Diaspora conference in Montego Bay draws record turnout as Johnson Smith highlights post-Melissa rebuilding

The 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference is under way at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, bringing together Jamaicans at home and abroad under the theme of diaspora partnership for rebuilding a more resilient Jamaica.

Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith said the gathering reflects a shift from past criticism that diaspora meetings were little more than talk. For the first time, she noted, the event is oversubscribed, signalling deeper and wider engagement across regions including Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa.

Her ministry has broadened representation through a 28-member Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, replacing a smaller advisory board, and established a Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council to reach second- and third-generation Jamaicans overseas. Governor General's Awards this year also recognised diaspora excellence in China and France, alongside traditional centres in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Twenty-one projects are registered for the conference community service day. Initiatives range from medical and dental missions and school renovations to psychosocial support for communities affected by Hurricane Melissa and violence. In Parate, St. Elizabeth, a farming and fishing community devastated by the storm, diaspora members plan to rebuild a large community fowl coop in one day and provide funds to restock broilers for a cooperative restart.

Johnson Smith said Melissa has refocused diaspora energy toward reconstruction, with attendance surpassing the record set at the 2024 conference. Delegates are also using on-site services to pay property taxes, renew passports, and explore investment and home ownership, including links to national reconstruction efforts.

She cited concrete outcomes from past gatherings, including a New York-based advocate who has personally funded the rebuilding of 40 homes since Melissa and is now being connected with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for data-guided assessments. Two engineers who met at the 2024 conference have launched a recycling venture serving small and medium tourism operators.

On youth engagement, the ministry sponsored 50 young people to attend a conference day and is linking diaspora youth bodies with national youth institutions. Johnson Smith pointed to GraceKennedy's birthright internship as a model she hopes other legacy partners such as JMMB and VM will replicate to strengthen ties with younger generations overseas.