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GK Group CEO calls on Jamaican diaspora to reimagine engagement
Jamaica emerges stronger and more resilient after pandemic
In addition to expressing his gratitude to the Jamaican Diaspora for their continued support to Jamaica during the COVID-19 crisis, Senator Don Webby, CEO of the Grace Kennedy Group, also issued an impassioned call and made several suggestions on how the Diaspora can engage with Jamaica to help the country emerge stronger and more resilient post-COVID-19. Mr. Webby delivered the keynote address at the Global Jamaican Diaspora Council’s Virtual International Roundtable on “Reimagining Diaspora Engagement During and Beyond COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities” on Monday, June 15.
Mr. Webby, who believed that it often takes a crisis for people to rethink their professional and personal futures, spoke about the impact of COVID-19 on Jamaica, highlighting its impact on the food (security), tourism and education sectors. Mr. Webby’s speech focused on three key areas – agriculture, education and tourism – where there are opportunities to strengthen diaspora engagement and create a better post-COVID-19 Jamaica.
“As the CEO of GraceKennedy, the panic buying in Jamaica has made me wonder what would happen if the borders were closed for an extended period. Our food import bill is a whopping $1 billion. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for Jamaica to become self-sufficient in food,” said Mr. Webby. The group’s CEO then reiterated his call for a 50 percent reduction in Jamaica’s food import bill by 2030, noting that such a reduction would have a positive impact on Jamaica and, in turn, its balance of payments and exchange rate.
“I believe very sincerely that our diaspora, our brothers and sisters, have a huge role to play if we are to achieve this,” he continued, encouraging the diaspora to invest more in Jamaica’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors and to contact the Jamaica Agricultural and Agro-Processing Association to learn about various ways to invest, from land identification to networking.
Mr. Webby also challenged the diaspora to help bridge the education gap highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I believe education is a right, not a privilege. COVID-19 has exposed the stark inequalities in access to tools and connectivity in Jamaica. The University of Jamaica has already started a programme to provide tablets and laptops to students and teachers, and I encourage the diaspora to do the same.” Mr. Webby also mentioned youth mentoring as a possible way to reimagine diaspora engagement post-COVID-19, noting, “What is measured is action, so I challenge members of the diaspora to partner with a mentoring programme for 100 at-risk youth to get this off the ground next year. Sometimes it’s not about money, it’s about time.”
Meanwhile, speaking on the tourism industry, Mr. Webby encouraged the diaspora to return home as tourists to inject some much-needed foreign exchange into the Jamaican economy.
Finally, he thanked the diaspora for their continued support of Jamaica, especially in terms of remittances, and shared that Western Union’s direct-to-bank service grew 184% and continues to perform well. “Of every dollar that comes into Jamaica, 95% is spent on the basics: food, medicine, and sending your kids to school. Thank you so much for taking care of our families in Jamaica, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He added: “The Jamaican diaspora has always been a resilient and united force and I know that together we will not only get through this, but emerge stronger.”
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