TORONTO, Canada – The Future Leaders component of the Jamaican Diaspora Canada will host their third annual summit on Friday (June 5, 2009) this week – and the theme for this year is “The Business of Culture.”
Open to all Jamaicans between the ages of 18 and 34, the summit is scheduled for the Jamaican Canadian Association, 995 Arrow Road, Toronto (Highway 400 and Finch Avenue E.) on Friday (June 5, 2009), at 7:30p.m.
This 2009 summit is a precursor to the Global Jamaican Diaspora Future Leaders Conference, scheduled for Kingston, Jamaica, between August 3 and 8 this year. Details of how young persons between 18 and 34 may attend the conference will be given at Friday’s event.
The 2009 Future Leaders’ Summit follows a tradition that started in June, 2007, when the then-Governor General of Jamaica Professor Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Hall launched the JD-C Future Leaders component.
The second conference last year was the precursor to the third Jamaican Diaspora Conference in Kingston, which was attended by delegation of more than 50 Future Leaders from all over Canada.
The Future Leaders group has now solidified into a vehicle through which to introduce fresh, young eyes, brain and methods and youthful vitality into the governance of Jamaica and the Jamaican Diaspora communities. These new bodies will wonderfully enhance the existing leadership, which has performed so well over the past century.
This third summit will look at Culture as an entrepreneurial outlet. Culture is not just singing and entertainment. It is a discipline with huge prospects in every aspect, from performing artists to set building to artists and written and spoken word delivery.
The great Jamaican Marcus Garvey taught us that one never “works for,” another human being, but rather exchanges intellect and labour for a decent living wage – or, creates a business which employs ourselves and those around us, to the gain of everyone.
This is one of the tenets on which the Future Leaders of the Jamaican Diaspora is based. : Self reliance and reliance on our community for the betterment of all Jamaicans.
Leo Campbell, director of Future Leadership for the Jamaican Diaspora – Canada, also sees this as yet another step toward the passing of the baton from one proud generation of Jamaicans to another.
“The Future Leaders are exactly that. We, who are now between 18-34 years of age, represent the next two tiers of leadership over the next 30 years. It is also our responsibility to help equip the successors to our leadership.
“This Summit and the Global Conference in Jamaica in August are building blocks in the strong foundation being laid for the Jamaica of the future.”
“I invite all Jamaicans between 18 and 34 to join us on June 5, and to apply for membership of the delegation from the Jamaican Diaspora – Canada to the first Global Future Leaders conference in August.”
For further details contact: Leo Campbell
(647) 294-2889 [email protected]
