MAKING NEWARK,NEW JERSEY A BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR AMERICA AND THE WORLD

 

 

         Aldous Huxley observed in his book “The Brave New World” that;

 

“The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing. Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. By simply not mentioning certain subjects, by lowering what Mr. Churchill calls an “ iron curtain” between the masses and such facts or arguments as the local political bosses regard as undesirable, totalitarian propagandists have influenced opinion much more effectively than they could have done by the most eloquent denunciations, the most compelling of logical rebuttals. If persecution, liquidation and the other symptoms of social friction are to be avoided, the positive sides of propaganda must be made as effective as the negative”    Aldous Huxley 1894-1963

  Making Newark, a Brave New City for America and the World

We must embrace courage, endurance, unexpected faith and unspoken loyalty that will knit us together in this company for change. We must become cheerful companions. We want people to be involved with their skills and ideas. We have not turned away anyone who is enthusiastic and has indicated to us in good conscience that he or she would like to be a change agent here in Newark.  William J. Bennett observed in “The Moral Compass” that ;

 Among good citizens, Aristotle told us, “The Salvation of the community is the common business of them all”

 

There is one major preposition about life. Everyone has a unique worldview and as a result have a different set of spectacles through, which they perceive the world. This applies too, to how we view and understand the need for change within the City of Newark . We are not gathering together because we see things exactly in the same manner.

 

We have simply found common grounds and in order to succeed we are learning to give up on some of our differences.  This is a fact about life. We have humbled ourselves to work and rebuild the City. We will continue to plead that Newark citizens and residents, and well-wishers contribute constructively to this endeavor morally, spiritually, intellectually, mentally and physically whenever they are called upon.  It is time for service to one another through intentional acts of kindness.

 

We cannot be part of the conspiracy of silence while our fellow Citizens are not served upon according to their needs.  The struggle continuous. We are doing what is right and not what people like. 

 

We have learned that sympathy for a cause, organization and political party a great City as Newark involved in change is not enough. We want your empathy and involvement as foot soldiers to make our plan of action come to fruition. We have rolled up our sleeves. Now is your turn.  We have learned and have been inspired by what others have done through out history to change the world. We will make phone calls and email you, and if possible knock on your doors to ask for your support in good conscience.

 

Change can only happen when people hungry for change realize the “fierce sense of urgency now” and come together. It is now up to you Citizens of Newark to play your own role. It is patriotic for us to give a facelift to our great City and neighborhoods. We refuse to be part of “The Conspiracy of silence”. We are looking for good and responsible citizens to act upon the advice of William J. Bennet but most importantly on their good conscience.

 

In fact William J Bennet observes in “ The Moral Compass” that;

 

“ We join clubs, churches, school organizations, civic associations, and political parties in order to better ourselves and the conditions of others. The success of any organization depends on the character its citizens. Good citizens are those who know and live up to their duties by exercising virtues such as responsibility, loyalty, self-discipline, work and friendship…We encounter people laboring together cheerfully toward common goals…We see those who are willing to sacrifice their own interest for the good of the rest”

 

We have taken cognizance of the serious problems that plague Newark Citizens and feel the sense of urgency towards addressing these problems. We are not going to be reactionary except that some of the abuses and violations in the past will help shape the debate to build a new  Newark . We are proactive. We will not be distracted by mundane arguments, which are not geared toward constructive ideas about a way forward for one of the world's most beautiful Cities, Newark

 

We have a progressive plan of action based on the vision of The  Cities in Service of Newark  and the goals we intend to accomplish. This plan will be executed through inclusive leadership. What this means is we inspire, listen, empower and support one another towards achieving desirable goals. This is a journey we have embarked on and we need each other.

 

Of course, we want to work with people who are Pro-Change regardless of their politics, culture or  origin. So long as they are Pro-Change and enthusiastic that we make Newark  a better place for one another, we will open the doors into our hearts and embrace them. We are searching for those citizens to become catalysts for change because we have shared values. We are not interested in divide and conquer politics. We have a sincere mission to listen to everyone about how best we can proceed in  New Jersey  in the next decade without more crimes, unemployment, homelessness, obesity, truancy and academic underachievement

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We have been driven by compassion and our own personal circumstances to listen to voices crying for change. Then granted that we also embody the spirit of change, this initiative was launched in order to create a common platform for all of us to unite and continue the struggle to serve our City in ways we have never done before.

 

Similarly, Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said that in order to protect the community, its members should be empowered to see themselves as stakeholders of their community. In that way they will do everything to keep it safe for one another. Yes, we must be stakeholders in our societies, communities and country. The grave mistake is, millions of Cameroonians have been forced to become strangers in their own country. It hurts.  We must rebuild the City and make it a safe habitat for all.

 

 

Jonathan Awasom

Senior Community Consultant and Organizer

August ,30th 2010