Jamaica’s Vision; Building pathways for sustainable development

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

One thing that can be said about Jamaica is that wherever you go in this world, the brand is not only well received, but also well recognized. Whether it is our famous tag line, “Come to Jamaica and feel alright,” or one of the many popularized Bob Marley songs, there is a fascination with everything that is Jamaican.

This year, the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to the 8^th Biennial Jamaican Diaspora Conference, which was held in downtown Kingston Jamaica at the Jamaican Conference Centre. The conference ran from Sunday, June 16^th – Thursday, June 20^th, and it brought Jamaicans from all parts of the world including America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For the next few editions, I will be bringing you highlights from the conference that will help explain the push for deeper participation from the Jamaican Diaspora.

I did not personally arrive until Sunday evening, so I was unable to be part of the Sunday festivities. It was reported to be a fabulous soiree with many dignitaries, media, and local partners in attendance, all there to usher in what was promising to be an informative and worthwhile week of eye-opening dialogue and insight.

To open the conference, the attendees were welcomed with a powerful speech from the most Honourable Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who spoke about it being an exciting period of Jamaican development. He shared his pride in the Jamaican Diaspora Conference being regarded as a global model, and how much he valued the role the Diaspora has continued to play in building Jamaica. The night included great food and magnificent performance arts. This was all a lead up to three days of intense focus on the growth of Jamaica, and the National Development Plan: Vision 2030. There is a lot to cover, and I will admit, at times it was very dry, but the goal is to provide some insight for those who were unable to make it.

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This year’s theme was, “Jamaica and the Diaspora: Building Pathways for Sustainable Development,” and all of the presenters involved were there to discuss and present their ideas on the Diaspora Policy which aims to create transformative engagements, relationships and partnerships with Jamaicans living abroad. The policy goals outlined include:

• Increasing Diaspora engagement and participation in national development planning
• Recognizing the networks and partnerships that exist in the Jamaican Diaspora
• Creating environments that will optimize Diaspora investment, trade and advocacy
• Promoting research
• Enhancing the service that is delivered to the Diaspora population
• Promoting human capital exchanges, returns and integration of diaspora populations
• Promoting the health, wellness and safety of members of Jamaican communities both at home and abroad
• Promoting specific programmes and activities to engage the youth, the leaders of tomorrow.

I will be honest this type of conference is not for everyone; it means early mornings and late evenings. I was semi-prepared, as I have attended many conferences in my years, but this one was special because it helped me truly understand that Jamaica is a brand very much on its own.

Each morning, visitors, attendees, and media from all over the world converged in the main conference room to begin sessions. Upon entering the Jamaican Conference Centre, you were met with the marketplace, which served to link sellers and exporters of Jamaican products with buyers and consumers from the Diaspora. I myself was drawn to many of the vendors, where I was able to chat about how they see themselves in the Diaspora marketplace, and what they think needed to be done in order for them to truly experience great financial returns.

We were also introduced to the Jamaica Diaspora Conference partners who each had a hand in making this conference a successful one. The partners are well recognized and included: Grace Kennedy, Jamaica National Group, J Wray & Nephew Limited, Victoria Mutual, NCB Capital Markets Limited, The Best Dressed Chicken, Caribbean Airlines, Jamaica Tourist Board, and JAMPRO. Throughout the conference, the partners showed ways in which they can have meaningful deliberations with the Diaspora and set up winning strategies for greater collaboration between well-thinking Jamaicans who reside on the island, and those who live overseas.

This seems like a good time to outline some of the topics discussed, and I encourage our readers to ask questions and leave comments on any topic that hits home.

Conference Day One – Monday, June 17^th, 2019

• Presentation of the Governor –General’s Achievement Awards for the Diaspora
• The Official Opening of the Market Place and Government at your service
• Discussions on Education and Training
• Panel Discussion on Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation

Conference Day Two – Tuesday, June 18, 2018

• Panel Discussion on Social Business Enterprises
• Presentation on Combating Crime and Violence – Partnerships for Intervention and Prevention
• A Global Jamaican Diaspora Youth Forum (Roundtable Discussions)
• Agriculture, Food Security and the Blue Economy: Unlocking the Potential

Conference Day Three – Wednesday, June 19, 2019

• Panel Presentations Towards the Endorsement of a National Diaspora Policy
• Panel Presentations surrounding The Creative Industries – A Gold Mine for Economic Growth and Job Creation

I will be delving into some of these topics a little bit more in the next couple of weeks, but if you have questions about anything, please feel free to reach out to me personally at simone@carib101.com, and I can provide you with further details on any of the topics that catch your interest.