Business and investment opportunities, philanthropy, social investment and crime intervention and prevention will be among the issues discussed during the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference, slated for July 23-26 in Kingston to coincide with Emancipation and Independence celebrations.
Representatives of the Diaspora including Orlando attorney Wayne Golding, have been participating in preliminary planning meetings.
Golding expressed enthusiasm at the planning that is going into making this year’s conference relevant to both Jamaica and the Diaspora. He said he was particularly encouraged by the participation of the Jamaican private sector in this year’s planning initiatives.
The first meeting of national Stakeholders was held on March 8 at the Kingston office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, where e 50 entities met to initiate planning strategies for the staging of the Conference.
Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, who was in London attending the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting, addressed the meeting via video message. She reiterated the emphasis placed by the Jamaican government on structured and results-oriented engagement with the Diaspora, through the Conference.
“It is my hope that we will build on the achievements of previous years and coming out of this conference, create effective mechanisms for specific, measurable and implementable actions aligned with the Government’s priorities and Diaspora interests,” she said.
Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Marcia Gilbert-Roberts in noting the strong representation of agencies at the meeting, cited this as an indication of the commitment towards the public-private partnership required to execute the conference.
During discussions, plans were outlined to develop a tailored experience for Diaspora members to access areas of specific interest to them. Attendees can also expect expositions and cultural activities to provide a unique Jamaican experience during the three-day Conference.
