The Ital Place of Reasoning is a most wonderful place. It’s a learning center for Illiterate Adults in Negril, Jamaica. A place to come to Understand  more than study, to “Reason together” for explanations to why things happen and why life struggles in its process.

Not being able to read or write makes for a very small world. Relegated to small areas of travel, the same people, same dialogue, same complaints and the same outcomes.  The sage saying “if nothing changes … nothing changes” is true. It was Einstein that said,  “Expecting a different result from continuing to do the same thing” is insanity. That’s what we offer at the Ital Place of Reasoning… different thinking… different dialogue … personal responsibility.

Jamaica suffers from a high crime rate of murders and personal injury. This is easily understood when one considers the social input that an orderly education provides young people. If you are in school with a set of children from kindergarten to graduation, you virtually live with that student community for many years. As children, you argue, disagree, stop talking and become friends again. You share precious moments of sadness and joy, passing and failing, triumph and loss with each other; learning empathy and connection to the Human elements we all share. Graduation into the work force makes us colleagues to share commerce and life with each other for the rest of our lives. This is a powerful source of confidence and problem solving.

However, if that experience is non existent in one’s life, it doesn’t take long to start to feel the difference and the inadequacies in contrast. It cost money to go to grade school in Jamaica and if Mothers have to choose between school and food for all the children and themselves the decision not to go to school becomes easy. Generations of this can easily become the norm and a consciousness forms. This is where the “underbelly” forms. Desperate people do desperate things. Frightened people do frightening things. Its easy to see how desperate and frightened one can become in a fast moving world of literacy and digital advances and you standing on the outside of it all. 

Confusion about the Government and law enforcement provides the thoughts of a grand scheme against them. No jobs, no food and too many children cause stress between Men and Women often leaving the Women with the burden onto themselves and grandparents. This is common.

The most important lesson that is missed by not attending school is … because of the lack of interaction throughout their life in the “ups and downs” they miss the natural skills of “Conflict Resolution”. When a desperate life is managed by a frightened mind that sees few options, as they say in Jamaica …. “Tings happen”.  It is easy to find someone or something to blame for the trouble that sits before them. Their natural unschooled notion if they eliminate the perceived problem, the problem will cease to exist is a common solution.

At the Ital Place of Reasoning we talk about these events. We consider real life, real time events of mischief and mayhem because they always exist. We Reason Together the alternative actions that could be taken instead of the ones that will certainly ruin everyone’s life who is involved. And, because they are one of the lives in question … they listen. We talk about Positive and Negative Energy and its importance in all our lives. We talk about relationships, personal responsibility, jobs, money, children, the government and police.

We provide a one stop shop as an Advocate for those who are taken advantage of in commerce or law, because they cannot read what they have been presented. We teach a tourist etiquette that will serve them well in tourist season in their shops and efforts to benefit from the influx during the winter months.

There are no books or computers … there is no point. My class members are adults such as 45 yr old taxi men, 50 yr old small shop keepers, 20 yr old young men and women who are looking for something… anything to improve; and of course the homeless who are manifold. Our services are free to the people and we provide a free meal to all who attend our Sessions.

The Ital Place of Reasoning is a good corporate citizen, an active member of the Negril Chamber of Commerce and approved by the Negril Constabulary.

Please check us out at www.italplaceofreasoning.com for our story and updates. You can donate to help us if this feels like something you believe is a worthy cause.

Thanks…

John