KINGSTON, Jamaica – (JIS) Jamaica’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr. Ronald Robinson, has said that the Jamaican Diaspora Foundation, which has been incorporated, is currently being staffed and financed to administer projects and programs on behalf of the Diaspora.
It is chaired by Professor Rex Nettleford and will be housed on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Speaking recently at the Ministry’s New Kingston office, where he launched the Third Biennial Jamaican Diaspora Conference to be held on June 16 and 17, Dr. Robinson said that this year, the Government would be acting on a number of resolutions that were placed by the Diaspora after the previous conference.
In addition to the formation of the Diaspora Foundation, he mentioned the Bond issue, which will provide money for use in areas of education and health. In respect of this, he said a task force and a technical team were being established to chart the course for implementation.
He also informed of the establishment of a Joint Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament on Diaspora Affairs, to take the relationship between Jamaica and the Diaspora to a higher level. The Committee will comprise of members of Government and the Opposition from the House and Senate.
Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the conference, Earl Jarrett, informed that since the inaugural conference was convened in 2004, there have been concentrated efforts at building strong relationships with Jamaicans in the Diaspora, bearing in mind that the conference would seek to see how Jamaica can work with that wider group to achieve greater economic development.
The conference this year, is being held under the theme: ‘A Borderless Partnership for Development’, which the Minister of State said came about in recognition of the fact that there are as many Jamaicans living abroad as there are those on the island.
Other initiatives being actualized include the formation of trade councils to promote trade and investment opportunities in Jamaica; institution of the Jamaican Trade and Advisory Board on Diaspora matters; and the commemoration of Jamaican Diaspora Day on June 16 of every year, in recognition of the contribution of Jamaicans abroad.
“We are looking to have a conference this year with a big, big difference,” the State Minister stated, while praising his predecessors for “bringing a great deal of structure to a conference that was loosely held together by some small associations.”
The conference, which will see some 700 participants from the Diaspora converging on the Jamaica Conference Centre over two days, boasts a high level presentation team, including Harry Belafonte.
The event is being sponsored by GraceKennedy, Capital and Credit Financial Group, Jamaica National Building Society, Victoria Mutual Building Society, and National Commercial Bank.
