Diaspora Conference to Feature Constitutional Reform Panel on Day Three

Constitutional Reform will be among topics for discussion during Wednesday’s (June 19) final day of the 10th Biennial Diaspora Conference, which is being staged at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, said that constitutional reform remains an important conversation within the diaspora.

He noted that the discussion session, dubbed ‘Forging a future together: Jamaica’s Constitutional Reform’, will feature Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte; Youth Representative on the Constitutional Reform Committee, Sujae Boswell; and, International Constitutional Law Expert and Member of the Constitutional Reform Committee, Professor Richard Albert.

“For that session on constitutional reform we have a distinguished panel that will be speaking about the process and its importance to Jamaica’s future. We have always had the view that true independence and self-governance must mean a break from the monarchy,” Minister Terrelonge said.

He noted that the process of constitutional reform is important to Jamaica’s independence story and the possibilities for future leaders of the country.

“I want every young girl or boy from Gregory Park or Independence City or Newlands to envision themselves as the president of Jamaica, as the Supreme head of government and not thinking our head is a British monarch. We owe it to our ancestors, who fought and died so we could be free, to complete this process and to move ahead with constitutional reform and become a republic. I look forward to this session, as it is going to be thought-provoking [with] great ideas coming to shape policies as well,” he said.

Wednesday’s session aims to foster a deeper understanding of constitutional principles, public engagement strategies, and pathways for inclusive reform that reflect the aspirations and values of all Jamaicans, including those in the diaspora.

It will also catalyse informed discourse, collaborative partnerships and actionable recommendations to advance constitutional reform efforts and strengthen Jamaica’s democratic institutions for a more resilient and inclusive future.