On Wednesday, June 1 Grace Kennedy and Western Union hosted Jamaica’s former Prime Minister Hon. Bruce Golding for a Town Hall meeting “Caribbean Diaspora: Borderless Possibilities”. Over 300 hundred of Atlanta’s Caribbean tastemakers were on hand at the Porter Standford Performing Arts III and Community Center in Decatur, Georgia.
Executives from both companies, GraceKennedy CEO Mr. Don Wehby and Western Union Regional VP Sean Mason, respectively, gave speeches on the Diaspora and the role their companies would play in the “Borderless Possibilities”. Both companies focused attention on giving back to the Diaspora, and the importance of education and exemplified this monetarily: GraceKennedy with a scholarship program and Western Union with a donation to a local charity.
Specifically, after reviving it’s popular Jamaican Birthright program in 2015, GraceKennedy announced applications for the 2016 period are still open in the month of June. The aim of the program is to expose second and third generation Jamaican university students to a diversified Jamaican experience through music, social activities and professional tutelage through internships at GraceKennedy.
Keeping with the “Borderless Possibilities” theme, Western Union’s Sean Mason presented Atlanta-based non-profit organization Children’s Integrity Fund with a $10,000 check. Children’s Integrity Fund provides opportunities to disadvantage youth in Jamaica. Western Union also offered Atlanta residents the opportunity to take advantage of a special Western Union rate of only $5.00 when they send money to Jamaica.
The private sector has been doing its part. This function, for example, is part of the effort that the private sector has been making to maintain and improve the connection between the homeland and the Diaspora and its a significant part of the networking that has to be done. Meeting as we are this evening to talk about ‘Borderless Possibilities’ provides a useful context and focus for that participation.
~Hon. Bruce Golding, Former Jamaica Prime Minister
Additional Diaspora town hall meetings will be held in the U.K. during the month of June.
