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Press
release 96/2007
(30 April 2007)
CONFERENCE ON THE CARIBBEAN 2007
DIASPORA FORUM SEEN AS MAJOR HIGHLIGHT
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(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen,
Greater Georgetown, Guyana) As the Caribbean
Community intensifies the pace of its preparations
to meet in Washington DC at what promises to be the
landmark Caribbean Conference on 19-21 June 2007,
widespread and in-depth consultations are underway
in cities across the US, between the Diaspora and
the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors based in
Washington. The aim of the talks: to ensure success
and sustainability of the dialogue expected at the
Diaspora Forum, touted as one of the major
highlights of the Conference on the Caribbean.
Organized by the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors in
Washington under the theme: Conference on the
Caribbean: A 20/20 Vision, the Conference will
feature and facilitate a series of fora to which the
Diaspora Forum will be critical in providing a
platform on which the Caribbean Diaspora in the
United States can explore their issues.
According to CARICOM officials in Washington, the
forum is intended to “…examine mutually rewarding
mechanisms for harnessing their (the Diaspora)
skills and resources, in accelerating the
development of the Caribbean Community.”
The Diaspora Forum will be convened at the
buildings of the Organization of American States
(OAS), on June 19 and 20. It will attempt to
delineate the challenges and opportunities of the
diaspora communities and examine the impact of
financial resources such as remittances on Caribbean
development. The forum will also provide a mechanism
for harnessing the knowledge, skills and
professional networks of the diaspora in addressing
the development challenges and investment
opportunities in the Region.
The CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors says it is also
ensuring that Caribbean Youth, including those of
the Diaspora, are allowed maximum participation in
the Forum, and has issued an appeal to the CARICOM
Youth Ambassador Programme (CYA) to provide a strong
presence at the Forum.
The Caucus is also anticipating that key
deliverables from this forum would be a policy and
work programme on the Diaspora.
Contact:
piu@caricom.org
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