The Jamaican national motto, “Out of Many One People”, not only highlights the multiracial composition and roots of its population, it also gives legitimacy to the ubiquitous presence of it’s people, music, folklore, food, and culture in every nook and cranny of the world. The Jamaican presence , flavours and influence are inescapable and pleasantly so, because no matter where life leads Jamaicans, they never abandon the uniqueness of their culture or the warmth of their embrace.
It’s no wonder the international community feverishly rocks to the sound of our music… yearns for the lilt of our patois… and praises our indomitable spirit.
The significance of the Diaspora is not only due to its size but also the increasingly important role that members are playing in national and international economics. This is manifested even more so in the increased role being played by remittances. Remittance inflows have significantly increased in Jamaica, moving from USD$968M in 2001 to US$1.9B in 2007 and is now the largest source of foreign exchange receipts. On a basis of net receipts which remain in Jamaica, remittances exceeded, in 2005, the total of the island’s top ten foreign exchange earners, which are bauxite/alumina, tourism, coffee, sugar, rum, bananas, apparel, cocoa, pimento and yams.
Numerous charitable initiatives are undertaken every year by groups of Jamaican nationals, highly organised or spontaneous, to help relieve pressing social needs in Jamaica. Many are the schools which have been assisted, hospitals equipped and children’s and old people’s homes refurbished through this manifestationof charitable support by Jamaicans abroad.
While acknowledging the continued love for the country by those living overseas, and the connections which currently exist, much more can and should be done to move the relationship to even greater and more exciting possibilities.
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Delano Franklyn is a practicing Attorney-at-Law, businessman, and author of nine books. He is a former advisor to two Prime Ministers of Jamaica.
As Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade from 2002-2007, he spearheaded several initiatives to strengthen Jamaica’s ties with the Jamaican Diaspora. These include: The biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference; the Diaspora Advisory Board; the Diaspora Foundation; The Jamaica Diaspora Institute and the Jamaica Diaspora Day which is celebrated on June 16th each year.
“More Jamaicans live overseas than in Jamaica… over three million of them.”
Delano Franklyn, in his book, The Jamaica Diaspora: Building an Operational Framework, provides a guide for Jamaica and other countries seeking to create a structure in support of diasporic relationships.
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Delano Franklyn, Attorney-at-law and former Senator and Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade who had responsibility for the Jamaican Diaspora, aside from his book, offers additional Diasporic blog content.
