New York, NY – Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, Dr. Basil Bryan has been cited by United States Congressman Major R. Owens for his dedication and service to the Jamaican community overseas.
The citation, framed in a proclamation, was presented to Dr. Bryan by Ruby Harrisingh, a member of the board of directors of the Caribbean American Programme for Empowerment (CAPE), at a public forum held recently at the Brooklyn Museum to launch the ‘Jamaica Diaspora in Motion’ discussion series.
Congressman Owens, in his citation, noted that Dr. Bryan, who was the seventh Consul General to New York since 1962, was a consummate diplomat, an eloquent spokesperson for Jamaica and someone, who was always advocating to the overseas Jamaican community, the importance of supporting the socio-economic development agenda in Jamaica.
The Congressman, who represents the Eleventh Congressional District (Brooklyn), noted that he was honored to be able to acknowledge the work of the Consul General for and on behalf of the people of Jamaica, who made up a significant part of his district.
The district was previously represented in Congress by the late Shirley Chisholm, who was the first African American elected to Congress and the first female to run for the US Presidency.
Thursday’s event, the first of five, served to highlight the role and functions of the various agencies housed at the Jamaican Consulate with Dr. Bryan moderating an interesting question and answer segment.
Jamaicans Yvonne Graham, Deputy President for the Borough of Brooklyn and Noel Spencer, Chester County Legislator; and Margaret Grey (representing Council-member Yvette Clarke), who addressed the function, encouraged the Jamaican community to become more involved in the political process.
Patrons were also treated to a viewing of the Jamaica Tourist Board’s travelogue, ‘Jamaica: The Ultimate Tour,’ which premiered recently on the Travel Channel and featured Prime Minister P.J. Patterson escorting filmmaker Peter Greenberg, around the island paradise.
The Jamaica Diaspora in Motion series, conceptualized by CAPE, aims to engage the New York Jamaican community in discussion on economic development, education and quality of life issues, while promoting positive images of the island overseas.
The series will continue in each of the remaining four boroughs through to the summer of 2006.
