Mair vows hands-on approach in New York

Jamaica’s newly installed consul general in New York, Oliver Mair, has vowed to adopt a practical approach to his new assignment, with widespread engagement with Jamaicans across the jurisdiction.

“I intend to be present, accessible and responsive across the jurisdiction, to connect our diaspora institutions more directly to Jamaica’s development priorities, and to ensure the consulate is experienced as a partner rather than an office. Expect to see me back here, New Jersey,” he said.

Mair, who recently took up the post, said he has made it clear to his team that they must spend time with the Jamaican diaspora wherever the community gathers – in churches and school auditoriums as much as in ballrooms.

He was speaking last Saturday night at the Jamaica Organization of New Jersey (JON-J) Independence and Awards Gala, where he described it as a privilege to greet the organisation and join in celebrating Jamaica’s 64th year of Independence under the national theme, ‘United in Celebrating Resilience’.

“Each occasion tells me the same thing about the people who carry Jamaica abroad. What I see, again and again, is resilience. Since 1998, JON-J has done the steady work that holds our community together: scholarship, service, cultural preservation, and care for those at home and here. That work rarely makes headlines. It makes a nation.

“Resilience and your own theme, ‘Embracing Challenges, Unlocking Opportunities’, say much the same thing in different words. Sixty-four years on, we remain a small island with an outsized presence, built by people who met difficulty with ingenuity and turned constraint into invention. Resilience is not endurance alone. It is the decision to keep building, and to build better than before,” he said.

Mair said the presence of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith at the event signalled what the Government understands well – that the diaspora is not an audience to Jamaica’s development, but a partner in it.

Several people were honoured during the gala, including Johnson Smith, former JON-J President Owen Eccles, Dr Valerie Miller and Dr Janice Johnson Dias.

A special tribute was paid to the late consul general, Alsion Wilson, for her outstanding contribution to the Jamaican diaspora and her efforts to bring the community together.

Mair praised JON-J for its continuing work in assisting Jamaica, noting that excellence was not a destination, but a discipline, practised daily and often without applause.

In her remarks, Johnson Smith also reflected on the contribution of Wilson.

“Alsion believed deeply in the principle of service above self and devoted so much of herself to serving members of our diaspora, always willing to extend a helping hand where needed. She held both the ministry and JON-J in the highest regard, as we did her. Her life and work will long remain an inspiration,” she said.

The minister also paid tribute to veteran broadcaster Dervan Malcolm, who died last Thursday.

“Dervan was the quintessential voice of Jamaica – and sometimes the voice of the diaspora, depending on which side of the story you were listening to. But he was always, always a joy to work with, and a constant and consistent linchpin of diaspora engagement,” she said.

“He will be missed by Jamaicans across the world, but especially in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, where he had such a deep connection with our communities. I ask that we take a moment to send up a prayer for his family, friends and loved ones, as we also pray that his soul rests in peace.”

editorial@gleanerjm.com