Kingston, October 24, 2023

The premier learning event for community development practitioners, the Best Practice Symposium for Social and Community Development, will be staged as a hybrid event on November 8, streamed on the PIOJ YouTube channel, to be followed by the Local Economic Initiative (LEI) Exposition at Devon House (South Lawn) on November 10 . The Symposium will highlight local and international social intervention best practices models, while the exposition will showcase successful nano enterprises that are flourishing in communities having adopted best practice business models within their business growth cycles.

The first day on November 8 will feature presentations from local and international speakers under the theme “Transforming Communities through Economic and Psychosocial Best Practices”.

The speakers are Psychologist, Dr Kai Morgan who will share her results from ground breaking interventions using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with at-risk youth in Jamaican schools and communities.

Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist of the Kingston and St Andrew Health Department, Dr. Ganesh Shetty, will deliver a presentation on his work at the Child Guidance Clinic, as well as on a new model for psychological services being developed.

Co-founder and Director of ProSociedad in Guadalajara, Mexico Sr Carlos Bauche Madero, will share his experiences from collaborations with FHI-USAID to design and implement a pilot project on the use of cognitive-behavioural interventions for reducing youth violence and recidivism in Jamaica.

Associate Executive Director of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, California, Mr Hector Verdugo, will presenting on his Organization’s gang rehabilitation and re-entry programme; highlighting the results from their interventions with gang members, moving them from high-risk to high-potential behaviours.

Founder of the Agency for Inner-city Renewal (AIR) based in Trench Town, Dr Henley Morgan, a pioneer in the field of social entrepreneurship in Jamaica will address his organization’s model of social transformation.

The public is invited to support the LEI Exposition on Friday, November 10, 2023 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm under the theme, “Unleashing community enterprise . . . value chain integration” at Devon House (South Lawn). The LEI Expo will display upwards of 100 nano and micro-community businesses and social enterprises across Jamaica. Patrons should expect to see one-of-a-kind craft, jewellery and clothing; herbs and spices; natural hair and skin care products and household items.

Registration is now open.