“Dedicated to Diaspora Expansion and Development”
You could be fooled into thinking that the pleasant, unassuming gentleman who assumed the post of Consul General for Jamaica in Toronto, Canada on August 1, 2020, was just another Foreign Ministry official. You would be quite wrong, as Lincoln George Downer is an astute and seasoned career diplomat, who for more than 20 years has served his country in various capacities, acting as Consul General in its New York Consulate and as Minister Counsellor at the Jamaica High Commission in London, United Kingdom. What he is best known for, however, is his spearheading of programmes to accelerate and expand the development and advancement of the growing Jamaican Diaspora, globally.
Diasporas Then and Now
During the 1970s, the notion of ‘Diaspora’ characterized migrant groups maintaining their ethnic traditions dominated by a strong feeling of cultural and ethnic collectiveness. It is during the 1980s that the concept of Diaspora started to expand.[1] In discussing the Jamaican Diaspora, it is often noted that although the population within the country is 2.9 million (July 2020), at least twice as many people of Jamaican origin, descent and ancestry can be found in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the Jamaican Diaspora continues to grow. Such a widespread and expanding Diaspora is far more than merely migrant families retaining cultural traditions. It is a resource to be optimised. The 21st century Diaspora has the potential to become a social and economic geopolitical power base which can be developed and positioned to reap significant benefits for the country of origin, whether large or small.
Under Lincoln Downer’s stewardship as Director of Diaspora Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, engagement with the Jamaican Diaspora has been expanded to non-traditional locations outside of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States where Jamaican communities have been identified. Biennial Diaspora conferences have been held in which participants share their business profiles, products and services. Young “Diasporans” are being encouraged to strengthen ties with their homeland and to this end, a Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council has been established. Most recently, a draft National Diaspora Policy was tabled by both houses of Parliament as a Green Paper.
The newly appointed Consul General has been on the leading edge of a wave of change in relation to the development of Diasporas. Over the last two decades, marketing to Diasporas has become increasingly attractive. Since 2000, the number of first-generation immigrants worldwide has risen sharply, from 150 million to 214 million—a 42% increase. Contrary to popular perception, many of these people are affluent. Distances have also shrunk. Once upon a time, if you moved to another continent, you did not expect to go back home for years or to remain in contact with that culture. However, affordable air travel, inexpensive telecommunication services, and satellite TV now allow people to stay in close touch with relatives, friends, and trends in their homelands, making it easier for emerging-market companies to tap Diasporas. [2]
Collaboration and Partnership-Building
With Lincoln Downer’s grasp of the value and importance of the Jamaican Diaspora as a major stakeholder in contributing to the development of the country, he brings to the Greater Toronto Area, the passion of a man committed to collaboration, partnership-building and leveraging support from the Jamaican community which can be mutually enriching to both Canada and Jamaica. He plans to deepen and strengthen relations, targeting the young people of Jamaican ancestry so as to engage them in contributing to nation-building for the future. Further, he will seize the opportunity to encourage foreign direct investment from key players in the trade, investment and tourism, particularly given the economic set-back to the island caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his interview with Kreol magazine on the announcement of his assignment to Canada, Downer shared this view:
“I am looking forward to this appointment as over 300,000 Jamaicans live in Canada. They are a dynamic and vibrant Diaspora who support Jamaica wholeheartedly in health, education, and social welfare interventions.”
Warming to his pet passion, Lincoln Downer speaks with unbridled pride of spearheading the establishment of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council which held its first Youth Summit online in June 2020 with over 45 speakers. This Youth Council will advise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on the strategies to encourage young Diasporans to maintain their affinity to Jamaica.
Reminiscing on his contribution to the growth and advancement of the Jamaican Diaspora, he finds the greatest satisfaction in the development of the National Diaspora Policy following consultations which he has led since March 2019: “We’re trying to get the Diaspora to contribute to Jamaica at the policy level and ultimately to develop knowledge networks. Instead of talking about brain drain, we’re talking about brain gain and brain circulation.”
What is the back story of this disarming diplomat with the boyish smile who looks as if he would be as comfortable playing on a football field as he is hosting a consular cocktail party ? Born in the parish of Portland to Daslyn and Basil Downer, Lincoln Downer spent his early years in the parish of St Mary, attending Port Maria Primary and St. Mary High School until the 5th form when he moved to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, to study for examinations in subjects such as Spanish and History at the well-known Wolmer’s Boys School. With parents who instilled the importance of education in him and a mother who was herself a school principal, Lincoln Downer understood from an early age that education was the vehicle for social and economic advancement as it has proven for so many of his countrymen. An avid reader to this day, he recalls challenging a classmate to select the largest book in the local library and to read it from cover to cover. Guess who won the challenge hands down?
It takes a Village…….
The new Consul General also remembers well the notion that it takes a village to raise a child. As a youngster he knew that the community in which he lived saw it as their responsibility to engage in his upbringing. He recounts with a smile: “ You knew you couldn’t be seen on the streets misbehaving or else your parents would know what mischief you were up to!” Yet when a member of the community succeeds, the whole community participates in savouring the success as if it were their own. The joy of his parish community on the appointment of their “son” as Consul General in Toronto, Canada, can well be imagined.
The influence of his parents left a strong imprint on their son, but it was his teacher at St. Mary High School, Seaon Gale, who pointed him in the direction of his future career in international relations. The pursuit of studies in this subject at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, would lead in 1995 to the award of a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree in International Relations. Never one to sit on his laurels and always striving to shape and develop his competences, Lincoln Downer went on to pursue training courses and further education in a variety of countries including Malta, India and Argentina.
Dreams, Hopes and Appreciation
Known well as an individual who readily acknowledges and expresses his appreciation to all who offer guidance and counsel, Lincoln Downer has benefitted from mentors who willingly gave of their time and counsel advising him about speech-writing and bi-lateral and multi-lateral diplomacy. Such interventions have been of tremendous benefit and support to the career diplomat and have prepared him well for this singular appointment in Toronto, Canada.
By the same token, Lincoln Downer is no stranger to difficult times. He has faced disappointment and learned to cope with these experiences by bringing his resilience to the fore: “ In very difficult situations, I separate myself and study the issue. I tend to be a reflective and introspective person. I listen to music and pray. Leadership is a lonely place and one has to consider carefully your actions and options.”
No Better Time than the Present
A prudent and focussed professional with a strong capacity for strategic planning and attention to detail, Lincoln Downer is already focussed on increasing the Consulate’s footprint within the Greater Toronto area: “I want to learn more about the communities and understand the profile of my Diaspora: How do they think? What are their needs? How can we heighten their engagement?” He already knows that among Jamaicans living in Canada there is a high level of national pride and great love for the home country. For the future, he wants to ensure that there is a synergy between the Jamaican mission and its community in Canada. Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism and the Jamaican economy, there was never a better time to augment and accelerate that engagement.
By the same token he has dreams and hopes for a better Jamaica and an even better world: “ Given the impact of poverty on our people, I want to see all my people gainfully employed. I also hope for safer communities which are rid of the threat of crime and violence. Lastly, I want a world in which people are judged by their competence and character and not by their age, social class or the colour of their skin”.
[1] Pg. 262-270 in “Diaspora: A Look Back on a Concept” – Lisa Anteby-Yemeni and William Berthomiere – Bulletin du Centre de Recherche (2005)
[2] Quote from “Diaspora Marketing” – Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp – Harvard Business Review (October 2013)