KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -The Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) and the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC), which will work to deepen collaboration between Jamaica and its diaspora, were officially launched on Thursday.
Already in the second of two three-year terms, the Councils are mandated to assist the Government in implementing the National Diaspora Policy, which aims to strengthen and mainstream engagement with overseas nationals to drive the national development agenda.
The 30-member GJDC includes diasporans from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. State Minister chairs it in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Alando Terrelonge.
The GJDYC comprises seven young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who are tasked with helping to enhance youth participation in diaspora activities, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the GJDC.
Terrelonge, in his address at the launch ceremony, said the Councils are “enabled to engage ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) our overseas Missions and other stakeholders as necessary” to fulfill its mandate.
He said MDAs had been asked to nominate focal points to be aligned with the sector leaders, which were selected based on the priorities identified by the Government.
These include education, citizen security, arts, sport and culture, the faith-based community, health and wellness, commerce, development issues, agriculture, and the environment.
For her part, a member of the GJDY Council, Asha Richards, said the council would “build on the legacy of the previous term with a focus on partnerships.”
“Diaspora engagement must be a whole-of-government approach and include the private sector. Ultimately, it is a mutually beneficial endeavor,” she said.
Citing the recent announcement of a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and Columbia University in New York for implementation of the Farm the Future (FTF) program, Richards said the GJDYC “can work to ensure that students of Jamaican heritage are made aware of and are represented in such programs.”
The FTF program aims to empower Caribbean youth in vulnerable communities with urban agriculture skills, promote sustainable farming practices and increase the sector’s growth.
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