I am Mandy Preville-Findlay, a third year doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Environmental Life Science. For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by people and their connections to their heritage and culture and their ability to be a part of it. Where you live should not be a barrier to participating in community life, including in the policymaking process, regardless of your location. This holds great importance as we live in the United Kingdom (UK), with a population consisting of persons with global ancestry. Through my doctoral research, I explore engagement and participation from the standpoint of the Saint Lucian/UK diaspora (the local community and the government).
Being of Saint Lucian heritage, I was immensely pleased to be offered the opportunity to undertake an internship in Saint Lucia for three months from January to March 2026, funded by Public Policy Southampton (PPS) and Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI). I worked within the Diaspora Affairs Office (DAO) at the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs in Saint Lucia. In addition to learning about how this ministry operated and supporting the work of the DAO, I was tasked with mapping a strategy for engaging the global Saint Lucian diaspora and scoping Saint Lucia's climate adaptation and mitigation strategy.
Having worked as a consultant on previous diaspora projects I knew direct conversations with a wide range of key individuals would be the most effective strategy to gather the necessary information and build connections given my tight timeframe. Over the three month period I engaged leaders from across government and non-governmental departments and gained an understanding of their work and positionalities as it relates to diaspora engagement and participation, and sustainability. This included conversations with leaders from ministries responsible for health, tourism, youth and sports, economic development, external affairs, persons with disabilities, as well as non-governmental organizations focused on heritage and cultural preservation and conservation and historical archiving. I also approached the local community college and the British Commissioner to Saint Lucia, to ensure a well-rounded view was obtained.
Over the next few weeks, I will complete a report with recommendations on possible approaches to developing a coordinated approach to including persons of Saint Lucian heritage in home country life. This will be done by summarising the various discussions and research around diaspora engagement and investment. This placement has been an empowering experience and a testament to the power of including people in the decision-making process. I encourage all students to consider an internship through PPS and SRI as a means of expanding their learning and experience.
Mandy Preville-Findlay
Internship with the Saint Lucia Diaspora Affairs Office