Jamaicans Urged to Participate in Online Survey for Diaspora Project

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, is encouraging Jamaicans living abroad to participate in the online survey for the Mapping Jamaica’s Diaspora Project.

Speaking at the Baltimore launch of the project on Friday, August 15, Mr. Brown said the initiative, which is expected to run for 18 months, is geared towards creating a database of skills, interests and location of Diaspora members.

It is being funded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The website for the project is http://www.mapjadiaspora.iom.int and Jamaicans are being urged to go online and take the survey.

Information gathered will enable the government to better serve the Diaspora and harness its potential for the benefit of the country.

Mr. Brown informed that on completion of the project, Jamaicans in the Diaspora will also be able to readily access information about the government’s major development projects, and employment and investment opportunities, such as the Logistics Hub Initiative, Agro Parks and the redevelopment of downtown Kingston.

Turning to other initiatives to benefit the Diaspora, Mr. Brown cited the development of an International Migration and Development policy and a Diaspora policy.

He informed that the Migration and Development policy seeks to streamline the issues of migration in all sectors of the economy and will track its impact and make policy decisions to support migrants and their families.

As it relates to the Diaspora policy, Mr. Brown said it aims to prescribe methods for increasing trade and investment linkages between Jamaica and the Diaspora as one of the key elements in developing national development goals.

He said that the policies should be ready to be tabled in Parliament when it reconvenes in September.

Among those attending the launch were: Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Stephen Vasciannie; Maryland House of Delegates Representative, Shirley Natham-Pulliam; President of the National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations (NAJASO), Rick Nugent; President of the Jamaica Association of Maryland (JAM), Noel Godfrey; and President of the Jamaican American Bar Association (JABA), Joan Pinnock.

Mr. Brown attended similar launches in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.