As Jamaicans at home and abroad observe Jamaican Diaspora Day on Tuesday, June 16, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, will deliver, via video, a Diaspora Day Message, under the theme: “The GJDYC: An Innovative Model for engagement of Diaspora young leaders in the COVID-19 era and beyond.”
Also in observation of the day, Johnson Smith will address young diasporans of the inaugural Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC) virtual Summit. Of the Youth Council, the Minister noted; “I am impressed by the energy, passion and commitment of our young leaders across the globe and for the development of a body that will engender and create synergies among them in the Diaspora and Jamaica. This has always been a vision of mine since 2016 to give our youth a functional space to connect and participate in Jamaica’s development, and for their own empowerment.”
The virtual summit, which will be held under the theme; “Leading Beyond COVID-19: Industries, Impact and Innovations,” is one of the major events in which the Government of Jamaica will participate, to observe Jamaican Diaspora Day. Speakers, drawn from a cadre of young professionals and experts in their fields from both the Diaspora and Jamaica, will exchange experiences and recommendations on: entrepreneurship; business and finance, technology and innovation, agriculture and manufacturing and the environment.
Diaspora Day has been celebrated since June 2005 and emanated from the first Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, in June, 2004 in Kingston.
