THE EDITOR, Sir:
SINCE THE Diaspora Conference of 2004 very little has been done by the present interim leadership of the U.K. diaspora. Many issues affecting Jamaicans in the U.K. and other matters affecting the well-being of Jamaica in general have gone a-begging and unnoticed.
The current leadership of the U.K. diaspora seems tardy, lethargic and clandestine, and in some instances lacks a proper understanding and appreciation of the purposes of a diaspora.
Meetings have been held and the wider community of Jamaicans is not aware of the activities and plans of the diaspora.
The conference of 2004 mandated various interim bodies from Canada, U.K. and the U.S.A. to do certain things to foster the development of the Jamaican diaspora and report to Conference 2006.
The U.K. diaspora leadership is preparing for conference 2006 and the wider community of Jamaicans is being kept in the dark. Why is this so? No mobilisation of the Jamaican community has taken place prior to and since 2004, and no meaningful contact with those whom the leadership ought to represent has happened. Instead, people are being kept out of participating in meetings of the diaspora. The diaspora leadership is exclusive, not inclusive. Why is this so? Sources have informed that 100 delegates will be attending the June 2006 conference in Jamaica.
The question must now be asked: Will these delegates be 'handpicked' for the occasion, and on what criteria will they be selected? Currently, there is no broad-based machinery to democratically select delegates. If such machinery is in place it is not known, and the question should be asked, why?
The diaspora is the people's business and the people must have a say in the decision-making process.
ATTITUDE OF LEADERSHIP
Many persons, well-intentioned, are being turned off by the attitude of current leadership. People who want to join the organisation and make a contribution to its development are being told that they cannot, because only interest groups can join the diaspora.
This ought not to be and the question is, by what authority a decision like that is made? Further, the question is how many persons now in the leadership are members representing interest groups and for whom do they speak. Furthermore, who sets the rules of engagement for the U.K. Jamaican diaspora, and what is the input of the wider Jamaican community in the U.K.?
The reality is that the diaspora leadership must be less restrictive. It must be open to all Jamaicans to participate.
I appreciate the fact that the Jamaican Government has posted someone to aid with the development of the diaspora in the U.K. and hope that he will be able to address some of these issues. However, it must be noted that the office of the High Commission is not the diaspora nor its employees, and the leadership of the diaspora must be accountable to the Jamaicans in the U.K. and not that of the Government of Jamaica or private sectorial interest, and must never become a social club.
I am, etc.,
MICHAEL PALMER
mpalmer@aol.com
Jamaican Student
London
Via Go-Jamaica
