‘No excuse not to make a difference’ - Jarrett gives Nottingham Trent U grads call to action

Graduates in the areas of the built environment, architecture and design at the Nottingham Trent University in England were earlier this month recipients of an urgent call from Jamaican private sector leader Earl Jarrett for them to“rubbish the belief that they cannot effect change”.

In a speech on December 11, a day before the country was immersed in a general election, Jarrett roused them to wake up, and participate in society to make a difference.

Jarrett was conferred with a Doctor of the University, honoris causa, for his contributions to the social and economic prosperity of Jamaica; the development of the Jamaican and Caribbean Diaspora; and the JN Group’s partnership with the top-ranking UK university, which was named Guardian University of the Year 2019 for its inclusive curriculum and focus on social mobility.

The JN Group CEO urged the graduates to resist looking at themselves as individual persons in a large world, and to let their voices be heard. Referencing the achievements of young climate change advocate, Greta Thunberg, Jarrett said there was no excuse for sitting back, as everyone can make a difference if they try.

He stirred graduates, as he articulated the lyrics from the hit song, Wake up Everybody, by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

“Wake up everybody, no more sleeping in bed.

No more backward thinking, time for thinking ahead.

The world has changed so very much, from what it used to be, there is so much hatred, war and poverty.

The world won’t get no better if we just let it be.

The world won’t get no better, we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me.”

In his seven-minute long address, Jarrett suggested three ways in which graduates could position themselves to make a difference. He first urged them to volunteer.

NO RANK FOR VOLUNTEERS

“Become volunteers to share your skills and knowledge with other persons. As a volunteer, you will meet people. And, the good thing about being a volunteer is that there is no rank for volunteers. You will not be judged on your experience, but you will gain a lot of experience sitting at board tables and working with other persons of similar interest,” he said.

Jarrett then encouraged the graduates to work at developing strong networks, explaining that, “A network provides strength. Network gives us power. [It] gives you the ability to leverage your abilities to serve yourselves and a wider community.”

He also pointed out that the beginnings of their network had already commenced with the connections they built during their studies at Nottingham Trent; and he encouraged them to nourish those networks, to create long lasting partnerships.

“Thirdly, you must make your voices heard on the issues that you care about,” Jarrett underscored, as he reminded the graduates that they had avenues and opportunities available to them, more than any other generation, to influence the world.

“There is the technology that you can use to have your voices heard… . You can share your views with the world, if you so choose; and you should choose to do so,” he concluded, encouraging the graduates to “Seize the moment, and make their lives count.”