Jamaican Pioneers In Georgia Hailed

Jamaican pioneers in Georgia, United States of America, are being hailed for the role they have played in the advancement of Jamaica as well as their communities overseas.

“We salute you and thank you for your contributions to the enrichment of our society and for assisting in the shaping of the future for which we yearn,” said Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Leslie Campbell.

He was addressing a virtual Black History Month event, staged by the Jamaican Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday (February 12).

The event, dubbed ‘Our Stories: Jamaican Pioneers in Georgia’, was held in honour of the first Jamaican settlers in the State, whose stories were shared by their children and grandchildren during the function.

Senator Campbell noted that Black History Month provides an opportunity to celebrate and to tell the stories of courage, resilience, and triumph by these trailblazers, noting that their legacies live on through their descendants, many of whom still reside in Georgia.

He noted that in the span of more than four decades, the Jamaican Diaspora in Atlanta has established a range of community-based organisations, alumni groups and charitable bodies that have built deep ties in the area while simultaneously contributing to Jamaica’s national development in areas such as education, health, social services and trade.

Senator Campbell said that Jamaican professionals in Georgia are well represented in healthcare, the legal profession, the education system and corporate leadership, and commended the many entrepreneurs, including members of the Jamaican Chamber of Commerce of Atlanta, whom, he noted, have been “doing remarkably well in highlighting brand Jamaica in the USA”.

He encouraged Jamaican nationals and other interests in Atlanta to consider opportunities to make the island their place of choice for doing business.

“The Economic Diplomacy Programme, pursued jointly with Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), is the vehicle through which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade hopes to reach out to business prospects in this and other communities,” the State Minister pointed out.

Senator Campbell further encouraged support for the Jamaica 60 Diaspora Conference, to be held from June 14 to 16 in Kingston, noting that the event takes on added significance in this year of the Diamond Jubilee of Jamaica’s Independence.

“The biennial diaspora conferences have remained a centrepiece for Jamaica’s engagement with the diaspora as well as the refinement of partnerships with key stakeholders. We are expecting the full participation of our nationals, and I will be looking out for our brothers and sisters from Georgia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Donna-Marie Rowe, in an engaging presentation during which she tested the participants’ knowledge about Jamaica and the JIS, highlighted the work that the agency has been doing to promote and disseminate information about the Government’s policies, programmes and initiatives, since it was founded in 1956.

Mrs. Rowe pointed out that the agency, which has been evolving to keep apace with the changing media landscape, achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification in September last year.

She noted that the JIS’s Events Coverage and News Production process is now certified as world-class and in keeping with international standards by the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ).

“This ensures that our news releases, the information that we produce on behalf of the Government of Jamaica, are according to set standards. We have to send out the releases in a timely manner; they have to be accurate, and we are ensuring that we maintain this certification,” she noted.

Mrs. Rowe indicated that for the Jamaica 60 celebrations, the entity intends to “ramp up the information flow” by posting material about Jamaica’s history, highlighting the decades from the ‘60s, as well as top Jamaican moments.

She encouraged the participants to visit the agency’s website – www.jis.gov.jm – and social media pages for information on the Government’s policies and programmes.

The Black History Month event, which is in its second year, was conceived and implemented by Jamaica’s Honorary Consul to Atlanta, Georgia, and Chair of the Elaine Bryan Foundation, Dr. Elaine Bryan.