St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consul Basic to america Rondy “Luta” McIntosh, heart, receives plague, on behalf of Vincentian Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves, from Dr. Ken Irish-Bramble, to McIntosh’s left, chair of Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers School’s (MEC) Caribbean Analysis Heart, in June 2023 in commemorating Caribbean-American Historical past Month at MEC.
Others in photograph from left: Horace Davis, president of Caribbean-American Society of New York; MEC Provost Dr. Antoinette Coleman; Sherrill-Ann Mason-Haywood, director of MEC’s Search Program; Dr. Evelyn Castro, senior advisor to MEC President Dr. Patricia Ramsey; and Anna Walker, consultant of the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Trade (CACCI).
Photograph by Nelson A. King
Chairperson of the Brooklyn-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, Inc. Sherrill-Ann Mason says she was “very completely satisfied” in regards to the “clarion name for decisive motion” to completely have interaction the youth within the Vincentian Diaspora in america.
“The attendance was nice, with a pleasant cross part of Vincentians from throughout the US and even SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines),” Mason advised Caribbean Life on Sunday a few seminal digital convention that her group held on Thursday night, with members of Vincentian Diaspora in america, in its try to give attention to challenges and options confronting Vincentian neighborhood management transition.
On the identical time, Mason, who moderated the panel dialogue, stated the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, Inc. sought to seek out means in participating and empowering the youth within the Vincentian Diaspora.
“People had been very appreciative for the chance to be part of a well timed and wanted dialog,” she stated. “We needed to be a bit versatile with the tributes as a result of Kenley “Shortmus” John was unable to be with us, however Cecil Ryan and myself jumped in to go with what CG (Consul Basic Rondy ‘Luta’) McIntosh did with the memorial tributes.
“Listening to the tributes, you felt the magnitude of the collective contributions and affect of the stalwarts we’ve misplaced,” added Mason, referring to the late Moreen King; Maxwell Haywood (Mason’s husband and former chair of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, Inc.); Ulric “Soca” Jones, Jr.; Franklyn “Supadex” Richards; Vaughan Toney; Colin Liverpool; and Gailene Windsor.
“But it surely additionally forces all of us to think about what extra we will do in our particular person spheres to contribute to the well-being of the neighborhood,” she continued. “I actually hope, shifting ahead, that we discover the way in which to maintain the neighborhood collectively in significant methods to help the event of the Vincentian neighborhood right here within the Diaspora and in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“I feel the deceased stalwarts, now our ancestors, can be happy with the discussions held of their honor,” she stated.
Mason stated the panelists, through the two-hour-long Dialogue on Zoom, had been “actually superb” in giving “nice insights” from their respective views.
“I feel lots of people are involved about how we stock on the wealthy legacy of our Vincentian neighborhood right here in North America,” she stated. “And I really feel our youngest panelist, Kyra-Lee Harry, introduced such vitality and knowledge that we bought a glimpse of the intense potentialities.”
In her contribution, Harry, a youth chief and founding father of Future Change Makers Academy, lamented that “plenty of occasions (within the Vincentian neighborhood) usually are not geared in direction of us,” urging that social media be used as “an amazing begin” to higher have interaction the Vincentian Diaspora youth.
“For those who put out a hashtag of the place are all of the Vincy youths…that means, it’ll seize us,” she stated. “That’s the way it makes us to return into management function.
“Take into consideration what legacy you wish to depart,” added Harry, who was born in Brooklyn to Vincentian mother and father and was 15, when, she stated, she grew to become the youngest particular person appointed to a neighborhood board within the US.
“Let’s have a month-to-month dialogue,” she urged.
Panelist Jenell James, president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Affiliation of Massachusetts, stated know-how and innovation play “a big half” in getting the youth engaged.
“We will probably develop alternate packages,” stated James, who migrated from St. Vincent and the Grenadines when she was 10.
“So, there are such a lot of dynamics in our tradition that we will maintain them engaged,” she added.
One other panelist, Francesca Sam – a playwright, poet, actress, and founder the Brooklyn-based Chatoyer Productions, Inc. – stated that “know-how is the place the youth can have the best know-how,” including that the youth must be introduced in on “the dialogue.”
“You need to be keen to alter,” she stated. “You need to be keen to offer means.”
California-based panelist Ivan Morgan, president of the St. Martin’s Secondary College Previous College students Affiliation, stated that the Diaspora neighborhood must be “open-minded,” stating that his group is bent on forging “relationship from one group to the subsequent.”
Panelist Crispin Friday — the newly-elected president of the Brooklyn-based Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations USA, Inc. (COSAGO), the umbrella Vincentian group in america – stated that whereas youth leaders “might not have entry to the identical targets, expertise leaders can present management.
“Organizations can present help for youth leaders,” he added.
McIntosh – who was not a panelist however spoke briefly in regards to the contributions of Richards, Jones and Toney — urged {that a} pilot program be established “to deliver younger folks collectively.”
“Let the younger folks begin the group,” he advisable. “I feel it’s time to start out one thing new.”
Mason stated the “insightful and interesting Dialogue” was the beginning of a sequence of comparable ones and occasions in her group’s bid to handle “challenges and options associated to management transition within the Vincy Diaspora, and sensible methods to have interaction and empower youth in the neighborhood.”
She recognized 4 “main takeaways” from the Dialogue: “Want for structured intergenerational dialogue; capability constructing for organizations to make clear clear visions and targets for the longer term to draw youth and new streams of funding; the institution of a subcommittee of youth centered on youth engagement; and using social media marketing campaign using platforms like Instagram to draw and interact youth.”
“I feel if we sustain the momentum and maintain the dialogue going and provide you with some strategic plans and concrete motion steps to understand plans, we might have began some essential and important work,” she stated. “I’m simply actually happy with the end result on the occasion, and the suggestions has been very encouraging.
“People are actually excited and energized, and searching ahead to the subsequent steps,” Mason added. “I feel the Diaspora Committee has its work lower out for the subsequent few years, however decisively 2024.”
Philmore Sprott – basic secretary of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Diaspora Committee of New York, Inc., who gave the welcome remarks and overview of this system – stated: “The problem could be very well timed and important.
“The Diaspora Committee strongly believes this dialogue is essential and welcome,” he stated.
