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Feature article: "CARIBBEAN DIASPORA INITIATIVES"

Dr. Edsel Edmunds

Former Ambassador of St. Lucia to the UN, OAS, and USA

In June 2004, over 300 Jamaican Nationals from Canada, The United States, and the United Kingdom together with Jamaicans from different sectors working in the country gathered in Jamaica at the invitation of the Government and the Opposition members in Parliament to put together a comprehensive program for the cultural, social, and economic development of that country. The exercise was repeated this year with over 500 participants. This is a matured approach to nation building embracing nationals at home and overseas in the affairs of the country, taking advantage of Jamaican expertise in various fields. Following from these meeting, a set of recommendations were put together some of which have already been implemented.

In opening the Diaspora conference in 2004, the then Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Most Honorable P. J. Paterson stated “This conference is part of an action plan, which has been developed as a means of providing further direction to the process by which we strengthen our ties and give structure and form to the connection between Jamaicans at home and abroad. It is a very important step as we continue to work together to advance the needs of Jamaica wherever we may be.”

We in the Caribbean should emulate this initiative where Caribbean nationals at home and abroad regardless of political affiliation are mobilized to contribute to nation building and our region.

At a meeting at the OAS entitled “Dialogue with Civil Society” , in my capacity as Special Advisor to the Chairman of the National Coalition on Caribbean Affairs (NCOCA) and speaking on behalf of that organization, I brought to the fore that Caribbean professionals working in more developed countries are making significant contributions to those countries and that we should engage their leaders in what I called a Reciprocal Assistance Program (RAP), whereby, Caribbean nationals overseas are mobilized to contribute to projects in their homeland. I propose that this could be developed into the concept of “A Caribbean Diaspora Mobilization Initiative” (CDMI).

These ideas were well received by representatives of donor countries attending the conference. Caribbean leaders working together with the leaders of more developed countries may wish to consider those proposed initiatives and structure a sustainable institutional framework for implementation.

The Caribbean needs to give consideration to a more effective mobilization of our human resources at home and abroad. There are a significant number of Caribbean nationals presently engaged with international organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF, the OAS, and others working as advisors/consultants to various Governments. In fact, there are Caribbean nationals who are advisors to overseas Governments and international institutions but underutilized at home.

In 2000, Dominica’s professional/private sector body established the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences (DAAS), (of which I am an Honorary Member) with the objective of linking Dominicans all over the world to involve themselves, among other things, in national development related to technology, governance, income generation, environmental protection, social justice, and to lessen the brain drain. There are now over 350 members in this organization

With the assistance of the Dominica Diaspora, DAAS has been contributing to a wide range of cultural, social, and economic activities for the benefit of the people of Dominica and they have produced a Diaspora Policy Paper for the consideration of their Government. Further, Dr. Thomson Fontaine of DAAS has published a brilliant paper entitled “Tracing the Diaspora’s Involvement in the Development of a Nation: The Case of Dominica” I recommend it to you.

Caribbean countries need to develop the climate which would foster the mobilization of our Diaspora, working together with local human resources regardless of political affiliation or perceptions of the same for the well-being of our countries and our region.

In this regard, I applaud the call from St. Lucian/Canadian, Judge Gregory Regis of the Ontario Court of Justice, who in his address at the 21^st Biennial Convention of St. Lucia Overseas Association, called for greater involvement of St. Lucians overseas in the affairs of our homeland.

It is noteworthy that at the second Jamaica Diaspora Conference held in Jamaica on June 15, 2006, the Leader of the Opposition in Government, Mr. Bruce Golding, stated,” I beg of you, let’s keep partisan politics out of this organization. The Diaspora organization must never be seen as JLP or PNP. It must at all times represent the hopes and efforts of a united people working to build a united Jamaica.”

Caribbean Governments and institutions may wish to be guided by the statements of Jamaica’s former Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in Government, as well as the work of DAAS and other organizations and institutions which seek to mobilize our rich overseas human resources.

August, 2006