Members of the audience listen attentively at a diaspora town hall meeting on Saturday in Brooklyn, New York. (PMO)
Government will establish a dedicated unit to streamline and simplify the receipt of donations from the diaspora, eliminating challenges faced by those wishing to contribute but unable to do so for various reasons.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, made the announcement on Saturday night while addressing a diaspora town hall meeting under the theme Gathering as One Nation at Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. Symmonds explained that the matter had recently been discussed in Cabinet, and a decision had been taken to create a facilitation unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, allowing Barbadians abroad to make charitable contributions to Barbados “in a seamless way under one roof”.
He added that the new unit would provide a step-by-step digital guide to the donation process, making it much simpler for all parties.
A member of the audience awaits his turn to ask a question at a recent diaspora town hall meeting in Brooklyn, New York. (PMO)
Minister Symmonds shared that during a previous trip to Texas he had been told about the difficulties encountered by Barbadians wanting to donate to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and other agencies. He noted that similar challenges had been reported by Barbadians in other communities.
He assured the audience that Government is committed to building a stronger relationship with the diaspora that “enables us to help empower you up here, or wherever else you happen to be, across the diaspora, and also to put you in a position where you can help contribute better to the development of Barbados, and I think that is critical”.
The Minister also touched on a draft diaspora policy aimed at protecting the interests of Barbadians living in the USA and other parts of the world, as well as exploring ways to deepen cultural ties with “the land of their forefathers”. Also attending the meeting were Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley; Consul General to New York, Lorenzo Harewood; Consul General of St. Lucia in New York and Chairman of the CARICOM Consular Corps, Jeremiah Hyacinth; and other officials.
Author: Julie Carrington
