Members of the Guyanese diaspora will have the opportunity this weekend to engage with senior functionaries on ways to contribute to Guyana’s development at the PPP/C government’s inaugural diaspora conference.
The conference scheduled for May 22 will be held under the theme “the new era of engagement for the Guyanese diaspora”.
The interactive engagement will see around 1000 participants attend via Zoom while others will be able to engage via social media and/ listen to the live television broadcast.
According to Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Robert Persaud, the conference seeks to provide a platform for the highly skilled diaspora to contribute to national development and exchange views with key government officials.
It will, he said, “concretise government’s efforts to strengthen ties and harness the expertise, talent and investment resources within the diaspora.” Addition-ally, the conference will inform participants on topics ranging from remigration to tourism, trade and investment prospects, youth engagement opportunities and philanthropy.
“We seek to introduce Govern-ment’s national diaspora policy and the diaspora unit; to provide a platform for government to garner feedback from the diaspora on its plans for effective management and engagement; to enable and involve the diaspora in the national development agenda and to reassure the diaspora of government’s commitment to fostering their participation in the process of national development,” Persaud elaborated.
The conference will have two sessions. During the first, Presi-dent Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd will make policy pronouncements and provide perspectives.
A series of simultaneous thematic sessions will follow. Ministers Ashni Singh and Collin Croal will speak to Trade and Investment as will the head of G-Invest Peter Ramsaroop and representatives of the Guyana Revenue Authority and the American Chamber of Commerce.
A session on security, tourism and volunteerism will allow for engagements with Ministers Robeson Benn and Oneidge Walrond. Under the theme: youth engagement, skills attraction and remigration, Ministers Charles Ramson and Joe Hamilton will speaks as will representatives of the private sector and Robert Natiello of the International Office of Migration.
Asked to explain what differentiates this conference from similar ones which preceded it, Persaud said it is geared towards the specific outcome of informing the work of the Diaspora Unit.
“I know there is conference fatigue. This is not just a talk shop… The fact that you have the President, the Vice President, several Ministers of Government addressing key topics; it is intended to be one with a specific outcome and one that will inform government policy and interaction… this conference is about ensuring there is sustained and long-term results,” he stressed, adding that there is no plan to give preference to the diaspora in relation to development.
Head of the Diaspora Unit, Rosalinda Rasul, stressed that following the conference there will be a rollout of several initiatives. She added that overseas missions have already been asked to be more proactive and much more engaging with the diaspora including the second and third generations resident in foreign states.
