VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 12 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9TH 2017
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JELANI GRANT/TORONTO CARIBBEAN From crime prevention to medical marijuana treatments, this year’s Diaspora Conference encouraged more pooling together of research and resources in hopes of benefitting all Jamaican descendants across the globe. The Providence Methodist Church opened the conference with a sermon from lead Pastor of the Destiny Gospel Centre in Markham Bishop Ransford Jones. The opening ceremony, which included the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards, which were held inside a hall of the Pegasus Hotel making the commute for a majority of the attendees smoother. The seventeen-story hotel is recognized for being situated in the heart of what some know as New Kingston. Traveling to the conference was simple as well because the hotel is located in the financial and business dis-
trict, less than fifteen minutes away from the Jamaica Conference Centre. Canadian delegates included Adaoma Patterson, Renea Douglas, Jerrold Johnson, Yvette Blackburn, Winston Miller, Janice Miller. During the opening, Prime Minister Andrew Holness spoke to the crowd about the contributions that the Jamaica Diaspora Institute has made across the island. He followed up the praise by making a call to all Jamaican people to send support to their homeland. “We need the participation of all of our citizens, whether at home or abroad”, he said. PM Holness told the audience he has noticed a stronger bond being established since his term began. “We’re pleased to see that the engagement process has evolved over the thirteen years where the diaspora is now fully on board”, he said.
“The JDI has sent support to communities, schools, and health facilities.” One of the achievement awardees included Mississauga raised, but Winnipeg-born, Donika Jones, who has been serving the Government of Nunavut Health Promotion Specialist in Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention for the past two years. Having attended the conference before, as a Future Leader Delegate from the Canadian region, she said this conference has been much more engaging this time around. “Being more seasoned in my profession, the discussion around health care I understand in a different way because that’s the area I work”, she said. Continued On Page 3