Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade

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Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Johnson

Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Johnson has challenged overseas Jamaicans and persons of colour, to work to improve their circumstances.

Addressing an audience of Jamaicans and friends of the island at the 20th anniversary ball of the Committee for the Economic Redevelopment of Jamaica (CERJ) in New York recently, Ambassador Johnson said that the time was opportune for persons of colour to consider, "moving up the value chain".

This, he explained, would require "emancipating yourselves from mental slavery and removing the invisible rope from around your neck that is leading you in the same direction, all the time".

Urging the audience to use "the world changing events of the past month," to make positive changes in their lives, he said that collective enterprising and entrepreneurship was the way forward, as the slowdown in the global economy will not last forever.

Ambassador Johnson, who was deputising for Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Professor Sir Kenneth Hall at the function, thanked the overseas community for its continued demonstration of patriotism to the island, as evidenced by the seven per cent increase in remittances to the island this year.

President of CERJ, Professor Hugh Dawes, in his remarks, said that the organisation remains committed to its mission of assisting in the development of Jamaica.

He said that the last 20 years have been among the most dramatic in the history of the human experience, most notable, "the breaking of the gender and race barriers at the highest level of Government in the USA".

Special awards were presented to former Governor-General, The Most Honourable Sir Howard Cooke; Attorney Trevor G. Usher; and co-founder of CERJ, Dr. Cynthia Richards, in recognition for their professional excellence and devotion to the cause of CERJ. Ambassador Johnson accepted on behalf of Sir Howard Cooke.

CERJ was formed in 1988, to assist in rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts in the island, after the devastation caused by Hurricane Gilbert.

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