has long lost its appeal.

Over a decade in Canada has done little to revive my confidence that people who have entered politics will recall that they are there to serve the country and not their personal agenda and power trip.

The arrival or should I say coming of Barack Obama to international fame and presidency of his nation admittedly excited me. No, not because he's an African-American but because of his message if hope and change.

I switched off my television and stopped reading newspapers two years now when the hope was hijacked and the change crashed. It was so funny the other evening when my friend almost fainted when I remarked, "Oh, John Kerry is Secretary of State?"

My politics now, my passion is Love. I really liked that quote by Grace Paley where she says:" ... people will sometimes say, "Why don't you write more politics?" And I have to explain to them that writing the lives of women is politics."

The lives of women, my life is my politics. Creating and supporting a community of sisters who uplifts, empower each other on the principles of unconditional love, inclusivity and non-judgment is my way of doing politics.

Is my way the best or only way? I don't know and it probably is not. It however is my way, my way of being a center and channel of peace and love.

That, I believe is the best and only way for us as humanity to truly be at peace, to respect our differences and to resurrect hope and maybe, just maybe bring about change in a world hungry for it.