As the Quarterly Jamaica Diaspora & Returnee Update series marks its twentieth anniversary, this special retrospective edition surveys two decades of the forces that have shaped Jamaica’s global communities: from the inaugural 1st Biennial in 2004 through nine conference cycles; from remittances of US$1.6 billion in 2005 to over US$3.5 billion today; through the global financial crisis, Haiti earthquake, Usain Bolt’s athletic dynasty, Brexit and the Windrush scandal, COVID-19, and Jamaica’s own political transitions across five prime ministers. This is the story of twenty years of a diaspora that grew stronger, sent more money home, and fought harder for recognition — quarter by quarter.

State Minister Alando Terrelonge says the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council has grown from eight advisers before 2016 to 30 representatives worldwide, as the Government makes diaspora engagement a strategic priority.

State Minister Alando Terrelonge opened the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay by urging overseas Jamaicans to turn goodwill into practical outcomes for a more climate-resilient Jamaica.

An Airports Authority of Jamaica director told the Diaspora Achievement Awards that building climate resilience is a shared task for Jamaicans at home and overseas, as seven diaspora members were honoured.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told the Diaspora Conference that tourism, a third of economic output, must be protected from climate risks exposed by Hurricane Melissa.

The National Housing Trust used the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay to pitch housing partnerships to overseas Jamaicans, saying no construction background is needed.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the Jamaica Diaspora Conference that overseas Jamaicans should buy first or second homes locally, freeing the NHT to focus on affordable housing.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has invited overseas Jamaican engineers, scientists and technical experts to help protect coastal assets and build a tourism industry that can withstand disasters.

A diaspora mentorship academy is pairing 90 Jamaican students with mentors overseas, and its founder, Dr Sandra Colly-Durand, received a Governor-General’s Achievement Award in Montego Bay.

State Minister Alando Terrelonge told the diaspora conference in Montego Bay that young Jamaicans at home and abroad must help make, not just hear about, national decisions.