Daniel Gough
Daniel Gough is a union representative in the United States. He is from Mandeville, Manchester, but has lived abroad for the past 40 years. He is ready to roll up his sleeves and help get Jamaica back on track.
Mr. Gough is in no way intimidated by what he hears of the crime situation in Jamaica. "You hear a lot of stuff, but it's of no worry to me. I know that much of it is exaggerated. The key is to fix the problem, not to be scared. I am planning to move back home within the next few months and I will be using my experience working with the youth, to help to solve the problem," he said.
Mr. Gough said that in his estimation, education should be of primary concern to the Jamaican Government. "It is indeed most important. You cannot fix the country's problem until you reach the youth. If the Government does this, the country will be better off."
I am very encouraged
Serena Lee
Serena Lee is a young woman who lives in the United Kingdom. Her parents are Jamaican and she is interested in moving to the island some day.
Miss Lee has come to Jamaica to see what opportunities exist for young people with the hope that within the next few years, she will be able to buy a house here. She said she was impressed by what she has seen. "You hear a lot of things about Jamaica back home. A lot of it is frightening, and to tell you the truth, many people make it sound as if you can't even walk on the streets. But from what I have seen so far, all the talk is far from the truth. I'm very encouraged by some of the things I have heard the Prime Minister say. I think that as long as we work at it, the country will be just fine."
Retirees can bring benefits
Clive Banton
Clive Banton was born and raised in a fishing community in Clarendon. He moved to Canada in the 1970s. He works in the finance sector and is part of the Canadian delegation.
Mr. Banton wants the Government of Jamaica to pay closer attention to the economic power of returning residents. He thinks that if the Government acts quickly to address the issues that are of concern to Jamaicans who live abroad and are of retirement age, the results would be tremendous.
"The Government must look at this seriously and try to get as many of them as possible to return home when they retire. Think about those who have been working abroad for decades. If they return home and collect their pensions here, then that would be a great economic boost for the country," he said.
Mr. Banton noted that the main factor which stands in the way of persons who want to return home to retire, is crime. "People are very, very afraid of the crime situation in Jamaica. I know many people who want to come back home, but because of what they hear of the country, they stay abroad in the cold. This is a great loss to the country,' he said. In his view, the way to tackle crime is through social programmes.
"We have to bring back hope. We have to go into the communities and help the people who are disenfranchised by providing training and counselling. We are all one family and we must all try to help each other."
We must share experiences
Paulette Simpson
Paulette Simpson is a member of the Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board in the United Kingdom. She attended the first Disapora Conference in Kingston in 2004. Her main goal this time around is to mingle with members of delegations from other countries in an effort to find out how best the diaspora can assist in improving life in Jamaica.
Ms. Simpson wants to see the diaspora work more closely together.
"I want to get an idea of what was achieved over the last two years in the different regions. I think it's very important for us to share experiences with each other and by so doing we will learn what works and what doesn't," she said. Ms. Simpson noted that the Jamaican Diaspora regards crime and violence as the issue that needs the most urgent attention. "It's a huge problem. I'm hoping that we can all share ideas and experiences from our different regions and so come up with a plan to solve this problem," she said. Ms. Simpson noted that she, along with a number of Jamaicans living in the UK, are hoping that the Government will do good on its pledge to invest more in education. "It's the key really. It's perhaps the most important investment the country can make."
- Interviews by Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
