Gleaner Editors' Forum | Creating the space for more national awardees

Today, they will be among the 206 persons who will be recognised for their service to the nation at the 2018 National Honours and Awards ceremony, which will be held at King's House.

Last Friday, they used a Gleaner Editors' Forum to provide suggestions as to what should be done to ensure that 30 years from now, Jamaica will have others deserving of national awards.

Eleanor Jones,

OD for Environment

I think we need to pay more attention to people and become more people focused. The nurturing of the family, I think, is fundamental, the nurturing of that sense of self-worth. As you nurture that self-worth, you are almost subliminally encouraged to give back.

Senator Kavan Gayle,

CD for services to trade union and public service

We must encourage people to join and give service. We must support them when they give service, and when they do give service, we must, having received the support, recognise them and applaud them for what they do. If we put those three things in place, then there will be a continuity of volunteerism that outshines what the four of us have done.

Joan Andrea Hutchinson

OD for culture

I believe we all need to understand that we are all part of the larger chain of giving and receiving. We must also let young people understand that they have a role to play in the development of Jamaica. It's not just about music and entertainment. They have a serious role to play. There are many things that you and I, at our age, cannot understand how to make work socially. But young people are coming in with bright, wonderful ideas, and we need to pull them in and make them know they have a serious role to play.

Councillor Neville Whittaker

Long service award

At the community level, we need to recognise those unsung heroes.