3 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer THE JAMAICAN Consulate in New York will host an all-day conference on April 16 aimed at mobilising the Jamaican diaspora to support national reconstruction efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The invitation-only conference, to be held at the Consulate’s midtown Manhattan headquarters, is themed Recover Better: Mobilising the Diaspora for Jamaica’s National Reconstruction and Resilience. Prime Minister Andrew Holness is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, with several Cabinet ministers also participating. The event will bring together a selected group of diaspora investors, developers, financial professionals, and community leaders from the New York metropolitan area to examine concrete opportunities for investment, partnership, and technical support as Jamaica moves deeper into its reconstruction phase. “This conference is about presenting what is real, what is ready, and what is possible,” said Ariel Bowen, officer-incharge at the Jamaican Consulate in New York. “Jamaica’s reconstruction is not a future plan — it is under way. NaRRA is being stood up. The financing is assembled. What we need now is for the diaspora to step forward with the same seriousness and urgency that the moment demands.” According to the Consulate, the forum is designed to directly address the gap between the scale of Jamaica’s reconstruction needs and the pace at which diaspora capital and expertise have been mobilised. Attendance is limited to 70 participants, all screened for their ability to contribute meaningfully to recovery efforts. The conference opens at 9:30 a.m. with remarks from Bowen, followed by a presentation on the mandate and reconstruction framework of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) by Trudy Deans, senior advisor to the Prime Minister. EXPLORE AVENUES Three sectoral sessions will then examine priority areas for rebuilding. The Agriculture and Food Security session will be led by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green, with presentations from Development Bank of Jamaica Managing Director Dr David Lowe and Agro-Investment Corporation CEO Vivion Scully. The session will be moderated by Norma Jarrett, president of the Ole Farmers Association of North America. Education and Skills Development will be led by Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, and will feature a presentation on school infrastructure reconstruction by the National Education Trust. Dr Anthony Munroe, president of Borough of Manhattan Community College, will serve as moderator. The Housing and Urban Renewal session will be led by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development Robert Montague. Demoy Kerr, crown counsel at NaRRA, will make a presentation, with moderation by Christopher Chaplin, honorary consul for Jamaica in Pennsylvania. An afternoon diaspora engagement roundtable will be moderated by Dr Karren Dunkley, former member of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council. The session will explore avenues for diaspora members to invest financially, volunteer technical expertise, deploy professional skills, and contribute philanthropically. Presenters include Nicola Russell of the Development Bank of Jamaica, Michelle Tulloch-Neil of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, and Shaune Anthony Brown, the council’s commerce lead. Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica’s western coast on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, the most destructive natural disaster in the country’s recorded history. The Planning Institute of Jamaica estimates total damage and losses at US$12.2 billion, equivalent to 56.7 per cent of Jamaica’s 2024 GDP. More than 156,000 homes were damaged, with around 24,000 completely destroyed. The western parishes — including St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, St Ann and Trelawny — suffered extensive agricultural damage, affecting more than 70,000 farmers. Critical infrastructure across the island was also severely impacted. Despite the scale of the disaster, Jamaica’s recovery has progressed rapidly. Electricity has been restored to 98 per cent of affected households, water supply to 97 per cent, and all three international airports are fully operational. In March 2026, Prime Minister Holness announced that Jamaica had officially entered the reconstruction phase of its disaster response. Central to this effort is NaRRA, a statutory body reporting to the Office of the Prime Minister, supported by a US$6.7-billion multilateral financing package — the largest coordinated reconstruction initiative in the country’s history. The conference will conclude with Prime Minister Holness’ address, Building Back Better: Jamaica’s Vision for National Recovery and Resilience, followed by a question-and-answer session. Members of the Jamaica College team celebrate with the Schools’ Challenge Quiz championship trophy after their victory on Thursday, receiving the prize from Joseph M Matalon, Executive Chairman of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group. ANTOINE LODGE/PHOTOGRAPHER Rebuild Jamaica: Government courts diaspora investors at New York conference Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness AG GUEST GUEST THE WEEKLY GLEANER | APRIL 16 - MAY 14, 2026 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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