## Introduction  
On 16 June 2004, the first ever Jamaica Diaspora Conference was called to order in Kingston. This conference was the outgrowth of a symposium held on 20 October 2003 at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies entitled The Jamaican Diaspora Reciprocal Relations: Way Forward. For two days, the Government of Jamaica hosted over 500 delegates - half living in Jamaica, half Jamaicans living abroad - who had gathered to discuss ways that overseas Jamaicans might have more of a stake in what was happening at 'home', not only culturally but also economically and politically. During the conference, then Prime Minister P. J. Patterson outlined five Cabinet-backed incentives for overseas Jamaicans to invest in the country, including improved passport services and the issuance of an investment bond targeted specifically to overseas nationals. He also proposed the establishment of a Jamaica Diaspora Foundation 'through which Jamaica will speak to overseas Jamaicans about national development and other issues, ${ }^{1}$ an annual Diaspora Day, and the establishment of 'trade councils' throughout the Diaspora.  
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[^0]:    1 'Jamaica reaches out to diaspora', Daily Observer, 17 June 2004.