10th Biennial Diaspora Conference on Track to Be the Biggest Ever

This year’s staging of the 10^th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference is on track to be the largest one yet.

As of June 15, over 1,100 persons in the diaspora and on the island had registered to attend the conference, which exceeds the target of 1000 set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

“This is our largest number of registrants ever, our largest number of sponsors ever, it is our largest marketplace ever”, said Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, while addressing the Welcome Reception held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James on Sunday (June 16).

“I feel really moved to celebrate that this continued growing and expanded support of movement by our nationals at home and abroad is something that we can all collectively be proud of,” she said.

“You reflect the strong bonds that exists between Jamaicans and our homeland wherever we go. You demonstrate the desire to further strengthen the partnership with our homeland and to see how together we can build wealth, we can build community and build partnerships,” Senator Johnson Smith told the large gathering.

She underscored the importance of Diaspora Day, which is observed on June 16, noting that it recognises the enduring impact of Jamaicans in the diaspora on the development of the island.

The Conference is being hosted from June16 to June 19 and is the signature biennial global forum that connects Jamaicans and persons of Jamaican descent living across the globe, with the aim of strengthening linkages and building alliances that will fuel Jamaica’s growth and development on the world stage.

Senator Johnson Smith encouraged delegates to engage with the activities set to take place throughout the conference, “which respond to expressed areas of interest from you.”

She pointed out that “they are aligned with the four core goals of national development, [and] Jamaica’s agenda 2030 and over the next four days we want you to participate actively in the sessions.”

For his part, State Minister with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, emphasised the significance of the conference, noting that it unites Jamaicans living on the island with “our extended family from across the world.”

The event is being held under the theme ‘United for Jamaica’s Transformation: Fostering Peace, Productivity and Youth Empowerment’.

Mr. Terrelonge noted that the theme “highlights our collective dedication to building a better Jamaica…it calls on all Jamaicans, regardless of their current location, to join hands in shaping the future of our beloved country”.

Chairman of the 10^th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, Courtney Campbell, in welcoming the over 600 attendees at the reception, noted that the conference is an important gathering of Jamaicans who share a love for the island, and a strong desire to help create a better tomorrow for the nation and its people.