Calling all diaspora leaders: What training programs does your organization need?

What: Diaspora leaders, have your voice heard in the development of a training toolkit specifically for diaspora organizations.

Welcome diaspora leaders! We want to hear about your challenges and capacity development needs.

In partnership with UNDP, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and DMA Global, IOM is planning to develop a diaspora training toolkit that will help diaspora organizations build their capacities across a variety of competencies. As a first step, we are surveying diaspora organizations to understand your needs and the major obstacles keeping you from achieving your goals.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Diasporas have been recognized as contributors to the development and humanitarian response of their host and home countries in the 2030 Agenda and by Objective 19 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) which calls to “create conditions for migrants and diasporas to fully contribute to sustainable development in all countries”. Diaspora Organizations play an important role when it comes to bringing together, advocating for, and implementing change for diaspora members and their communities.

Why? Your responses to this survey will ensure that the training toolkit covers and prioritizes the skill and topics that diaspora organizations around the world need the most.

Diaspora organizations are an integral part of many communities, at home and abroad, but they often do not get the support they need. This project aims to provide that support through a training platform that will build the skillset and knowledge base of diaspora organization leaders across a range of technical and thematic areas.

Adopted in April 2022 by IOM, 29 governments and the African Union, the Dublin Declaration specifically calls to “make available the necessary resources to boost capacity of diaspora leaders and organizations, including through training, exchange learning programmes, technical and financial support, development of dedicated guidelines leading to formal recognition and institutionalization”.  

By completing the survey below, you will be contributing directly to the training platform that will ultimately help you achieve your goals and objectives. The training platform will be easy to use, available online and free to access for all diaspora organizations.

Some survey participants will be chosen to do a pilot training. And once finalized the training will be online and free to access for all diaspora organizations.

Who? This project is being spearheaded by IOM, within the framework of the Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development, jointly implemented with UNDP with the financial support of SDC, and provided on the iDiaspora platform. DMA Global is providing the technical assistance.

On the expert side, we also have a Technical Advisory Board made up of key experts and diaspora leaders who are supporting us in making this project a reality. They have firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by diaspora organizations and are providing feedback every step of the way to ensure that the final training program will address the strategic needs of diaspora organizations.

Global Programme on Making Migration Work for Sustainable Development - jointly implemented by IOM and UNDP and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Programme aims to harness the development benefits and reduce the negative effects of migration for host and home communities, migrants and their family members. To achieve this, the Programme supports governments in 11 countries to apply a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to migration governance with a focus on four sectoral areas: (i) health; (ii) economic inclusion and employment; (iii) education and; (iv) social security and human rights. Moreover, the Programme ensures strategic inclusion of diaspora and migrants associations as well as the private sector in the development and implementation of the action plans for enhanced effectiveness and development impact. The results and lessons learnt from this Programme are being fed into relevant global dialogues and the UN Network for Migration for enhanced global understanding of how to effectively ensure policy coherence in migration governance for development.

iDiaspora - iDIASPORA is a global engagement and knowledge exchange hub for diaspora communities and those looking to engage with them. It provides comprehensive, regularly updated data and analysis relevant to diaspora communities, policy makers, NGO actors, and showcases successful diaspora actions and partnerships.

DMA Global – DMA Global is an international development consulting firm focused on remittances, financial inclusion, payment systems and diaspora affairs including investment and engagement. They work closely with private and public sector partners to deliver in-depth research, assessments, toolkits and strategic recommendations within the industry.