Jamaica Diaspora Conference Open to Global Friends of Jamaica in St. James

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, is encouraging friends of Jamaica to take part in the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, which is set for June 14 to 18 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

“The conference is open to friends of Jamaica. It is not just limited to our Jamaican family but to our extended family,” he said during a virtual townhall on Tuesday, May 19, with Jamaicans based in Latin America.

The online session formed part of an ongoing round of diaspora discussions being led by the State Minister, as he shares details on the upcoming Conference and responds to questions from Jamaicans overseas. Participants joined from Mexico, Belize, Panama, Guatemala, Ecuador and several other countries.

Mr. Terrelonge said the event will give Jamaicans living abroad, along with wider supporters of the island, a chance to connect directly with ministries, departments and agencies, non-governmental organisations and major private-sector interests in Jamaica.

“The Conference programme has been meticulously curated to facilitate rich and meaningful exchanges on ways to invest in Jamaica, whether it’s in terms of real estate, business, or entrepreneurship, and just connecting with businesses generally,” he told the townhall.

He also pointed to social impact as a key focus of this year’s staging, noting that volunteerism will feature strongly. The Conference, he added, is also intended to strengthen the connection to Jamaican identity among second-, third- and fourth-generation Jamaicans overseas.

With a little more than three weeks to go before the gathering, Mr. Terrelonge said demand for the Conference marketplace has exceeded available space, even after organisers increased the number of booths for this year.

“In 2024… we had 60 booths inside the marketplace. Based on the demand, we extended the marketplace this year to 80. And whilst we have already confirmed 80 persons or 80 businesses/organisations/government departments/agencies… different private-sector teams for the marketplace… we still have another 30 persons or business entities wanting to get into the marketplace,” he said.

The State Minister described the level of interest as encouraging, saying it can support Jamaica’s push to become more resilient. He urged those who took part in the townhall to attend, saying: “The Conference promises to be a great opportunity to build your brand, to build you… of course, whilst playing your part in building a more resilient Jamaica.”

The 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference will be staged under the theme ‘Diaspora Partnerships: Re-Building a More Resilient Jamaica’. Tickets are available at http://aitix.app/bjdc.