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JNBS/UTECH Reception
November 21, 2007
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
- The Hon. Lord Bill Morris Of Handsworth, OJ
- Mrs Sharon Saunders, Deputy High Commissioner, Jamaican High
Commission
- The Honourable Professor Errol Morrison, OJ
- The Honourable Dorothy Pine McLarty, OJ
- Other members of the University of Technology delegation
- Members of the JNBS team
- Specially invited guests
- Ladies and Gentlemen, all:
On behalf of the Jamaica National, I’d like to join in extending a warm welcome to the University of Technology delegation led by President the Hon Prof Errol Morrison.
This is truly a gathering of powerful individuals … educators whose authority lies within the realm of shaping the minds and, by extension, the future of generations. And, Jamaica National is proud to be associated with this event to bring such an important Jamaican institution to the UK Diaspora.
This evening our purpose is two-fold:
1. We are here to introduce the University of Technology to
the United Kingdom community; and
2. We are here to strengthen linkages between the Jamaican
communities here and home.
The British/Jamaican Connection
The United Kingdom has always been closely linked to Jamaica, going back to the days of colonization when we were considered a jewel in the British crown. This close relationship continued when thousands of Jamaicans came to the defence of the motherland in the early 1900s and later on the Empire Windrush in 1948, to start a new life in Britain. This marked the formal start of Caribbean migration to the United Kingdom, and continued to the 1960s.
One of the most eloquently penned views of the Diaspora comes from Jamaica’s most prolific poet and icon of culture, The Hon Louise Bennett Coverley. Her poem ‘Colonizing in Reverse’ speaks to the thousands of Jamaicans, and by extension other Caribbean nationals, who left for the United Kingdom in search of a better life. The factors that drove migration then were, and still are, linked to the economy, education, and an improved quality of life.
The Jamaican Diaspora in the UK
Today, the Caribbean and Jamaica, boast one of the largest Diasporic communities in the world in proportion to its population, with the number being perhaps equivalent to the number of us who live there. One of the unique things about Jamaican migrants is that there is this inherent intention of returning home someday. This is evident in the close linkages you maintain with home, how you spend your money, and how hard you work in your adopted country.
The Jamaican community here in the UK contains a wonderful potpourri of persons from all walks of life – professional and working class. It is estimated that approximately 550,000 persons of Jamaican heritage resides here in the UK with London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Brixton been some of the cities, with very strong Jamaican communities. Here in London, just less than 10% of the population, which is approximately 330,000 persons, has some Jamaican connection. Persons of Jamaican British origin are now considered the largest and fastest-growing mixed-race group of the country.
Jamaicans and Caribbean people have also made a significant contribution to the development of Britain and the world. The West Indies is now receiving the intellectual remittance from the experiences of Lord Morris and other Caribbean giants such as famous literary authors including CLR James, George Lamming, Kamau Braithwaite, Claude McKay, VS Naipaul, and Stuart Hall; internationally respected leaders like Marcus Garvey, Professor George Alleyne and his work with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Sir Shridath Ramphal, and his contribution to the development of the Caribbean Community.
Closer home there are outstanding individuals such as Professor Rex Nettleford, one of four former Rhodes Scholars who was awarded honorary degrees by his alma mater, Oxford University to mark the 100th anniversary of the scholarships; and our own Professor Morrison here for his outstanding work in medicine, particularly research on diabetes. We can almost recite their contributions through education and other fields, other enormous benefits their home countries have received.
Linking the Diaspora with Home
No doubt the outstanding performance of our Caribbean nationals engenders a great sense of pride among our people, particularly here in the Diaspora. This reinforces the strong bond with home, particularly through the contribution of remittances, in various forms to national development.
While traditionally, much of the focus is on the outward flow from the Diaspora to Jamaica, there have been initiatives to ensure that the bond between Jamaicans across the Atlantic remains strong in other forms.
One of these initiatives in which my organization Jamaica National Building Society is very involved, is the Generating Genius programme to help target a section of our population, both Britain and Jamaica, who are at risk. The Programme connects Black boys, from 11 to 12, here in Britain with their counterparts in Jamaica, where they spend six weeks exploring the possibilities of careers in science. This guides them from an early age to realize the vast reservoir of potential that they possess and how they can use it to enhance to their families, their communities and their countries. And more importantly, it helps them to find their roots or reconnect with Jamaica.
Another Jamaican company, Grace Kennedy, has developed a Birthright programme to connect young Britons of Jamaican parentage in the Diaspora with home … and through the concept of reverse investment; they have invested in WTO Foods here in the UK.
However, the foundation for these forays into the Jamaican Diaspora was laid many years ago when Jamaica National responded to the needs of our members here in the UK to offer provide avenues in which they could stay close to home.
Since 1988 we have been responding to those needs and today
Jamaica national also has a strong business focus here in the UK. Our remittance service corresponds with you needs to move money home … our Representative Office facilitates your mortgage and high return investment savings as well as real estate investments.
As we reflect on this these years, we must pause to acknowledge and thank you for the tremendous support you have given to us from here in the UK Diaspora. From the soils here, you have nurtured your families in Jamaica, even while in search of economic opportunities.
The University of Technology
And today, just as in the Windrush experience some 62 years after the major migration to the UK, there is now another group of Jamaicans coming again to the UK in search of opportunities … this time to expand educational opportunities between Jamaica and the Diaspora.
The Diaspora, we have realized, and very belatedly in some instances, is very influential in shaping policies as a direct result of your contribution to our overall economic, cultural and social development. One way in which the Diaspora can have this influence is through the University of Technology.
This is the context in which we are here today … to share with you the work being done by UTech. The University’s history is a rich tapestry, covering the various changes as it evolved to maintain its relevance to the dynamic educational needs of Jamaicans. And as you would know, education of the population is perhaps the only avenue through which real development can happen.
This evening, I invite you to partner with us in this regard through direct philanthropic support of education. The benefits are tangible and mutually rewarding. On one had, it would provide the framework to build a network of opportunities for communities here in the UK to build close relationships with our Jamaican students through mentoring and to keep them focused.
On the other, it could facilitate opportunities for UTech to provide high quality professionals to Britain under the anticipated trade relations agreement.
Other longer term benefits include creating opportunities for British Jamaican students to study in Jamaica, and have an appreciation of their historical roots, and develop greater confidence of self and serve England’s purpose in the long term.
As a Jamaican organization with strong British connections, we believe it is important to lead this initiative. And so I am pleased to announce that JN has opened a special UTech corridor to send remittances home for the UTech programme free of cost.
Secondly, we have established a UTech Affinity Club savings account which links the University’s account to the satellite accounts of persons who are interested in supporting the institution. The University gains from the interest earned on its account as well as additional interest from JN, based on the collective interest gained by these satellite accounts. It’s a win-win opportunity to save towards personal goals while directly supporting education. We hope to have special UTech passbooks so you can be readily identified at our locations. Saving in this way lends a collective feel towards accomplishing a common goal and helps institutions such as UTech to be financially viable and successful.
I encourage you to partner with us in this regard. Through your efforts, there can be a marked change in our education sector, which would have a ripple effect to the country at large.
Thank you. |
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