NEW York, USA — Unlike the contentious event of the same name that threatened to upend the official Global Jamaica Diaspora Conference (GJDC) last year, a United States version of the convocation is set to kick off next month, with the blessing of the Jamaican Government.

The inaugural conference will take place from June 12 to 14, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during Caribbean Heritage Month, fulfilling years of yearning among Jamaicans in the Diaspora for such an event.

Acknowledging the US gathering, Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said “events such as the planned Philadelphia conference will explore emerging issues and seek to build connections within their respective communities”.

“It will provide a means for organisers to promote Caribbean heritage and culture while noting the involvement of individuals, businesses, organisations, civil society and religious fraternities,” the ministry noted, adding that it remains attuned to various initiatives and gatherings led by members of the Diaspora in their respective regions.

The foreign ministry disclosed that as part of its continued strategic partnership with the Diaspora communities, two new digital platforms have been added to improve its engagement – the Jamaica Diaspora Engagement Model (JA.DEM), a virtual networking hub and re-integration feature and ConnectMeJa, a portal enabling “data-driven, outreach, job matching and re-integration support”.

Michelle Tulloch-Neil, representative of the GJDC for the north-east US which will act as host, called the June conference a “ground-breaking event… that had more similarities than differences in the purpose and intent” than the biennial conference organised by the Government.

“The Philadelphia conference will also focus specifically on the results of a survey sent to members of the Diaspora in the north-east US last year, aimed at getting an understanding of the priorities, concerns, and interests of members of the community,” Tulloch-Neil said.

“It will also seek to build on important conversations that began during the successful gathering of the [10th] Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in 2024 [in Montego Bay].

The MoBay meeting was held under a cloud of controversy generated by a breakaway group of Diasporans led by Dr Rupert Francis, a former member of the Jamaica Defence Force, who harshly criticised the Government for not adequately representing the nationals overseas and being only interested in their remittances, charity and disaster relief efforts.

The dissidents registered the official name in the US and announced a similar conference for the same date and venue, eventually holding it online. After staging a handful of protest demonstrations in Miami and New York, the group imploded and has since gone quiet.

Tulloch-Neil told the Jamaica Observer that while she does not expect any representative from the foreign ministry to attend the conference, state minister Alando Terrelonge, who has responsibility for Diaspora affairs, had given his support for the conference.

She said that dialogue was ongoing on whether or not the conference should be held annually or on a biennial basis. Also under discussion is whether or not location of the conference should be rotated among different cities across the north-east US.

A press statement from the north-east US council said the three-day event “will convene Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica from across the US and around the world to engage in critical dialogue on development, education, investment and global cooperation”.

The conference, to be held at the Philadelphia Municipal Services Building, will bring together local officials, business leaders, artistes and other members of the Jamaican Diaspora for panel discussions and workshops on trade, investments, and cultural issues.

It will address the issues of women in leadership, health and wellness in the Diaspora and undertake an examination of the possibility of investing in the Jamaican cultural and creative industries.

Tulloch-Neil believed the conference “will seek to foster lasting partnerships and to recognise, strengthen and promote the Diaspora’s role in national development… and to align with broader efforts to amplify Caribbean voices during the National Caribbean American Heritage Month activities”.

Among those already tapped to speak at the conference are Jamaica’s Consul General to New York Alsion Wilson; former GJDC representative Dr Karren Dunkley and Akelia Maitland who headed the then Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board which preceded the GJDC.

New Jersey-based Patrick Beckford, himself a former head of the Diaspora Board and a leading Diaspora advocate, has long championed such a conference to take place in the US, arguing that the matters affecting Jamaicans here would be better addressed.