Reshaping Our Corner of the World: Love and Sandwiches

April 21st, 2015

It’s easy to dismiss something that you know little or nothing about as irrelevant. Now, I am guilty of this myself (and probably not for the first time). I am about to make amends.

While talking to young (frighteningly young) entrepreneur and founder of EduFocal Gordon Swaby online not long ago, I poured cold water on his visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland. It’s just a talk shop, I suggested, where the very rich fly in on their private jets and talk about the emissions/climate change they are contributing to, among other things. Yes, I was a touch cynical in my conversation with the (very young) idealistic Mr. Swaby. No, no, he said. The WEF does more than talk. It has Global Shapers.

Jamaica’s Gordon Swaby is somewhere in this group of 310 Global Shapers at the World Economic Forum in August, 2014.

Yes, I admit: I have changed my tune. The Global Shapers Kingston Hub (a WEF entity) is doing good community work, quite quietly, in our city. Gordon Swaby was instrumental in making this happen; and this does not surprise me, for he is an (excessively young) man who tends to initiate things (although he once told me he is an inveterate procrastinator). There are currently thirteen Global Shapers in Kingston, from different organizations in the non-governmental and private sectors. Swaby is the (insanely young) Founding Curator.

Global Shaper production lines at work. (Photo: Twitter)

As in almost all outreach and community initiatives these days, partnerships are key. The Kingston Hub galvanized several private sector sponsors to contribute to an event named #HashtagLunchBag, replicated globally on April 18. Global Shapers and additional volunteers from several organizations got to work making over 1,700 sandwiches for adults and children in need. That’s a decent effort from a group of young people on a Saturday morning, when many prefer to catch up on some sleep or watch football on TV. A veritable army descended on the offices of a local company and with donated items (chicken to be cooked, bread and sandwich ingredients, drinks, bananas etc) put together thousands – yes, thousands – of brown bag lunches.

Sandwich-making J-FLAG volunteers pose for their picture at #HashtagLunchBag last weekend.

Let me say something more about dismissing things – or rather, people. The Jamaican LGBT community has been getting a bad rap for a very long time now. Whether targeted for discrimination, harassment, stone-throwing; reviled as ugly, aggressive, animalistic criminals living on the edge of society; or scorned as being too-comfortable, self-indulgent uptowners, LGBT Jamaicans can’t do a thing right in the eyes of the self-righteous, moralizing and suspicious general public.

Miss Jamaica World Kaci Fennell donned an apron to help the Global Shapers.

Now, consider this. Whichever way you look at it, LGBT Jamaicans are – Jamaicans. Human beings. A simple fact. Perhaps we should also be aware that – with little fanfare but great success – J-FLAG has been active in the wider society for some time now, organizing events that address burning issues (including HIV/AIDS and recently, a tertiary debate on the current review of the Sexual Offences Act). The traditional media hardly cover these important discussions that are well-organized, high profile and very well attended by Jamaicans from all walks of life.

Since when did being different become a problem?

It is also worth pointing out that LGBT Jamaicans also “give back” to the society they are a part of. J-FLAG members and clients partner with various non-governmental organizations and the private sector. They regularly volunteer – as was the case at the #HashtagLunchBag event. They wore T shirts with the message: “Being different is not a problem. Being treated differently is…Stop discrimination.” They discussed and explained this concept to fellow sandwich-makers on Saturday.

Young Jamaicans get a bad rap these days, too. Let’s stop it, and celebrate the positives. There are plenty out there.

Mission completed, and the Global Shapers let off steam.

Tags: #HashtagLunchBag, discrimination, EduFocal, Global Shapers, Gordon Swaby, HIV/AIDS, J-FLAG, Jamaica, Kaci Fennell, Kingston, LGBT community, volunteerism, World Economic Forum