Relationship Between Jamaica And The Diaspora To Be Improved

Professor NEVILLE Ying, executive director of the Jamaica Diaspora Institute, will outline initiatives being pursued to develop the relationship between Jamaica and its diaspora when he addresses the biennial Jamaican Diaspora Convention to be held June 15 to 17.

Ying said his presentation will highlight some of the contributions members of the diaspora have been making to Jamaica. These contributions have been in the areas of remittances; education, especially the support of alumni groups to education institutions; support for health care, particularly free health-care services for rural communities; and financial investments and tourism.

Smart countries cherish their Diaspora

In a week's time, the leaders of the Jamaican Diaspora will gather at the Jamaica Grande Hotel in the northcoast tourist resort town of Ocho Rios, St Ann for their biennial convention. It will be a make or break meeting of our nationals resident abroad.

It is unlikely that by the time they arrive, the rainwater from the current unstable weather would have dried up completely. But even then, the collateral damage, especially to our roadways, from the heavy downpour will still be evident.

We hope that just seeing their country in distress again will spark the well known nationalism in their breasts and that it will fuel their approach to the discussions they will hold on a wide variety of issues pertinent to Jamaica's development.

UWI Study On Diaspora Impact To Be Released

THE LONG-overdue survey on the impact of the diaspora on Caribbean tourism will be released at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Diaspora Forum at Caribbean Week in New York next Friday, June 10.

The survey, conducted by the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC) of the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, discovered some very interesting findings regarding the economic contribution of the Caribbean diaspora to the region's leading industry.