Charles pointed out that there are tremendous resources and once a way can be found to pool them for the good of Jamaica, the country stands to benefit tremendously.
Delivering the keynote address at a reception given in his honour by Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, at the embassy of Jamaica on Tuesday, Charles said that there was need to improve the communication that flows to the Diaspora so that members can have access to more accurate information about what is happening in Jamaica and how the government can facilitate Jamaicans who support their country.
In his first direct interaction with the Diaspora in the USA, Charles, who was recently appointed state minister with responsibility for the Diaspora, told the audience, “I want to carve out a new dispensation to find ways to have a mutually beneficial exchange between members of the Jamaican Diaspora and my ministry. I believe that there is still this mindset that the Diaspora must be the only one to give. However, this giving must be a two-way street.”
He argued that the country must also give back to the Diaspora.
The minister urged the Diaspora to look at investing in their homeland: “Now is the time to invest in Jamaica as there are myriad investment opportunities that await you in your homeland, so I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Charles reiterated that one of his new responsibilities is to serve members of the Diaspora.
“We now need to focus on connectivity, partnership and facilitation so that Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica not only feel – but know – that they are not just seen as members of the Diaspora but that they are an integral part of the development of their homeland,” he said.