Jamaicans in Diaspora Encouraged to Vote in Global Elections- Dec 28
Jamaicans in the diaspora are being encouraged to register to vote in the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) and the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC) elections.
Persons can also select candidates to serve on the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC).
Voter registration and nomination period ends on January 2, 2023. Members of the diaspora can register to vote using the election website, www.glojamcouncils.com.
State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Leslie Campbell, told JIS News that members of the Jamaican diaspora who are over 18 years will be eligible to vote, whether they are Jamaican by birth, descent or naturalisation.
“I am encouraging persons to continue to register to vote by using the website. It is imperative that the diaspora has a voice,” he said.
The Senator said that one of the purposes of the Council is to enhance the process of engagement of the diaspora and provide advice to the Minister with Portfolio responsibility on issues related to diaspora engagement.
Senator Campbell said that although voting is voluntary, it is important for members of the diaspora to participate in the process and support their community at home and abroad.
“Jamaica is one of the better places now for investment and you can benefit when you get Jamaican credentials,” he added.
The Senator said that the ongoing elections will be managed by electoral committees within each electoral region.
These electoral committees, he noted, were set up in the west Midwest, Northeast and the Southern regions in the United States and in Canada and the United Kingdom.
He said that the Ministry assists with the promotion and information sharing on the election process as well as provides general guidance and facilitates technical assistance that the process may require for proper execution.
“Whilst we do not specifically oversee the process, we try to ensure that all the relevant mechanisms are in place, including the electoral committees, and that the rules are being followed to protect the legitimacy and integrity of the process,” he added.
Senator Campbell, who has responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, said that the results of the elections will be announced in February 2023 and posted on the election website.
The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council is a youth-led (ages 18 to 35) organisation dedicated to building engagements between diaspora youth and Jamaica.
Voting in Progress to Elect Members of the Diaspora Councils-January 6
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.
Established in 2020, the main objective of the Councils is to build a mutually beneficial relationship between Jamaica and the diaspora.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) website states that 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, the successor to the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board, has the responsibility to create modalities to realise the goals of the National Diaspora Policy.
The MFAFT website informs that 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 MFAFT to acknowledge and confirm their membership to the GJDC and the GJDYC.
State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Leslie Campbell, told JIS News that the election process is handled by five Electoral Committees in the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. He added that the Ministry does not manage the elections but allows the Committees to function autonomously.
“Whilst we do not specifically oversee the process, we try to ensure that all the relevant mechanisms are in place, including the Electoral Committees, and that the rules are being followed to protect the legitimacy and integrity of the process,” he said.
The State Minister, who has responsibility for diaspora affairs, said that he expects the Councils to establish and maintain contacts with their local counterparts across Jamaica, “to afford them greater collaboration at that level”.
“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,” he noted.
Further, the State Minister said he would like 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.
“I would specifically like to see the extent to which the Councils can assist in the fulfilment of the relevant aspects of the National Diaspora Policy,” Senator Campbell said.
“The National Diaspora Policy has been tabled as a White Paper. They (Councils) have had the opportunity to critique the Policy but, of course, should there be the need for further development, they can comment and engage with our international partners,” he added.
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.
He said that they have organised and conducted webinars on Doing Business in Jamaica, Property Acquisition and the role of the Faith Based Community in Development and Trafficking in Persons. He noted that the webinars have proven to be effective tools in sharing information on developments and opportunities in Jamaica.
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.
“They have also actively participated in the Diaspora Sustainability Symposium staged in June 2021 and the Jamaica 60 Diaspora Conference in June 2022, where members presented on areas of priority interest, including education, health, youth engagement, climate change and trade and investment,” he added.
Recently, he said that a member of the diaspora made a presentation at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
“This activity was, in fact, facilitated by the Ministry, which is part of what we are doing in generating capacity-building opportunities for members of the diaspora connected to the GJDC and GJDYC mechanism,” he added.
Among the achievements of the GJDYC, he said, 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”.
The State Minister noted that over the past three years he has witnessed not only the love and patriotism the Council members have for Jamaica but also “the care and commitment they have for their fellow diasporans”.
