The Trelawny Town Maroons from the Diaspora and Jamaica will once again gather in the Sovereign State of Accompong, in the parish of St Elizabeth, from December 31, 2006 to January 5, 2007 for the staging of the second Annual Accompong Maroon Homecoming, which precedes the annual Accompong celebration to be held on 6th of January.

The highlight of the Homecoming celebration is is the second Accompong Maroon Conference, scheduled for January 4, starting at 9 a.m. in the Village of Accompong . The conference sponsored by the Council of Overseas Maroons will address issues relating to the Cockpit Country under the theme: "Preserving, Protecting, Promoting Our History and Cultural Heritage."

The Keynote Speaker for the conference is the veteran Journalist and Environmentalist Mr. John Maxwell . Dr. Patrece Charles-Freeman is invited to address the issues of health as it relates to bauxite and Kenrick Cairo, senior Board Member of the Maroon Party of Suriname will share insights from the impact of bauxite mining and eco-tourism in Suriname . Several other internationally renown historians, and environmentalists including Dr. Jean Besson, Author and Reader in Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London and H. Delroy Murray, Esq., from the Cayman Islands. In addition, Mr. John McFarlane, Director, Walkerswood Caribbean Foods and Ms. Wendy Lee, Executive Director, Northern Jamaica Conservation Association and many others who will participate in panel discussions.

The Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister, the Hon. A.J. Nicholson, Attorney General, Hon. Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture and Lands are invited to speak on the issue of bauxite mining in the Cockpit Country. Local government and opposition leaders have also been invited.

Admission to the conference is free and is open to the general public. The press is invited to cover this noteworthy event.

From Santa Cruz to Accompong should be about 30 Minutes. Here are directions:

1. From Santa Cruz go to Maggoty
2. At Maggoty, when you get past Maggoty High School, go to the round-about and take the left turn (going right will take you to Appleton)
3. Bear left and follow the winding road to White Hall
4. From White Hall drive straight to Accompong