Government Engages Diaspora to Generate Employment in Local Communities
As part of efforts to bolster engagement with the diaspora, a conference for a number of entrepreneurs from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will be held in Guyana from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 May, when they will explore prospects for developing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to assist in creating employment opportunities for Guyanese.
This event, tagged Effective and Sustainable Diaspora Engagement for Development in the Caribbean (ESDEDC) “Go See Visit 2017”, is part of a regional project being collaboratively undertaken on the national front by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Furthermore, this activity is related to the engagement strategy now being developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Business and Tourism to harness resources and facilitate the transfer of skills and knowledge, thus increasing diaspora involvement in Guyana’s development.
The visiting Guyanese entrepreneurs will attend workshops, interact with local stakeholders and agencies, and conduct site visits to areas relevant to their business interests which range from software development to maternal and child healthcare services.
The Diaspora Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was created by the Government of Guyana to strengthen relations with overseas-based Guyanese, while encouraging trade, investment and other contributions. The Government of Guyana and the IOM have also joined forces to establish Guyana’s Diaspora (GUYD) Project to collect data on skills and resources to help guide a more effective engagement policy. Currently, the Guyana Diaspora Engagement Strategy and Action Plan, which will provide the Government with a more impactful mechanism, is being finalized.
The “Go See Visit” project will both expose participants to Guyana’s current business climate and create networking opportunities for future investors.
The ESDEDC regional project has also been executed by the Governments of Belize, Jamaica and Suriname.