Since 2020 we have been offering technical support on diaspora engagement to local and central authorities from our partner countries, as well as to diaspora organisations in Europe. With a portfolio of 16 actions in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East which together contribute to 11 Sustainable Development Goals, we are learning a lot about the different themes and processes that make for high impact diaspora engagement. In a new series of publications, the EUDiF team reflects on what we have learnt so far.
Learning by doing
Now in the final year of EUDiF’s first phase, the project team has spent the first few months of 2023 reflecting on what we have learnt through implementing our research, dialogue and technical support activities. In these first three years we have generated a wealth of knowledge, going from theoretical to practical. As such, we are pleased to launch our “learning by doing” series in which we share what we have learnt on effective diaspora engagement from our portfolio of 16 actions.
Policy makers and development practitioners alike seek practices and ideas to learn from and build on. In this new series, we offer EUDiF’s contribution from a thematic angle, to complement the regional resources already available.
Our piece of the action
EUDiF is proud to have a portfolio of actions that is rich in partners, themes, and locations. This diversity allows us to draw and compare lessons from operationalisation, including replicable practices, covering a number of key issues in diaspora engagement. With over 20 partners and 600+ participants, we have an unprecedented opportunity to share tried-and-tested practices in diaspora engagement, all of which have great potential for scale-up or replication.
The EUDiF team works directly with our partners to design, deliver and monitor each action, collaborating closely with external experts (many of whom self-identify as diaspora) along the way. In this series, different members of the EUDiF team share insider-insights gathered throughout the lifecycle of each action.
In the course of 2023, we will address themes such as heritage tourism, investment, skills transfer, and much more. The themes are not only growth topics in diaspora engagement, but also reflect the most-requested areas of support by applicants to EUDiF’s capacity development mechanisms.
We will group the publications under four categories:
- Economic growth
- Human capital
- Diaspora organisation empowerment
- Strengthening the enabling environment
First up: Commercial intelligence & business opportunities
The first publication falls under the economic growth category. In it, Hala and Diana draw on our first actions with AFPI (Association Franco-Libanaise des Professionnels de l’Informatique) and AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union Europe), to tackle the theme of “Commercial intelligence and business opportunities for exportation.”
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are at the heart of the development potential of many countries, and the diaspora is a leading contributor to SME expansion into foreign markets, bringing commercial intelligence and opening new opportunities. Read the dossier for insights into the different roles that the diaspora can and have taken in our actions. We highlight diaspora-led solutions to export challenges, including the development of exportation guidebooks, quality labels, and mentorship schemes. Finally, at the end of the dossier you will find a curated list of resources.
By sharing and comparing two EUDiF practices linked to export, we hope to encourage innovative partnerships between the diaspora, the private sector and business support organisations.
Further reading
- Celebrating the end of our collaboration with AFPI and Berytech
- Action insights: Diana & Laila discuss the end of the AGBU action & women empowerment in Armenia
- Action insights: How we developed a guidebook on exporting to the EU
- Market acceleration with the Lebanese diaspora
Coming soon, thematic dossiers on network building and professionalisation of diaspora organisations.
Cover Photo by Fletcher Pride on Unsplash.