Background
In 2020, iDiaspora coordinated three global exchanges with members of the diaspora responding to the pandemic. Through these virtual dialogues, different actors involved in the development of diasporic initiatives in America, Europe, Africa, and Asia were able to learn and share relevant experience to better include their members when responding to the global health crisis. These events convened nearly 300 stakeholders including diaspora leaders, policymakers, academics, and social workers interested in learning more about how diasporas responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first global diaspora exchanges contributed to a better understanding of diaspora engagement on three different levels. First, as a result of these events, it was possible to identify the different ways that transnational communities responded to the global pandemic through prevention, protection, relief, and recovery interventions. Second, during these sessions, participants shared a set of good practices in diaspora engagement based on connections, partnerships, and self-empowerment. Finally, through these discussions, participants were able to identify synergies and concrete collaboration opportunities.
In 2021, iDiaspora, GRFDT, CISAN and ADEPT co-organised the second Global Diaspora Exchanges to respond to the common challenges highlighted by stakeholders during the 2020 exchanges such as the lack of trust, difficulties regarding fundraising and the sustainability of initiatives in the long term. Building on these successful events and aiming to keep creating and developing the conditions for diasporas to fully contribute to sustainable development in all countries as stated in Objective 19 of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM).
Bringing together, 255 participants facilitated by diaspora members and panel experts from the private sector, NGOs, donor community, diaspora groups as well as academia, the 2021 Global Diaspora Exchanges focused on the themes: Building Trust, Mobilizing Resources and Ensuring Sustainability. The exchanges explored the best practices across the regions and unpacked concerns and opportunities in supporting diaspora to reach their full potential.
In 2022, IOM, co-hosted the first Global Diaspora Summit (GDS), in partnership with the Government of Ireland and other lead participating states. The GDS convened governments, diaspora organizations, and other relevant actors to develop a collaborative vision, through meaningful and structured dialogue, towards actively engaging with transnational communities as agents and accelerators of sustainable development. During the Global Diaspora Summit and latest events organised by members states, international organizations and diasporas themselves, it has been recognised that capacity building is crucial to maximizing diaspora engagement.
In 2023, in response to the consultations held during the Global Diaspora Week 2022, organised by the Global Diaspora Confederation a request was made by diaspora organizations to keep supporting diaspora communities to boost their capacities for development. As a result, the 2023 Global Exchanges will focus on enhancing communication techniques, strategies and tools across the different phases of project management. By providing concrete strategies on how to enhance their communication skills, consider strategic techniques and implement new tools, stakeholders will be able to maximise the impact of their transnational initiatives.
The Global Diaspora Virtual Exchanges led by IOM - iDiaspora, the Global Diaspora Confederation (GDC), GRFDT and the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP) is a unique space where diasporas share best practices at the global level and collaborate with each other to empower themselves and other diaspora leaders and organizations as development actors.
General Objectives of the Three 2023 Global Exchanges:
- What are the key skills that a communicator needs to have when approaching donors and delivering a pitch?
- What skills and characteristics make diaspora communities unique communicators?
- Why are interpersonal skills relevant to deliver impactful messages?
- Which channels of communication are the most effective?
QUESTIONS
1. What are the key skills that a communicator needs to have when approaching donors and delivering a pitch?
2. What skills and characteristics make diaspora communities unique communicators?
3. Why are interpersonal skills relevant to deliver impactful messages?
4. Which channels of communication are the most effective?
|
Activity |
Panelists |
Time |
Hour CET |
|
Welcoming remarks |
Elizabeth Warn - IOM |
10 mins |
15.00 – 15.10 |
|
Presentation of speakers |
Ana Lucia Gutiérrez- Granadilla Podcast |
10 mins |
15.10 – 15.20 |
|
Unpacking Impactful Skills Moderated by Ana Lucia Gutiérrez (Granadilla Podcast) |
Ouejdane Mejri - Pontes Jessica Hamadziripi - GET Victoria Zagatova - MYCP |
45 mins |
15.20 – 16.00 |
|
Remarks and Q&A moderated by Ana Lucia Gutiérrez |
40 mins |
16.00 – 16.40 |
|
|
Closing Remarks |
Luiza Soares - GDC |
15 mins |
16.48 – 17.00 |
Opening Remarks
Elizabeth (Liz) Warn, Head of the Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion Division - IOM
Liz has worked for the International Organization for Migration (IOM-UN) since 2001 and in June 2022, she became the Head of the Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion Division.
Prior to taking up her duties in IOM’s HQ, she was Deputy Chief of Mission in Ukraine - one of the largest IOM missions. She was responsible for oversight for all IOM programming, engagement with UN agencies and IOM’s input into the UN Cooperation Framework. Prior to this, Liz served as the Senior Regional Immigration and Border Management Specialist for Southern East and Horn of Africa where she was instrumental in advancing IOM’s work on trade and migration. Between 2001-2015, Liz was the Senior Regional Labour Migration and Migration and Development Specialist, based in Argentina. She also initiated IOM’s regional work on migration, environment, and climate change.
From 2006-2011 Liz was based in IOM’s Headquarters in Geneva as the Specialist for Labour Migration and Migration and Development in the Labour and Human Development Division. From 2001-2006, Liz worked with IOM in Albania, working on a diverse portfolio of issues including supporting the development of the first National migration policy, and was responsible for implementing IOM’s first programme to support the EU/Albania Readmission Agreement.
Elizabeth has a BA in Politics from Sheffield University, an MA in International Relations and European Studies from Central European University (CEU) in Budapest, and an MSc in Development Management from the Open University in the UK. Liz is a dual British/Italian national and also speaks Italian and Spanish.
Moderator
Ana Lucia Gutierrez Gonzalez - Founder of Granadilla Poscast
Ana is a Peruvian migrant woman currently living in Israel while pursuing her PhD in Migrations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
She is the founder of Granadilla Podcast - Peruvian women thriving around the world and president of Asociación Granadilla, a nonprofit looking to empower Peruvian migrant women.
Ana has a BA in Communications and an MA in Public Policies. She is currently the operations manager of an Israeli start-up. She loves travelling with her husband and exploring new national parks with him and their dog.
Speakers
Dr Ouejdane Mejri, Migration for Development Unit Director
Ouejdane Mejri is a doctor in Urban Planning, Design and Policy from Politecnico di Milano and is an expert in using information and communication technology to manage organizational processes and face crises. She is currently the director of the migration and development unit of the organization of the Tunisian diaspora in Italy PONTES RI, where she oversees the development of strategies and policies for institutional reforms, particularly in the context of international migration, processes decentralization, and management of health crisis. Since 2015, Dr Mejri has worked in Tunisia's development projects as a supervisor and knowledge transfer facilitator for several training courses in public health governance, institutional communication, support for entrepreneurship, and migration management.
Victoria Zagitova, Youth Advocate and Communications Lead at MYCP
Victoria's main expertise is building communications in the humanitarian sector. As a Communications Specialist, she worked with organisations such as UNESCO, ITU, WWF, UN-HQ, and others. At the moment, she is the Communications Lead at MYCP. Moreover, Victoria Zagitova is the Social Media Blogger and Activist with the Young and Hired project, which has helped tens of thousands of young people around the world find a career path and fulfil themselves in the new digital realities of the world after the pandemic. Graduated in European and Global Studies from the Università degli Studi di Padova with Boston University and SciencesPo Paris.
Dr Jessica Hamadziripi, Director Genesis Entrepreneurship Trust – GET
Dr Hamadziripi is a holder of a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in International Relations and Diplomacy. Her thesis topic is “Poverty Eradication in Zimbabwe: Meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through Homegrown Business Approaches”. The thesis was published in 2013 by L’Harmattan. She is a trained entrepreneur with practical experience in managing business ventures.
She has vast experience working in academic institutions namely, the University of Zimbabwe and Speciss College in Harare, Zimbabwe and at Pace University White Plains in New York, America mostly in administration and as a trainer of management courses. In line with her academic experience, she worked as a research assistant at the International Trade Center (ITC) in Geneva.
Dr Hamadziripi believes that absolute poverty should be eradicated in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole, in light of all the vast resources that exist in the continent. Dr Hamadziripi is deeply touched by the social and psychological effects that affect people due to absolute poverty and other social ills. She believes that by working together with other stakeholders, the general populace may enjoy their livelihoods.
Her passion for eradicating absolute poverty has led her to start and manage a Non- Profit Trust, called Genesis Entrepreneurship Trust (GET). She believes that the youth in Zimbabwe can be trained to be effective entrepreneurs. GET is an organization that equips youth between the ages of 18 and 35 with entrepreneurship skills to enable them to start and manage profitable businesses. GET was registered in 2016 and started training in 2017.
Closing Remarks
Luiza Soares, VICE CHAIR GLOBAL DIASPORA CONFEDERATION (GDC)
Luiza was one of the first trustees to participate in GDC's journey from the beginning in 2020. Former Advisor of the Corporate Desk at Robobank Netherland and has more than 18 years of experience in the field of development and business. Her expertise is facilitating and helping starting entrepreneurs write business plans, set up projects and advise on financial matters. Luiza has been active in Dutch politics for many years. She was the first States Member for the Province of South Holland as the first Cape Verdean woman ever in Dutch history and later as a City Councilor in the Rotterdam City Council. Luiza has been representing African Diaspora in a number of high-level activities including the IOM Civil Society Group, UN Action Committee, Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) UN Network on Migration, and Joint Africa-Europe Strategy (JAES) European Civil Society Group. Former Board Member of the National Institute of Dutch Slavery Past and Heritage (NiNsee) from 2017-2022 and she still is the Ambassador and Representative of the Foundation Bigi Bon. Luiza studied Advocacy at Philanthropy University and previously studied Advanced Business English and Practical Operational Manager, but she has not been able to complete Applied Psychology due to her work in politics. Prior to Rabobank Netherlands Luiza worked as Policy Advocacy Manager at Africa-Europe Diaspora Development Platform (ADEPT) and as a consultant for international cooperation in the field of health care and agriculture. Currently, she works at an international law office in Brussels for the department Corporate & Finance.
The event is open to all diaspora communities looking forward to enhancing their skills in strategic communication.
All participants are invited to register on iDiaspora.org and connect with other diaspora leaders and groups and stay updated on upcoming events.
