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Major Conference of Overseas Jamaicans Begins Today
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in conjunction
with a number of private sector companies will be hosting for the
first time ever, a major Jamaican Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica
Conference Centre in Kingston. The conference which starts tomorrow
(Wednesday) will be focusing on deepening the dialogue and strengthening
the bond with Jamaicans nationals overseas.
Prime Minister, the Most Honourable P.J. Patterson will declare
the conference open 9:00 a.m.
With the theme: "The Jamaican Diaspora: Unleashing The
Potential," the conference, will have in attendance 250
invited nationals from the United Kingdom, the United States of
America and Canada. They will be joined by 100 Jamaicans locally
representing relevant state agencies, private sector companies academic
institutions and returned residents associations.
The conference was preceded in October last year by a symposium,
organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mona school
of Business at the University of the West Indies, which helped to
set the agenda for the two-day deliberations.
The three broad objectives of the conference are: to record the
country's appreciation of the contribution of Jamaicans living overseas
to Jamaica's national development; more comprehensively involve
overseas Jamaicans in the economic, social, political and cultural
life in Jamaica and finally to develop the necessary structures
to strengthen the relationship between Jamaican's at home and abroad.
Issues to be discussed during the conference includes public service
delivery which will provide an opportunity for key public agencies
and ministries to elaborate the challenges and prescriptions for
improved service delivery. Emphasis will also be placed on business
and investment prospects. The final session of the conference will
focus on the establishment of institutional arrangements for future
dialogue, consultations and collaboration.
The two-day conference will be wrapped up Thursday night with a
dinner and dance at the Hilton Hotel. Hon. Alvin Curling, a Jamaican
who is Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, will
be the Guest Speaker.
Wilton Dyer
June 14, 2004
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