FACILITATING DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT FOR

DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Presentation by: Jo Rispoli

Senior Regional Specialist: Labour Migration/Migration and Development International Organization for Migration

17TH

ILERA WORLD CONGRESS

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

11 SEPTEMBER, 2015

OUTLINE

• IOM’s approach to diaspora engagement

• Who are the diaspora?

• Measures to support diaspora engagement

• MIDA Ghana Health Project

• Way forward

PHOTO NEWS

Photo News

PHOTO NEWS

PHOTO NEWS

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Macro Level: Engaging and cooperating with governments and strategic partners

Meso Level: Engaging and strengthening communities

Micro Level: Empowering and assisting migrants

IOM’S APPROACH

Human Capital

Social Capital

Financial Capital

Political Capital

Cultural Capital

CONCEPTUALISATION OF M&D

Development Migration

Human Capital:

Skills and Knowledge

Social Capital:

Migrant Networks

Financial Capital:

Remittances

Cultural Capital:

Migrants’ Rights

WHO ARE THE DIASPORA?

• The diaspora may be defined as “People or ethnic populations that leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world” (IOM)

• The diaspora are composed of “individuals originating from one country, living outside the country irrespective of their citizenship or nationality who, individually or collectively, are or could be willing to contribute to the development of their country of origin” (GFMD)

• Diasporas should be considered as development partners for both countries of origin and destination

MEASURES TO SUPPORT THE ENGAGEMENT OF DIASPORAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

• Diaspora mapping

• Diaspora outreach and confidence-building measures

• Skills and knowledge transfer mechanisms

THE MIDA GHANA EXPERIENCE

IN ENGAGING ITS MEDICAL DIASPORA

DIASPORA CONTRIBUTIONS

MIDA Participants

Professionals Skilled Workers

Specialists Entrepreneurs

Qualified Human

Resources in the Diaspora

• African professionals, entrepreneurs, and experts in the diaspora …

• willing and able to contribute their skills as well as financial and …

• other resources to the development efforts of their countries of origin.

MIDA APPROACH

A Brain Gain Project for the Health Sector in

Ghana

MIDA GHANA HEALTH III PROJECT

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To: • utilise the available skills, expertise, and experience

of Resource Persons (RPs) in the diaspora to the benefit of the Ghanaian health sector

• contribute to the capacity-building process in Ghana’s Human Resources Development Strategy in reversing brain drain in the health sector

• build networks with the Ghanaian diaspora - stimulating cooperation with healthcare institutions in Ghana, the U.K., Germany, and the Netherlands.

THE CONCEPT

.

MoH, GHS,

Health Institutions (Submit skills

needs proposals)

IOM the Netherlands

& IOM Ghana

(Matches request with

skills database)

Health Regulatory Bodies

(Conduct due diligence and offer temporary registration)

Project Task Force (Ghana)

(Advises on matching and placement of candidates)

Project Participants

(Undertake temporary returns to Ghana)

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3

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GHANAIAN HEALTH SECTOR

Faculty Development

(through transfer of skills

and knowledge)

Continuous Professional Development

(for personnel on-site)

Medical

Services

THEMATIC FOCUS

Types of Assignments

• Teaching

• Public Health Education

• Research & Feasibility Studies

• Clinical Practice

• Health Management and

Technical Support

Types of Skills Engaged

through Assignments

A. Mental Health & Psychiatry

B. Orthopaedics & Anaesthetics

C. Public Health

D. Accident & Emergency Medicine

E. Sports Medicine

F. ICT

G. Pathology

H. Systems Management

WAY FORWARD

MOVE TOWARD SOUTH-SOUTH

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION!