St. Vincent to host Indian Diaspora conference in June

By North American Correspondent
Following the series of conferences on the Indian Diaspora in Guyana and the Caribbean in recent years, St. Vincent will host a similar conference in June to coincide with that country’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations. This year’s conference will be held from June 1st – 3rd under the theme “The Indian Diaspora in St. Vincent and the wider Caribbean.”
The St. Vincent conference is being organised by a group of academicians from the Caribbean region. The group plans to organise an annual conference in various parts of the region including Guyana.
The population of St. Vincent is approximately 100,000 consisting mainly of persons of African descent. There are small numbers of mixed persons (of Carib, African and White origin), Europeans, East Indians, and most recently South Asian immigrants. Indians form about 5% (5,000) of the total population. Although Indians in St. Vincent are scattered in several villages, there are distinct areas where they are concentrated, namely Richland Park, Calder and Rosebank as well as Akers, Georgetown, Park Hill and Orange Hill.
The St. Vincent Chapter of GOPIO (The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) is the main host and organiser of the events. GOPIO was founded in New York in 1989 to bring together Indians in the diaspora and to address human rights violation of People of Indian Origin (PIO).
GOPIO said that it has now set its priorities in pooling resources, both financial and professional, for the benefit of PIOs in the countries they live. The conference organisers will provide free accommodation, breakfast and lunch, and ground transportation for the weekend for presenters only. Other participants would be provided with subsidised services and facilities. Rooms can be shared to minimise the costs of accommodation.
Organisers say that participants are free to choose their own accommodation at their own cost. However, it is recommended that all participants stay at or near the conference venue for security and convenience. Participants are encouraged to invite and bring their friends and family members for the event.
The conference aims to bring together academics, scholars, students, teachers, organisations and persons with an interest in the Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean to discuss their research findings. Space will be provided for less formal presentations from activists and practitioners in the field in order to contribute to the limited store of public knowledge on Indians in St. Vincent.
Possible topics can include, but are not limited to conversion, resistance, discrimination, politics, history, family histories, migration, literature, gender, arts, sports, recreation, accommodation, survival, the media, etc.
Persons are encouraged to send abstract of 200 words and brief biodata (via Word attachment) by April 1, 2012 to Dr. Arnold Thomas in St. Vincent: arnoldthom@yahoo.co.uk (GOPIO International Coordinator for the Caribbean), and Dr. Kumar Mahabir in Trinidad: dmahabir@gmail.com, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). In the Subject line, please type, “St Vincent Indian Conference” The deadline date for submission of the full paper is May 1, 2012.
By North American Correspondent
Following the series of conferences on the Indian Diaspora in Guyana and the Caribbean in recent years, St. Vincent will host a similar conference in June to coincide with that country’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations. This year’s conference will be held from June 1st – 3rd under the theme “The Indian Diaspora in St. Vincent and the wider Caribbean.” The St. Vincent conference is being organised by a group of academicians from the Caribbean region. The group plans to organise an annual conference in various parts of the region including Guyana.The population of St. Vincent is approximately 100,000 consisting mainly of persons of African descent. There are small numbers of mixed persons (of Carib, African and White origin), Europeans, East Indians, and most recently South Asian immigrants. Indians form about 5% (5,000) of the total population. Although Indians in St. Vincent are scattered in several villages, there are distinct areas where they are concentrated, namely Richland Park, Calder and Rosebank as well as Akers, Georgetown, Park Hill and Orange Hill. The St. Vincent Chapter of GOPIO (The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) is the main host and organiser of the events. GOPIO was founded in New York in 1989 to bring together Indians in the diaspora and to address human rights violation of People of Indian Origin (PIO). GOPIO said that it has now set its priorities in pooling resources, both financial and professional, for the benefit of PIOs in the countries they live. The conference organisers will provide free accommodation, breakfast and lunch, and ground transportation for the weekend for presenters only. Other participants would be provided with subsidised services and facilities. Rooms can be shared to minimise the costs of accommodation. Organisers say that participants are free to choose their own accommodation at their own cost. However, it is recommended that all participants stay at or near the conference venue for security and convenience. Participants are encouraged to invite and bring their friends and family members for the event.The conference aims to bring together academics, scholars, students, teachers, organisations and persons with an interest in the Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean to discuss their research findings. Space will be provided for less formal presentations from activists and practitioners in the field in order to contribute to the limited store of public knowledge on Indians in St. Vincent.Possible topics can include, but are not limited to conversion, resistance, discrimination, politics, history, family histories, migration, literature, gender, arts, sports, recreation, accommodation, survival, the media, etc. Persons are encouraged to send abstract of 200 words and brief biodata (via Word attachment) by April 1, 2012 to Dr. Arnold Thomas in St. Vincent: arnoldthom@yahoo.co.uk (GOPIO International Coordinator for the Caribbean), and Dr. Kumar Mahabir in Trinidad: dmahabir@gmail.com, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). In the Subject line, please type, “St Vincent Indian Conference” The deadline date for submission of the full paper is May 1, 2012.