Second UK Diaspora Conference for June 16

The creation of a United Kingdom (UK) Diaspora Lobby Group and the official launch of the Jamaica Diaspora Youth Group will be among the objectives of the second national conference of the Jamaica Diaspora UK, set for West Bromwich, West Midlands on Diaspora Day, June 16.
Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board representative, Paulette Simpson told JIS news that the time was now right to bring together interested persons to discuss campaigning and lobbying on issues affecting Jamaicans both in the UK and in Jamaica.
“Over the last few years, we have worked hard to put in place a structure for the organization and to encourage the participation of the wider Jamaican community in the Diaspora movement. Now we want to make an even bigger impact on the issues that affect the lives of Jamaicans here in the UK,” Miss Simpson said. The Jamaican Diaspora UK, which was formed in 2004, has been working across all regions in the UK, and in June 2005 spearheaded a series of events throughout the UK to launch the Jamaican Diaspora UK and celebrate ‘Jamaican Diaspora Day 2005’.
The first Jamaican Diaspora UK Conference was held last April in the West Midland, with participation from more than 800 Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica.
One of the resolutions of that conference was to convene a Jamaican Diaspora UK Conference every two years, Miss Simpson said.
In addition to Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the United Kingston, Burchell Whiteman, other presenters will include Vice Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Rex Nettleford and Professor Barrington Chevannes.
The conference is seeking to strengthen the involvement of Jamaicans in the Diaspora movement and identify and discuss key issues affecting the Jamaican community in the UK. It is also expected to identify key areas in which the Diaspora can impact on national development in Jamaica; improve the efficiency of the Jamaican Diaspora UK in addressing key issues affecting Jamaicans, while encouraging networking locally and regionally amongst Jamaicans in the UK.
Participants will also be able to take part in a number of workshops dealing with issues, such as entrepreneurship; immigration lobbying for Jamaica; education and culture, and the role of the church.