UG to host first Diaspora engagement; President & Opposition Leader invited

The University of Guyana (UG) will host its inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference from July 23 to 28, 2017, in Georgetown, Guyana, under the theme: Dreaming Diaspora Engagement, Doing Diaspora Engagement and both President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo were invited.

The Conference is expected to attract several hundred participants.

Hosted by the University of Guyana with support from a team of leaders in the Diaspora and other stakeholders, the Conference is organized around two overarching pillars: human, social and entrepreneurship development, and Diaspora philanthropy and diplomacy.

The conference is expected to provide the platform for developing a Diaspora engagement strategy that would inform the work of the first Caribbean Diaspora Engagement Center. The launch of the Center is expected to be a major highlight of the six-day conference.

According to UG’s Vice-Chancellor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, “the conference will contribute to the development of Diaspora policy and a framework to effectively attract direct Diaspora investment and engage the Diaspora in nation building.”

President David Granger has been invited to deliver the keynote address and to declare the conference open on Monday, July 24, 2017, while the Opposition Leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo was invited to deliver the luncheon address on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Additionally, Carl Greenidge, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will make a presentation at the conference, along with other keynote speakers and presenters. The conference has three components namely; an academic symposium, a business forum, and community engagement.The symposium will receive academic presentations on key issues such as international and regional migration policies, cultural identities and the Diasporas, financial transfers and remittances, social remittances, tourism, Diaspora trade, and investments, among other areas.

Members of the large Caribbean Diaspora in New York, Canada, and the U.K. are expected to attend and provide input, match skills and create trans-national networks to build a robust Diaspora engagement and productive partnerships.

The highpoints of the conference include a cultural night which would see conference registrants enjoying a night of cultural extravaganza free of cost; and a number of Guyana tour options will be available to registrants to enjoy on Thursday, July 27, 2017.