Youth leaders from Jamaica and the Diaspora will converge on the UWI, Mona Campus from August 4-10, 2009 for the Future Leadership Jamaican Diaspora Conference to be held at the Mona Visitors Lodge and Conference Centre. The conference will provide the opportunity for young Jamaicans in the Diaspora to contribute to national development while networking with their local and overseas counterparts.

The event will see youth leaders from Jamaica and the Diaspora discussing critical developmental issues. More than 230 young Jamaican nationals residing in England, the United States and Canada, and some 150 young people from Jamaica are expected to participate. The Mona Campus is one of the major sponsors of the conference which is being hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Dr. Ronald Robinson, has said that the "The main outcome will be the formulation of strategies and action plans to assist in the sharing of information, exchange of ideas and the provision of opportunities for future leaders to facilitate national development, while strengthening the network of younger leadership in the Diaspora."

The State Minister said the Conference was a directive of the 2006 and 2008 Jamaican Diaspora conferences in Kingston, which identified the need to engage young Jamaicans living overseas in the country's progress.

He noted that the involvement of these young people was critical to ensuring a continuity of purpose between the pioneering members of the Diaspora and succeeding generations.