Ambassador Ward calls for new level of diaspora advocacy

In an address to the Jamaica Diaspora United Kingdom (JDUK) Eight Biennial Conference in Sheffield, on June 14, Ambassador Curtis Ward laid out an eight-point plan for effective engagement and partnership between Jamaica and its diaspora.

Speaking virtually to a receptive audience, Ambassador Ward rejected the current Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) as merely an instrument of the government imposed on the diaspora with minimal consultation. He said the GJDC, which is chaired and controlled by the minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, by its very nature, cannot be an appropriate entity for effective engagement.

He also explained that the original planning and execution of the first Jamaica diaspora conference held in Kingston in 2004 was organised as a consultative process between government and the diaspora. He informed the conference of his own involvement in the drafting of the terms of reference at the request of the late Minister of State in the MFAFT with responsibility for diaspora affairs who was responsible for organising the first conference.

While only 150 diaspora members were invited to the first conference, since then, many others have been encouraged to attend and over the years the numbers have grown significantly. But ambassador Ward noted that despite the strong turnouts which doubles for most as a Jamaican vacation, there is considerable dissatisfaction throughout the diaspora that the conference has been transformed from its original consultative process to advance the interests of the country and the diaspora, to become a trade show and forum for the government and the private sector to dictate the terms of engagement. The ambassador noted that the JDUK had fully recognised the deficiencies and had chosen its conference theme accordingly – ‘Continuity and Change’.

TREMENDOUS IMPACT OF REMITTANCES

In his address to the JDUK, ‘Reimagining the Role of the Diaspora: the Case of Jamaica’, ambassador Ward offered an eight-point action plan for the party which forms the government following the next general election.

He noted that as Jamaica faces a general election this year, it offers an opportune time to make demands on both political parties. He said the diaspora must demand that both political parties include, as a matter of policy, long overdue recognition of the diaspora’s importance to Jamaica and to establish mechanisms for effective consultation and engagement.

Ambassador Ward encouraged the JDUK to lead on the changes they want to see. He reminded them of the tremendous impact of diaspora remittances on Jamaica’s economy and drew comparison to that of the impact of tourism which has its own full-time ministry and board, while the government has a junior minister whose portfolio attention to diaspora affairs is only part-time.

He said, “The time for recognising the true effect of diaspora remittances to the economic survival of Jamaica and the respect that should come by such realisation must drive the policies of both viable political parties and of the government in power at any given time.” According to ambassador Ward, “Neither should the diaspora continue to be exploited by the private sector as a market for ethnic foods and money transfer services.”

CHANGES REQUIRED

The ambassador said that among the changes the diaspora should seek are the following which require government action and are not in order of importance.

1. Meaningful participation in the governance of the country may take many different shapes or forms but must truly represent the desires, now demands of the diaspora. Maintaining the status quo is no longer acceptable, and the message from the diaspora must be clear, unambiguous, and unequivocal.

2. Members of the diaspora should not be discriminated against when entering Jamaica. Regardless of the passport used for travel, if the visitor’s Jamaican nationality is discernible that person must be welcomed as a Jamaican. Members of the diaspora are citizens of Jamaica and are not to be treated as foreigners.

3. Diaspora representation in the Jamaica Senate. This issue should be included in each party’s manifesto and highlighted in every political forum. It is envisioned that each political party would recommend the appointment of one member of the senate each dedicated to representing diaspora interests in the upper house of parliament.

4. Appointments of Jamaican diaspora members to serve on statutory boards. This lack of representation cannot be excused by how meetings are conducted – that is, traditionally in-person. Virtual meetings facilitated by advances in information technology are now engaged at every level of engagement.

5. Engagement of available diaspora expertise on service contracted by government agencies and bodies in the countries of residence of diaspora members. JAMPRO and particularly the Jamaica Tourist Board which spends millions of dollars annually on service providers are examples.

6. A full ministry of diaspora affairs with effective representation in every Jamaican embassy and consulate, and every city of high concentration of Jamaicans in the diaspora, must become a reality. Diaspora remittances in foreign exchange earnings make cost as an excuse nonsensical.

7. Establishment of a diaspora investment bond to harness diaspora financial resources particularly for development in health, education, youth empowerment, investments in small and medium size enterprises, and in agriculture. This diaspora bond has been promised for many years but seems to have been abandoned by the Government.

8. Engaging diaspora expertise in areas such as security and intelligence services, and other areas in which diaspora members have specialised expertise.

The ambassador warned the diaspora that the government, now or in the future, cannot be relied upon to voluntarily make the changes they want to see.

He said, “The time for reimagining the role of the diaspora and its engagement with the government is long past due. But the changes required for effective engagement will not be effected by the government, at least not within the policy framework of the current government. Meaningful and effective engagement can only be realised if the diaspora takes charge of its own destiny.”

Ambassador Ward noted that many of these ideas to transform the modes and levels of engagement are not new. He said that “they just haven’t been pursued with commitment by successive Jamaican governments and by diaspora organisations and leadership.” He said a new level of diaspora advocacy is required.