11th Diaspora Conference Becomes Jamaica’s Greatest Homecoming Experience

​Earl Jarrett, Chairman of the 11th Jamaica Diaspora Conference and Chief Executive Officer of The Jamaica National Group, has hailed the event as the country’s “Greatest homecoming experience,” describing the commitment of Jamaicans overseas as a movement shaping Jamaica’s future.

The biennial conference held June 14th – 18th at the Montego Bay Convention Centre under the theme “Diaspora Partnerships: Rebuilding a More Resilient Jamaica,” drew more than 1,000 Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica from 15 countries, making it the largest gathering in the event’s 22-year history.

For Jarrett, the record-breaking attendance reflects a profound truth; Jamaica’s diaspora has evolved into a powerful global network actively contributing to national development, resilience, investment, and recovery.

“The diaspora has become a movement,” Jarrett said during the conference’s closing proceedings.

The conference featured discussions on investment opportunities, returning residency, agriculture, education, philanthropy, technology, security, youth engagement, disaster response, and climate resilience. Organizers deliberately shaped the programme using feedback gathered directly from members of the diaspora through surveys, ensuring conversations addressed issues participants identified as most important.

Jarrett pointed to the diaspora’s response following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 as a defining example of its collective power.

“You have all organically created these institutions abroad in support of your schools, communities, families, and Jamaica itself,” he said while commending the philanthropic efforts of Jamaicans overseas.

He noted that countless donations, relief supplies, and shipping containers arrived in Jamaica because of diaspora-led initiatives. Equally significant, he observed, was the participation of friends and neighbours of Jamaicans living abroad, many of whom also contributed to recovery efforts.

“Those are the friends of Jamaica who, I would say, are a part of the diaspora movement,” Jarrett said, emphasizing that when combined with its global diaspora, Jamaica’s reach extends to approximately six million people worldwide.

While celebrating the conference’s success, Jarrett stressed that its true impact will be measured by the actions that follow. “It’s about finding solutions,” he said.

That message was echoed by Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Alando Terrelonge, who oversees diaspora affairs. Closing the conference, he emphasized that the value of the event would ultimately be determined by the progress made in the months and years ahead.

“The true value of our discussions will be measured by the actions we take,” Terrelonge said.

He highlighted several tangible outcomes emerging from the conference, including new investment discussions, business partnerships, and efforts to establish a British Jamaican Chamber of Commerce to strengthen economic ties between Jamaica and the United Kingdom.

Among the conference’s most significant developments is the planned creation of a Conference Declaration (the first in the event’s history which will capture recommendations and guide future collaboration between Jamaica and its diaspora communities.

Terrelonge also praised organizers for successfully hosting the conference despite significant damage sustained by the Montego Bay Convention Centre during Hurricane Melissa just months earlier.

The message emerging from the conference was clear: the diaspora is helping write the next chapter of Jamaica’s development story.