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SENATOR FRANKLYN PRESENTED WITH KEYS TO CITY OF MIRAMAR
MIAMI, March 3 (JIS):
Senator Delano Franklyn, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
and Foreign Trade, has been presented with the keys to the City
of Miramar, Florida. City Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman, who is
a Jamaican national, made the presentation on Wednesday (Feb. 23)
in the city hall. During the brief ceremony, Mayor Lori Moseley
declared the day 'Delano Franklyn Day' for the Minister's outstanding
contribution to the Jamaican Diaspora and his support for nationals
overseas. Miramar, a suburban city in Broward County, has an increasingly
growing immigrant population of over 100,000 residents with approximately
half of that number being Jamaican nationals.
Also significantly, Miramar is the only city in the United States,
where Jamaican nationals hold the majority of seats. Three Jamaicans
hold seats on the five-seat Commission. They are Fitzroy Salesman,
Winston Barnes and George Pedlar.
The Minister, in expressing appreciation for the honour, praised
the Jamaicans who were influencing their communities through involvement
in leadership, public service, corporate leadership, entrepreneurship
and community service.
At the same time, he implored other nationals to become citizens
of the countries of their residence "so you can take more effective
roles in the decision-making process".
Senator Franklyn said that the government has recognized the need
to "go beyond and recognize those in the Diaspora," which
resulted in the historic launch of the Jamaica Diaspora Conference
last June in Kingston, where some 400 Jamaicans including 250 from
North America, Canada and the United Kingdom, discussed ways to
strengthen the links between Jamaicans at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, the Minister mentioned the establishment of a Jamaica
Diaspora Foundation to be chaired by Professor the Hon. Rex Nettleford,
former Vice-Chancellor of University of the West Indies (UWI). This
organization, to be located on the UWI's Mona campus, will be responsible
for the "oversight of formal operations to keep the channels
of communication effective among the Diaspora", he said.
He also spoke of the appointment of a seven-member advisory board
of Jamaican nationals overseas, to work with his Ministry to formulate
strategies that would best serve the overseas communities. South
Florida attorney, Dahlia Walker-Huntington was selected as the representative
in the Southeast United States.
Mrs. Huntington-Walker praised the Minister for his dedication
to overseas Jamaicans and for creating mechanisms for communication
between government and the Diaspora.
The event was chaired by Commissioner George Pedlar, while Commissioner
Winston Barnes introduced Senator Franklyn to the Miramar community
of friends and supporters.
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