NEW YORK, USA — Despite reeling from a bitter feud within the ranks of the rival Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) which has split the organisation and dampened its resolve, a small number of members staged a protest against the Jamaican Government in New York last Friday.

The protest, which took place outside the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan, was organised by the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation which, prior to the fallout, was part of a coalition that sought to highlight a number of issues of concern to the Diaspora. The other groups in that coalition were the Diaspora Task Force on Crime Intervention and Prevention, and the Call To Action group.

Addressing Friday’s protest, attorney Wilfred Rattigan, founder of the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation and a key player in the dispute, said they were there to give a voice to oppressed Jamaicans he claims are “suffering from low wages, poor health-care service, corruption, crumbling infrastructure, and poor education”.

“The days of staying silent are over as we are on the cusp of finding change for the people of Jamaica,” he declared.

“The Government would like nothing more but to see us go away, but we are not going anywhere. We may be small in numbers but we will prevail in unity,” he said.

In a clear reference to the split within the group, Rattigan said, “We have no issue with our brothers and sisters. Our issue is with the Government of Jamaica which, for eight years, have demonstrated poor governance and a lack of response to the concerns of Jamaicans across the United States and elsewhere.”

While other speakers at the protest joined Rattigan in accusing the Government of not doing enough on a range of issues, one speaker, Jeffery Tavares, told protesters that, “as a people we need to come together, offer assistance, and find solutions to the problems affecting us”.

“We need to stand with the Government, even while being critical of their action. We cannot continue to blame the political elites alone, we must play our part as well,” he argued even as he lamented the state of violent crime in the country.

Tavares said that every Jamaican, despite their location in the world, should be concerned about crime in the country.

He pointed to the killing of eight people at Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon in August as a clear indication that more serious measures need to be taken by the Government to deal with crime.

Despite the fallout within the group, the co-leader of the rival GJDC Dr Rupert Francis has vowed that the effort to get the Government to respond to their concerns will continue.

“There are sufficient people who believe in what has been started and who want to be a part of our efforts. If it is that we have to look at where we are and reorganise, then we will,” he said.

In June, as the Government staged its 10th Biennial Conference of the GJDC in Montego Bay, St James, the rival group held a counterpart version of the conference online at the same time, which drew participation from some People’s National Party personalities, among them its spokesman on health Dr Alfred Dawes.

Dr Francis, who has bemoaned the break-up of what he described as, “the most successful and peaceful challenge to any Government of Jamaica in our pursuit of accountability”, had fired the first salvo in a letter to Jamaica’s Ambassador to Washington Audrey Marks, setting out their concerns, but which they later claimed was ignored.

Ambassador Marks is, however, on record as saying she was prepared to discuss the concerns raised. It is unclear why that never happened.

Francis had blamed the in-fighting on “person or persons unknown”, saying it would dampen the efforts to hold the Government responsible for the shortcomings outlined.

Acknowledging that all is not well within the rival Diaspora council, another key member, Herb Nelson, a security expert, said he had also been sidelined as a result of the dispute which he too attributed to “differences of views on the pursuit of and implementation of our objectives”.

Things took a turn for the worse two weekends ago as comments Rattigan made on his online platform —
Reason with Rattigan — ignited an avalanche of outrage and criticisms, further widening the chasm within the group.

Another important element of the dispute relates to questions over the expenditure of money raised by the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation — a non-profit entity registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Rattigan set up the foundation last year to raise funds to assist with the operations of the rival GJDC in meeting expenses such as logistical set-up and transportation for its recent series of protests, as well as legal costs.

In his response Rattigan said that, “every cent raised by the foundation can be accounted for, and in keeping with Federal regulations an audited copy of the financial records of the foundation will be filed and made available for all to see, within the time specified for this to be done”.

He also pledged to, “comply with any request for a refund by any contributor to the foundation, as a moral obligation, since legally it is not required”.

Dr Francis, in the meantime, told the
Observer he had sought the services of his attorneys with a view of filing a lawsuit against Rattigan for alleged libel and defamation.

Over the past four weeks at least one person who, up to a month ago, was close to the group, and who did not wish to be named, used a popular online forum to criticise key members of the group, accusing some of having political motives, accusations which have been stoutly rebuffed.

FRANCIS… If it is that we have to look at where we are and reorganise, then we will

Wilfred Rattigan addressing a crowd of protestors earlier this year.