Deon Green, Gleaner Writer
THE CONTRIBUTIONS and achievements of Jamaican communities in Britain, the United States and Canada will be the focus of events now being planned to launch a worldwide Jamaican Diaspora Day on Thursday, June 16.
The launch of the Jamaica Diaspora UK, in the United Kingdom, will be the first step in a campaign to raise the profile of the Jamaican community in that country.
UK MISSION
The mission of the UK organisation is to "promote and protect the interests of Jamaica and Jamaicans", defined as citizens of Jamaica by birth, descent, naturalisation or registration.
Four days of UK-wide events have been planned for Thursday, June 16 through Sunday, June 19. These events will feature programmes dealing with cultural, legal and health issues, which are of special interest to the community. There will be an official launch at the Jamaican High Commission on Diaspora Day, June 16, in the presence of the newly-arrived high commissioner, Gail Mathurin.
LAUNCH ACTIVITIES
The highlight of the launch activities will be a Diaspora Ball, to celebrate the achievements of Jamaica and Jamaicans on Saturday, June 18, at the Novotel Hotel in Hammersmith. Many Jamaicans who have achieved prominence in politics, sport, the trade union movement and in business in the UK will be present as special guests. The main speakers will be the High Commissioner and Senator Delano Franklin, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, with special responsibility for Jamaicans overseas.
Other activities on the roster include a cultural programme, entitled 'Images of Jamaica', which will be previewed at a school in Southwark, London, on Friday, June 17; a health seminar on prostate cancer and diabetes will be held on Saturday, June 18, at Mayday Hospital in Thornton Heath; while immigration issues will be the main topic of a legal forum the following Saturday, at the Bridge Park Complex, Harlesden. In addition, there will be special church services on Sunday, June 19 in Gloucester, Birmingham and Manchester.
