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New JEWEL Movement
The New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation, or New JEWEL Movement (NJM), was a Marxist–Leninist vanguard party in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada that was led by Maurice Bishop.
Established in 1973, the NJM issued its manifesto prior to Grenada being granted independence from the United Kingdom in 1974. The NJM took control of Grenada with a bloodless coup in 1979 and ruled by decree as the People's Revolutionary Government until 1983. In October of that year, Bishop and seven of his associates were killed by paramilitaries affiliated with hard-line elements in his own party. Those elements formed a military government, which was quickly deposed by a U.S. invasion later in October.
The New JEWEL Movement (NJM) was established on 11 March 1973 as an alliance of (1) the Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation (JEWEL); (2) the Organization for Revolutionary Education and Liberation (OREL); and (3) the Movement for Assemblies of the People (MAP). Although "JEWEL" was originally an acronym, since then NJM's name has generally been spelled out as "New Jewel Movement".
Maurice Bishop, a young lawyer who had returned to Grenada after being educated in England, and Unison Whiteman, the founder of JEWEL, were elected NJM's Joint Coordinating Secretaries. The party's manifesto was largely drafted by MAP's prominent intellectual, Franklyn Harvey, who had been influenced by the writings of C.L.R. James.
In its early days, Bishop described the NJM as "a political party aimed at raising consciousness and taking political power if the accepted processes didn’t allow for electoral change." The New Jewel newspaper, the party's principal publication, featured the motto: "Not Just Another Society – But a Just Society; Let Those who Labour Hold the Reins."
From 1973 to 1979, the NJM functioned as an opposition party. During those years, the country's political situation became increasingly polarized and violent. For the 1976 general election, the NJM forged an electoral coalition, known as the People's Alliance, with the Grenada National Party and United People's Party. However, the coalition lost to Prime Minister Eric Gairy's ruling Grenada United Labour Party. Many international observers branded the 1976 election as fraudulent. In the late 1970s, the NJM became more militant and formed the National Liberation Army (NLA), also known as "the 12 Apostles".
On 13 March 1979, the NJM launched a revolutionary coup against the government of Prime Minister Gairy while he was away visiting the U.S. Within hours, the NJM gained control of the country's military barracks, radio stations, government buildings, and police stations. Maurice Bishop then suspended the constitution and announced that the NJM was now a provisional revolutionary government, the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG), with himself as Prime Minister.
Shortly after taking power, the NJM created the People's Revolutionary Army, granting them "the powers of arrest and search as are vested in the members of the Royal Grenada Police Force."
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New JEWEL Movement
The New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation, or New JEWEL Movement (NJM), was a Marxist–Leninist vanguard party in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada that was led by Maurice Bishop.
Established in 1973, the NJM issued its manifesto prior to Grenada being granted independence from the United Kingdom in 1974. The NJM took control of Grenada with a bloodless coup in 1979 and ruled by decree as the People's Revolutionary Government until 1983. In October of that year, Bishop and seven of his associates were killed by paramilitaries affiliated with hard-line elements in his own party. Those elements formed a military government, which was quickly deposed by a U.S. invasion later in October.
The New JEWEL Movement (NJM) was established on 11 March 1973 as an alliance of (1) the Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation (JEWEL); (2) the Organization for Revolutionary Education and Liberation (OREL); and (3) the Movement for Assemblies of the People (MAP). Although "JEWEL" was originally an acronym, since then NJM's name has generally been spelled out as "New Jewel Movement".
Maurice Bishop, a young lawyer who had returned to Grenada after being educated in England, and Unison Whiteman, the founder of JEWEL, were elected NJM's Joint Coordinating Secretaries. The party's manifesto was largely drafted by MAP's prominent intellectual, Franklyn Harvey, who had been influenced by the writings of C.L.R. James.
In its early days, Bishop described the NJM as "a political party aimed at raising consciousness and taking political power if the accepted processes didn’t allow for electoral change." The New Jewel newspaper, the party's principal publication, featured the motto: "Not Just Another Society – But a Just Society; Let Those who Labour Hold the Reins."
From 1973 to 1979, the NJM functioned as an opposition party. During those years, the country's political situation became increasingly polarized and violent. For the 1976 general election, the NJM forged an electoral coalition, known as the People's Alliance, with the Grenada National Party and United People's Party. However, the coalition lost to Prime Minister Eric Gairy's ruling Grenada United Labour Party. Many international observers branded the 1976 election as fraudulent. In the late 1970s, the NJM became more militant and formed the National Liberation Army (NLA), also known as "the 12 Apostles".
On 13 March 1979, the NJM launched a revolutionary coup against the government of Prime Minister Gairy while he was away visiting the U.S. Within hours, the NJM gained control of the country's military barracks, radio stations, government buildings, and police stations. Maurice Bishop then suspended the constitution and announced that the NJM was now a provisional revolutionary government, the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG), with himself as Prime Minister.
Shortly after taking power, the NJM created the People's Revolutionary Army, granting them "the powers of arrest and search as are vested in the members of the Royal Grenada Police Force."