Growth & Jobs | We must unite to build resilience - Hudson-Wilkin 

Jamaica-born Anglican bishop, Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, has called on Jamaicans at home and abroad to build a unified community to strengthen the country’s resilience and amplify its global voice.

The Montego Bay, St James, native delivered the sermon at an official service at Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay, marking the start of the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, held under the theme ‘Diaspora Partnerships: Rebuilding a More Resilient Jamaica’.

Anchoring her message in the National Anthem and the National Pledge, Rev Hudson-Wilkin underscored that the ingredients for a more resilient Jamaica are embedded in these civic symbols and in the mission entrusted to the Jamaican people.

“Both the anthem and pledge remind us of who we are as a people — not just any people, but a resilient people,” she said. “We may be considered small by many in the developed world, but, as the saying goes, ‘We little but we tallawah’ — we are small, but we are strong.”

She reminded congregants that Jamaica is renowned for achievements across several areas, including culture, sports, and advocacy.

Referencing Deuteronomy 8, in which God reminds the Children of Israel of their journey to the Promised Land, Rev Hudson-Wilkin cautioned that there is a danger in forgetting one’s identity and the accomplishments of foreparents.

“They were no longer enslaved,” she explained. “The potential for prosperity was real, but they were in danger of forgetting how they came to be where they were. They needed to pause and reflect.”

“We, too, need to pause and reflect,” she added, noting that the conference offers an opportunity to consider “the distance we have travelled and the journey we have been on”, while recognising that God has guided Jamaicans through difficult times. Faith, she emphasised, remaineds essential in building resilience.

Rev Hudson-Wilkin said building a more resilient Jamaica requires citizens to reflect, remain connected, and work in an organised way to strengthen the country’s community of six million people, both locally and in the diaspora, to achieve greater impact.

She also noted that Jamaica is part of a global community and has a mission to “advance the welfare of the whole human race”. Jamaicans, she said, must, therefore, stand together and speak out against injustice, both locally and internationally.

“There is a South African word, ‘ubuntu’, which means ‘I am because you are’,” she said. “Our lives are inextricably linked — we are a family, a people, a community, a nation, and part of the human race. This means we must speak out against injustice wherever we see it.”

“We must care about one another — not only those close to us, but also those in countries such as Cuba, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and the Middle East — because we share a common humanity,” she added.

“Let us adhere to our National Pledge as we work to build a more resilient Jamaica,” she said, before reciting it.

The service was attended by conference delegates, corporate sponsors, and government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith; Minister of State Alando Terrelonge; and Earl Jarrett, CEO of The Jamaica National Group and co-chair of the conference.

The 11th Jamaica Diaspora Conference continues today at the Montego Bay Convention Centre and will conclude on Thursday, June 18, with a Day of Service.