Last year I wrote a blog about the Africaday. I posted it on my other website georginakwakye.com but I would like to share the blog on this webpage because it´s about Diaspora engagement and for Pimp My Village an important subject.
On Saturday, November 18, I was in the Netherlands to speak at Africa Day. This is an annual event organized by the Max van der Stoel Foundation.
I am on the editorial board of the Africa Day and every year I think along with a number of others about the content of the Africa Day. Climate Justice was the main theme during this edition.
Changing the narrative, Importance of the Diaspora Lens.
My role as a speaker was to be on a panel during the “Changing the narrative, Importance of the Diaspora Lens” workshop. This workshop highlighted the fact that Diaspora and Migrants play an important role in International development co-operation. When it comes to projects in their country of origin, they can think along with the needs of the local communities and advise them on how the socio-economic situation could be improved. Diaspora know the culture of both the Netherlands and their country of origin and can form a bridge between the two worlds. This way they can think along and collaborate with local communities.
What does the community itself want?
What is also really important and fortunately what emerged during the workshop and panels is what the community itself wants. Unfortunately, it still happens too often that international development co-operation has a working method based on the prosperous country and therefore you cannot really speak of equal co-operation. Ideas are often imposed that may not entirely fit the lifestyle and culture of the community. This was also mentioned earlier in the day in a lecture by Former Minister Jan Pronk. Fortunately, you can also see that things are going a lot better than years ago, but we are not there yet and in my view the Diaspora play an important role in maintaining balance and equality within International development co-operation. It remains important to take a critical look at the Netherlands' working methods within International development co-operation. The demand and need to improve the social and economic situation in a third world country must come from the population (community) itself. And the villages are especially important because they are often remote and have fewer facilities. But there is a lot of knowledge and motivation to optimize their living conditions and that should be the starting point.
Visibility for local Communities and Diaspora/Migrants
During the workshop in which I was a panelist, I was asked how we can change the current situation. I have pointed out that Diaspora and Migrants who come from a country where projects and programs are being implemented to improve the socio-economic situation should be an important advisor and partner, but unfortunately do not always have that role. Besides that, they and their activities in these areas are not clearly visible within Dutch society.
I spoke about Pimp My Village, which supports the Diaspora and Migrant Organizations and sees them as an important partner within International development co-operation. And that we also do everything we can to make them more visible and provide them with the resources they need to support local communities. Over the past 2 years, I have worked for IOM (International Organization for Migration and Development) on the Connecting Diaspora for development (CD4D) project and have helped 10 Diaspora who set up projects and collaborate with local communities in their country of origin, to make them more visible. I did this true the CD4D Ambassadors Program. Next to this project I also started up a project with Stichting Wilde Ganzen (https://www.wildeganzen.nl/) in which we organized Masterclasses for Diaspora organisations on the subjects of governance, communication, visibility and fundraising.
In the paneldiscussion I have also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organize another consultation day for Diaspora and Migrant organizations that have projects running in the country of origin. That conversation continues...
I look back at a very fruitful and inspiring session where a lot of interesting information was shared and Diaspora had an important say in things regarding international development co-operation.
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