June 19, 2013-St James/Three members of the Jamaican Diaspora were presented with the Governor-General’s Jamaican Diaspora Award of Excellence at the fifth staging of the Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Conference Centre.
The three recipients, Mr. Howard Francis (UK), Mr. Dudley Morgan (Canada) and Mr. Vin Martin (US) were awarded for having exhibited exceptional service to Jamaica and the communities in which they reside overseas.
The conference, held under the theme “On a Mission: Jamaica-Diaspora Partnership for Development” facilitated discussions and presentations from key players of major industries in Jamaica along with several Government representatives. One of the main objectives of the conference was to reinforce the benefits of partnerships between Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora to enhance national development.
Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, in giving his remarks, at the conference said that successful partnerships were not only good for the development of Jamaica but would also improve the international profile of the country. This, he lamented, was being marred by several unpleasant activities.
Sir Patrick said: “The way Jamaica is perceived internationally also impacts on you in the Diaspora; it impacts on how you are stereotyped in business, schools and colleges, in every field of endeavour.”
The Governor-General called on Jamaicans to be agents of change in reconstructing the country’s image: ” What is beyond question is that we are a people with substantial creative energies and ingenuity which, if properly channeled, could launch us on an accelerated path of development”, he said.
Reaffirming his belief in the success of partnerships in Jamaica, The Governor-General lauded the efforts of organisations whose partnerships to fruition. Of the most recent, is the animation festival “KingsTOON” that is awakening new professional opportunities for youth in Jamaica. This coincided beautifully with the Governor-General’s I Believe Initiative workshop series, in collaboration with Toon Boom, which will be offering animation training to volunteers at the county level.
Click here for Speech