The Jamaican Government is taking seriously the recommendations that came out of the bi-annual Diaspora conventions and other interactions with Jamaicans overseas, Chairman of the Jamaican Diaspora Foundation, Earl Jarrett, has said.

He confirmed that a number of proposals have already been acted on; pointing out that the establishment of the Diaspora Foundation was a direct result of recommendations made at a previous Diaspora meeting.
 

The Jamaican Diaspora has a critical role to play in moving Jamaica forward, Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding has said.

Addressing a reception hosted in his honour by Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks, at her Maryland residence on 8th June, the Prime Minister stated that the contribution of overseas nationals is more than the $2 billion in remittances they send home every year.
 

Brown: “Much more could be done”

The Caribbean should do more to strengthen its heritage tourism product, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development, Dr Hilary Brown has said.

She said that “much more could be done” to develop the Region’s natural and built heritage which is an invaluable resource in building Heritage Tourism.

Dr Brown said that the Region had gained international recognition for its many traditional and contemporary cultural expressions in areas such as music, art, craft, the literary arts, fashion, festivals and theatre, but had not made significant in-roads in developing its natural and built heritage.

Dr Greene is the 2011 Recipient of the Sir Phillip Sherlock Distinguished Award

Substance abuse is both a human rights and development issue which should be addressed within the context of social and economic development, former Assistant Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, Dr Edward Greene has said.

Dr Greene who is the 2011 Recipient of the Sir Phillip Sherlock Distinguished Award, called for regional collaboration as the primary means of treating the problem of substance abuse and pointed to several CARICOM–led initiatives and mechanisms that were already in train and could prove effective in providing solutions to the problem.

Dr Greene said that while each country would no doubt establish its own drug control policy, there was sufficient evidence to suggest that implementation would be most effectively achieved, through a process of regional collaboration.