Diaspora members came together in worship and thanksgiving at the Burchell Memorial Baptist Church in Montego Bay, St. James on Sunday (June 16), as the 10th Biennial Conference got underway. However, a dissident group of Jamaicans staged a tense demonstration outside the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, marking the third protest in a series aimed at signaling to the Jamaican Government that all is not well among the Diaspora and demanding greater engagement on critical issues like crime, corruption, and poor health services in their homeland.
The protest leaders, Dr. Rupert Francis, head of the Diaspora Task Force on Crime Intervention and Prevention, and attorney Wilfred Rattigan, a former FBI special agent, stated their goal is to pressure the Government to improve the lives of Jamaicans. “What we are seeking are better governance and a better country and future for our children. We in the Diaspora do not consider ourselves better than our people in Jamaica,” they said, reiterating their call for the Government to collaborate with the Diaspora to build a better country together.
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To further unsettle the Government ahead of the 10th biennial gathering, the dissident group registered the domain name, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Florida.
As organizers were finalizing preparations for the biennial meeting in Jamaica’s tourist capital, the conflict escalated when the group announced it would issue a cease and desist letter to prevent the Government from using the domain name wherever it is registered.
Counter-protestors, including entertainer Mr. Vegas, who appeared in Washington on Saturday, chanted: “Rattigan shame on you” and “One Jamaica, Brand Jamaica”.
The Jamaican Embassy, clearly disturbed by the ongoing protests, issued a statement last week condemning what it described as “a flagrant misuse of the embassy’s name to deceive and lure Jamaicans to attend an unsanctioned event at the embassy.” The embassy clarified that no event was scheduled for Saturday, June 15, 2024, and emphasized that the offices are closed on weekends. The statement called the promotion of the unauthorized event disingenuous, misleading, and contrary to the spirit of Brand Jamaica.
Despite the embassy’s statement, the dissident protesters gathered outside, criticizing the Government for “broken promises,” “corruption,” “poor health-care services,” “lack of accountability,” and “poor governance,” among other issues.
The conference, scheduled to run until June 19 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, brings together Jamaicans from over 15 countries to discuss matters concerned with national development and societal progress. Over 1100 persons have registered for the event.
