Diaspora Engagement Conference hosted by University of Guyana
Welcome Reception
Hosted by His Excellency David Arthur Granger
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana
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Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel
Providence, East Bank Demerara, Guyana
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SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017
17:00h – 19:00h
(Separate Program to be Produced)
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MONDAY, JULY 24, 2017
08.00 – 09.15h OPENING CEREMONY
Conference Room
Chair: Dr. Fitzgerald Yaw, Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, The University of Guyana, and Chairman, Conference Planning Committee
National Anthem Welcome and Occasion: Prof. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, The University of Guyana Voices from the Diaspora & the Homeland: Dr. Dhanpaul Narine, New York City Department of Education, NY (from the USA), Dr. Indianna Minto-Coy, Mona School of Business, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (from the Caribbean), Mr. Chet Bowling, Director, Guyana Diaspora, Inc. (from Russia/Europe) , Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar, Director, Resource Management and Training, IWOKRAMA International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, Guyana (from the Homeland) Cultural Item: Visiting Distinguished Artiste-in-Residence Keith Waithe and the Renaissance Performers Keynote Address: H.E. David Arthur Granger, President, Cooperative Republic of Guyana Cultural Item: Visiting Distinguished Artiste-in-Residence Keith Waithe and the Renaissance Performers Vote of Thanks: Mr. Daren Khan, Planning Officer, Office of Strategic Initiatives, The University of Guyana Adjournment
09:15 – 09:30h Break
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09.30 – 10.30h
ENGAGING THE DIASPORA
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE DIASPORA
Room 1 Chair: Mr. Wayne Forde, FL, USA; Conference Planning Committee
Insights for a Guyana diaspora policy Mr. Paul Nehru Tennassee, The University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC, USA
From Potential to Reality: Towards an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Attracting Caribbean Diaspora Investments Dr. Indianna D. Minto-Coy, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica; Conference Planning Committee What are the Tools, Methods, and Policies for Researching the Diaspora and for Engaging the Diaspora? Ms. Katleen Felix, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada Ms. Gillian Williams, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada; Conference Planning Committee
Room 2 Chair: Mr. Alim Hosein, The University of Guyana; Conference Planning Committee
Towards a multi-dimensional process of diaspora engagement Dr. Valerie Dye, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Diaspora: Guyana’s most Potent resource, Naturally Mr. Salaudeen Nausrudeen, Guyana America Investments, FL, USA The Private Hindu College in Guyana: Best Practices in Diaspora Engagement Dr. Kumar Mahabir, The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
10.30 – 11.30h PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Room 1 Co-Chairs: Dr. Vince Adams, The University of Guyana and Rohan Somar, Saint Clare’s Emergency Hospital, NJ, USA
The Diaspora Challenges Mr. Ewart Marshall, Mars Technologies, NY, USA Mr. Nohar Singh, USA Mr. Ronald Alert, Avory Financial, MD, USA Mr. Wayne Forde, FL, USA; Conference Planning Committee
Room 2 Chair: Mr. Selvon M. Waldron, Mentor Post, Washington, DC, USA
Working toward social and civil society goals - examining collaborations between local- and overseas- based organizations Mr. Antoine B. Craigwell, DBGM, New York, NY, USA Mr. Mohamed Q. Amin, ……….… Mr. Joel Simpson, SASOD - Guyana
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Ms. Romola Lucas, SASOD, Caribbean Equality Project, NY, USA
11.30 – 12.30h
Conference Room
Ministerial Roundtable I
Moderator: Mr. Komal Singh, Gaico Construction, Inc., Guyana; Conference Planning Committee
12.30 – 13.30h LUNCH
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Banquet Hall
Introduction: Chet Bowling, Guyana Diaspora Inc., Moscow, Russia; Conference Planning Committee
Speaker: Prof. Suresh Narine, Director, Institute of Applied Science & Technology, Guyana and Trent University Centre for Biomaterials Research, ON, Canada
13.30 – 14:300h Conference Room
Guyana’s Diaspora Engagement Strategy
Chair: Dr. Vince Adams, The University of Guyana
Speaker: Hon. Carl B. Greenidge, Second Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guyana
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14.30 – 15.30h THE ROLE OF HOMETOWN ASSOCIATIONS
ENHANCING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT
Room 1 Chair: Dr. Wazir Mohamed, Ministry of Education, Guyana and Indiana University East; Conference Planning Committee Hometown Associations and Diaspora Engagement: Challenges and Emerging Role in Nation Building Dr. Lear Matthews, Empire State College, SUNY, NY, USA
The role of the hometown association COFONA (Council of Friends of New Amsterdam) in forging change at the community level Dr. Leonard C. Lewis, City College of CUNY, NY, USA
Role of Hometown Associations Ms. Katleen Felix, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada Ms. Gillian Williams, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada; Conference Planning Committee
Room 2 Chair: Dr. Valerie Dye, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada Potential for Return Migrants to have an Impact on Development in the Small State Case of Guyana Dr. Marlon Bristol, Ministry of the Presidency, Guyana
The Audacity to Prosper: Building Capacity through Diaspora Engagement Mr. Cosford A. Roberts, Organic Development Corporation, Maryland, USA
Diaspora Engagement – New Imperative for Tourism Growth in the Caribbean with Emphasis On Tobago. Mr. Andre Adrian Phillips, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Trinidad and Tobago
15:30 –16:30h Conference Room
Ministerial Roundtable II
Moderator: Guyana Media Professional TBD
16:30– 17:00h BREAK
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17:00 –18:00h
TRANSFORMING THE SELF-IMAGE
IDENTITY ISSUES IN THE CARIBBEAN DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Room 1 Chair: Professor Paloma Mohamed, The University of Guyana
A case study of Edwidge Danticat’s ‘Children of the Sea’ and Earl Lovelace’s ‘Joebell and America’ Dr. Karen King-Aribisala, The University of Lagos, Nigeria
A robust and visionary post-secondary education policy can contribute to the economic and social development of Guyana in the knowledge based economy of the 21st century Mr. Fidel A. Captain, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, British Virgin Islands
Room 2 Chair: Dr. Kumar Mahabir, The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Physically Separate but Psychologically Inseparable: Notions of Belonging and Identity among Jamaicans Living in the United Kingdom. Dr. Aieka Smith, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
The construction of “Indianess/ Indo-Caribbeaness” and “Authenticity” in reference to the marginalized communities of Indo-Guyanese heritage abroad Mr. Karimah Rahman, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Identity and the diaspora: Unpacking understandings of home, place/space, and belongings in a postcolonial context Dr. Dianne Ramdeholl, Empire State College, SUNY, NY, USA
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017
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08.00 – 8.30h Conference Room
VIDEO MESSAGES Introduction: Mr. John Mair, Journalist and Author, Oxford, UK Ms. Gina Miller, Founding Partner, SCM Direct, UK Baroness Valerie Amos, Director, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, England
08.30 – 09.15h KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Introduction: Mr. Paul N. Tennessee, The University of The District of Columbia, USA
Speaker: Mr. Glen Khan, Chairman, LAPARKAN Group of Companies
09.15 – 10.15h DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT FOR A GREEN ECONOMY
CASE STUDIES
Room 1 Chair: Dr. Terrence Simon, T.E. Simon Consulting, INC., NY, USA
An Orientation towards the changes taking place in Guyana in pursuit of a Green State Development Strategy Major General (Ret’d.) Joseph G. Singh, Ministry of The Presidency, Guyana
A diasporic engagement with Guyana’s green economy Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Gary Anthony Rodwell Best, Ministry of the Presidency and LIRDS Think Tank Group, Guyana
Global Warming: An Urgent need to Prevent Professor R.C. Jagessar, The University of Guyana
Room 2 Chair: Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar, IWOKRAMA International Centre; Conference Planning Committee
Unpacking the conceptual landscape of the Diaspora: Lessons from Case Studies Ms. Audrey Benn, The University of Guyana
A Report on the Listening Interviews of the Needs and Aspirations of the Aging Population in Guyana and the Diaspora Ms. Claudia John, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC, USA
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Mimicry and Fantasy in the Diaspora: The View from Richmond Hill in New York Dr. Dhanpaul Narine, New York City Department of Education, NY, USA
10.15 – 11.15h
THE LIVED EXPERIENCE
CREATING FORUMS FOR ENGAGEMENT
Room 1 Chair: Dr. Leonard C. Lewis, City College of CUNY, NY, USA
Caribbean Families’ Preparation for Migration to the United States Dr. Rosalind October-Edun, SUNY, Empire State College (Metro Centre), New York, USA
The Guyanese Mafia, Awards and More: Making a Diasporic Community Proud of Itself Mr. John Mair, Oxford, UK
Towards a more integrative diaspora policy and inclusion in local politics Dr. David Hinds, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
Room 2 Chair: Mr. Andrew Hicks, The University of Guyana
Embedding Guyanese Culture: A Look at London Links Dr. Michelle Asantewa, Way Wive Wordz and Bogle L’Ouverture Publications, London, UK
Re-launch of a publicly-accessible website, “Seeding the Commons” Dr. Calvin D. Brutus, Kykoveral Development Services, New Jersey, USA
Presentation on the Global Platform DREAMTRIPs. Ms. Sebrena Sumrah-Kelly, Caribbean and American Global Business Connections, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
11:15 – 12:15h Conference Room
DOING BUSINESS IN GUYANA
Chair: Mr. Owen Verwey, GoInvest, Guyana
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12.15- 13:15h LUNCH
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Introduction: Dr. Indianna Minto-Coy, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica; Conference Planning Committee
Speaker: Hon. Gail Teixeira, MP, National Assembly, Guyana
13.15 – 14.00h
ENVISIONING THE FUTURE
GROWING BUSINESS IN GUYANA
Room 1 Chair: Ms. Audrey Benn, The University of Guyana, Turkeyen, Guyana
Guyana as a Location for a Charter City Dr. Samuel Braithwaite, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
3E’s Strategy to Enable, Engage and Empower the Diaspora Ms. Eraina Yaw, International Organization for Migration, Georgetown, Guyana
Friends of a Green Guyana Diaspora Partnership Dr. David Singh, Conservation International (Guyana)
Room 2 Chair: Dr. Marlon Bristol, Ministry of the Presidency, Guyana
A session by the Small Business Bureau of the Ministry of Business, Guyana
Strengthening the SME and SGB sector in Guyana through Diaspora Investment Ms. Katleen Felix, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada Ms. Gillian Williams, Felix-Williams Consulting, Toronto, ON, Canada; Conference Planning Committee
14.00 – 15.00h ECONOMICS EDUCATION
Room 1 Chair: Dr. Thomas Singh, The University of Guyana, Turkeyen, Guyana
Room 2 Chair: Dr Karen King Aribisala, The University of Lagos, Nigeria
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The Role of the Diaspora in Safeguarding the Wealth of a Gold Producing Nation Mr. Collin Constantine, Kingston University, London, UK Dr. Tarron Khemraj, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA
There are unlimited Investment Opportunities in Guyana Mr. Eric M. Phillips, The University of Guyana, Guyana
What lessons can be used to ensure that the Caribbean systems of Education utilize early culturally responsive pedagogy Mr. Selvon M. Waldron, Mentor POST , Washington, DC, USA
Academic Programs for the 21st Century. Moving Forward by Looking Back Dr. Kelwyn Thomas, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
15:00 – 16:00h Conference Room
Lessons from Other Diaspora Experiences
Moderator: Ms. Melanie Smith, Melanie Smith Consulting, Guyana; Conference Planning Committee
Institute for Mexicans Abroad and the Network for Mexican Talent abroad H.E. Iván Roberto Sierra Medel, Ambassador of Mexico to Guyana
The outlook of the 12 years of implementation of the Global Mx Network of skilled migrants. Ms. Tania Miranda, The Institute for Mexicans Living Abroad, Mexico City, Mexico
Presentation by Indian High Commission in Guyana,
16:00 – 16:15h BREAK
16:15 – 17:00h KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Conference Room
Introduction: Mr. Collin Constantine, Kingston University, London, UK Speaker: Hon. David Lammy, MP, British House of Commons, UK
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17:00 – 18:00h TOWARDS NEW ECONOMIES Conference Room Chair: Dr. Tarron Khemraj, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA
The Guyanese Diaspora in the Time of Petroleum and Climate Change Professor Jay R. Mandle, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
Deepwater Exploitation of Oil and Natural Gas – A Roadmap for Technical Assistance Professor Norman D. H. Munroe, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
19:00 – 21:00h DINNER SESSION ON DEC 2017 AND BEYOND
Moderator: Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, The University of Guyana
The Diaspora Economy, Trade and Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean Speaker: Dr. Keith Nurse, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago; Conference Planning Committee
The Economic Impact of the 2017 Diaspora Engagement Conference Speaker: Professor Leyland Lucas, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA and The University of Guyana
Proposal for the Caribbean Regional Diaspora Engagement Centre Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, The University of Guyana Dr. Fitzgerald Yaw, The University of Guyana Dr. Keith Nurse, The University of The West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017
Second Conference of Education Resource Ambassadors. The ERA conference will be restricted to Education Resource Ambassadors and Ambassadors-Designate, and it will be held at The UG Turkeyen campus. Transportation will be provided from the Conference Hotel and back. 19:00 – 21:00h: Business dinner open to all participants.
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Give Back Day for those not participating in the Second Conference of Education Resource Ambassadors. THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017 Know Guyana Day
Information on One Day tours to places of interest in Guyana available on the Diaspora Engagement Conference website: http://diasporaconference.uog.edu.gy/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017 08:00-12:00h CLOSING PLENARY
Moderator: Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, The University of Guyana
Proposal for Diaspora Recognition by High Commissioner Dr. Cyril Kendrick Hunte Report of the Rapporteur Conference Evaluation Conference Photo
12:00-15:00H FREETIME AND LUNCH
15:00-15:45h TRAVEL TO TURKEYEN CAMPUS
16:00-18:30h INVESTITURE OF VICE CHANCELLOR & PRINCIPAL FOLLOWED BY RECEPTION
18:30-19:15h TRAVEL TO CONFERENCE HOTEL
20:00-22:00h CULTURAL EXTRAVANGANZA