Jamaican diaspora urged to develop stronger voice in USA
MINISTER OF State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr., has called on the leaders of the Jamaican diaspora in the United States to come together and develop a road map to give a stronger, collective voice to the Jamaican community.
He was delivering the keynote address at the opening of the inaugural Jamaica Diaspora USA leadership summit, at the Morrow Convention Center in Georgia last Saturday.
The three-day event focused on formulating a cohesive Jamaica diaspora development plan and stimulating the USAbased network to become a structured entity with focused leadership in order to enhance the contribution of overseas nationals to Jamaica.
“This summit serves as a call to action for you, as leaders in your respective spheres of influence, to develop this plan that will bear relevance at the local, state, and federal levels,” he said.
He urged that the plan be aligned to the core values of Vision 2030 Jamaica, which is the strategic road map to guide the country to achieve its goals of sustainable development within the next 12 years.
The state minister said that the diaspora is a key development partner and the Government continues to put measures in place to address their concerns.
He noted that a Returning Residents Taskforce has been established, which has developed a Safety and Security Handbook for persons seeking to return home and those who have already returned. The handbook is being circulated to the diaspora.
Charles Jr. reported, as well, that meetings have been held See more online at