The mission of our organization is: To network, inform, educate, support and fellowship with all Jamaicans living in the state of Indiana and throughout the diaspora; To raise funds and provide material assistance to Jamaicans and Jamaican institutions here and in our homeland.

Our goal

•  To bring together the approximately 1600 Jamaicans and their off-springs currently living in the state of Indiana into one unified body.
• To challenge and encourage all Jamaicans to be resourceful in utilizing their talents, influence, means and abilities to improve the lives of Jamaicans and Jamaican institutions here and in our homeland.
• To provide a network of social, cultural, spiritual, educational and business opportunities that will improve and enhance the lives and livelihood of Jamaicans here in the US and abroad.

JDI's major areas of emphasis:

1. Tourism
2. Education
3. Health
4. Finance

History of the Diaspora

"The Jamaica diaspora movement began around the 1880's when the Panama Canal was being built. Approximately 25,00 Jamaicans remained in Panama after the completion of the Panama Canal. The Jamaican diaspora has spread across the globe over the past 125 years. Preliminary estimates are that there are currently as many Jamaicans living outside Jamaica as those remaining in the homeland."

Jamaica Diaspora of Indiana is a part of the international umbrella organization...The Jamaica Diaspora Organization. JDO was established in July 2004 to help bring together Jamaicans scattered across the globe into a single unified organizations structure; empowering us to utilize our engery, skills, talents and resources to improve the lives of those Jamaicans living among us and especially those remaining in the homeland.

In June 2004 the Jamaican government in conjunction with several private companies held a 2-day jamaican Diaspora Conference in Kingston. At the end of the conference there were several major iniviates established:

1. The declaration of July 16th as Jamaican Diaspora Day.
2. There will be a bi-annual Jamaican Diaspora Conference in Jamaica.
3. The establishment of the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation to assure the continuation of the initiative regarless of the political party in power.