Seven persons will be elected for membership to the two Diaspora councils

Jamaicans in the diaspora are now voting to elect representatives of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) and the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC).

Nominations were submitted to meet the deadline of January 2, 2023, while the voting period will end on January 27, 2023. The results are expected to be announced on February 1, 2023.

Seven persons will be elected for membership to the GJDC and the GJDYC. Three members will serve in the United States of America (USA), two in the United Kingdom and two in Canada for the next three years.

To serve on the diaspora Councils, persons must be 18 years or older and be Jamaican or of Jamaican heritage. Those who are between the ages of 18 and 35 will serve on the Youth Council.

The population in this age group represents the descendants of the second, third and fourth generations in the diaspora. Persons can seek further information or register to vote using the election’s website http://www.glojamcouncils.com.

Main objectives of the councils

Established in 2020, the main objective of the Councils is to build a mutually beneficial relationship between Jamaica and the diaspora. The GJDC, the successor to the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board, has the responsibility to create modalities to realise the goals of the National Diaspora Policy.

The duties and responsibilities of the GJDYC include building local, regional, and cross-border partnerships and networks with youth in the diaspora to create synergies with young people and youth entities in Jamaica. Additionally, the group serves to support activities geared at youth engagement, in collaboration with Jamaican overseas missions, diaspora organisations and the ministries with responsibility for youth and diaspora affairs.

The GJDC, consisting of members with a vast range of talents, interests and expertise, contributes to national development in wide-ranging sectors, such as Education, Health, Agriculture, Environment, the Arts, Sports and Culture, Citizen Security, Development Expertise, Faith-Based Community and Commerce.

Other responsibilities of the GJDC are to promote the well-being of Jamaicans in the diaspora, and the fostering of socio-economic engagement and philanthropy. Following the elections, successful candidates will receive a letter of confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) to acknowledge and confirm their membership to the GJDC and the GJDYC.

Voting process

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Leslie Campbell, told the Jamaica Information Service that the election process is handled by five Electoral Committees in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom. He added that the ministry does not manage the elections but allows the Committees to function autonomously.

The State Minister, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs expects the Councils to establish and maintain contacts with their local counterparts across Jamaica, “to afford them greater collaboration at that level”. According to him, “they have been focusing on, and we would like them to continue, the promotion of the interest of the Jamaican Government in the development of the diaspora and facilitation of the interests which the diaspora has in Jamaica, to include investments, knowledge transfers and technology.”

The State Minister wants to see the Councils assist with the elaboration of the National Diaspora Policy if needs be. The Policy, which is aligned with the goals articulated in the National Development Plan Vision 2030, outlines a framework for deeper diaspora engagement.

The National Diaspora Policy has been tabled as a White Paper and the councils have had the opportunity to critique the Policy and should there be the need for further development, they can comment and engage with our international partners. Since 2020, both the GJDC and the GJDYC have undertaken several initiatives to build engagement with members of the Jamaican community overseas.

Senator Campbell lauded the achievements of the GJDC, while noting that some of the activities were undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In partnership with private-sector interests, he said the GJDC has developed a programme of support for professional learning and summer internships to students at the Mt. Alvernia High and Montego Bay High Schools, in St. James.

Among the achievements of the GJDYC was the staging of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Summit held in June 2020. Senator Campbell said the Summit featured several Diaspora Youth Leaders, who examined the impact and opportunities during and post COVID-19 pandemic and “provided actionable recommendations”.