After an enriching collaboration spanning nearly two years, EUDiF and FORIM (Forum des Organisations de Solidarité Internationale issues des Migrations) are proud to announce the successful conclusion of their partnership aimed at empowering diaspora organisations…

Since November 2021, EUDiF and FORIM have been engaged in a close partnership. After FORIM successfully applied to EUDiF’s Capacity Development Lab, the mission was clear: enhance the skills of FORIM’s accredited support operators (diaspora network representatives), and technical team members who manage and oversee the FORIM platform.

This partnership resulted in the creation and delivery of seven training modules over 28 sessions from July 2022 to July 2023, both online and face-to-face. The modules were carefully crafted with the goal to develop the capacities of diaspora networks, which in turn will support the individual diaspora organisations within their network.

Looking back at the partnership, Hala Tarabay reflects on the five elements that made this action such a powerful partnership which both EUDiF and FORIM and their respective networks will benefit from for years to come:

• Global reach: 19 diaspora networks rooted in different regions participated in the course and since FORIM groups 700+ diaspora organisations, the action will have an impact on projects all around the world.
• Balanced partnership: EUDiF and FORIM are both active players in the diaspora-development ecosystem with great synergies. By pooling resources and working together we accelerated our progress towards our objectives. The close collaboration was characterised by well-defined and complementary roles, mutual respect, sufficient resources and transparent and open lines of communication.
• Complementarity: The French Agency for Development (AFD) is the main funder of FORIM and supports the PRA/OSIM, a grant-mechanism open to FORIM’s members. The action was designed to plug into the ongoing AFD-FORIM work as diaspora organisations will now be better accompanied to design and implement quality projects and report on them more efficiently.
• Practical and hands-on: The training material and sessions are largely based on practical examples and initiatives implemented by diaspora. Using diaspora experiences ensures the materials are practical for the target audience and promotes diaspora expertise. Therefore, the workshop materials were all relatable for the networks, making the sessions personal, participatory and practical.
• More than a pilot: Our action is a pilot project. Both FORIM and EUDiF learned valuable lessons about creating and delivering training programmes, and made a lot of adjustments. With this solid foundation, EUDiF is looking ahead to explore more training opportunities for diaspora organisations in Europe.

After almost two years working together, I would like to thank Rebecca Maurin and Lamine Traore, FORIM’s focal points, for their commitment and leadership, and the experts who supported content development of the training programme: Marianne Poisson; Robin Nael; Mireille Jallet from ERASMED; Randa Chekroun; Sarahi Gutierrez and Nguépelbbé Tokinon from Batik International; Francis Ripoll and Thierry Honore from Electriciens sans frontières; Anaïs Trousselle and Itane Lacrampe-Camus from Narrau and Maud Ferrer and Guillaume Quelin from Gret.

A big thank you as well to FORIM’s diaspora networks for their cooperation, enthusiasm and trust throughout the training journey. It is thanks to them that we were able to develop and enhance the training journey, and all that surrounds it.

For more about this collaboration and its outcomes, visit the action page. For more about our work on different elements of professionalisation, explore our latest learning by doing publication: