As Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980, Michael Manley used his leadership of Government and the political movement to challenge the colonial legacy of social inequality reinforced by an economic system with few opportunities for the disadvantaged at the national level. Part of his response to these challenges was a raft of trailblazing/groundbreaking social legislation aimed at transforming the society. That distinguished him from others of his generation.

At the start of the 21st Century, that process of transformation not only remains incomplete but -- in some instances -- may even be under threat of reversal.

In that context, the Michael Manley Foundation is an important institution dedicated to understanding of the recent past, explanation of the present and drawing the attention of new generations of Jamaicans to the importance and continued relevance of the values of self-reliance, social equality and justice.

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