Diaspora Engagement

AFFORD: Diaspora Donor Dialogue Notes

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Awareness exists of ways in which diasporas link UK and overseas and recognition of the need to bridge gaps exists For some funders the need is to be creative and flexible about how they interpret their mandates, whether they have a UK, London or international remit (and to communicate this creativity and flexibility) Some funders and policy-makers need to embrace new ways of working that better reflect today’s complexities and realities in terms of how issues affect the people they are aiming to support Funders and policy-makers should collaborate more to tackle social challenges that blur traditional sectoral, departmental or geographical boundaries but to do this they need to be clear about why, what they are seeking to achieve, etc, and also remain within their legal limits, geographically and sectorally Policy-makers with both domestic and international remits are appreciating the two-way linkages between diasporas and their home regions; however, some need more convincing on the positive role of diasporas here in international development Diaspora communities need to be more proactive in putting ideas on funders’ agendas for them to take up (and they need to identify the fora where they can engage with funders) Diaspora communities need to conduct their own purposeful action research into more effective use of remittances, more cost/tax efficient means of transferring financial resources, how events back home impact upon them, how their activities here impact upon people back home, and how communities can enhance their capacity to deal with combined issues that affect them here and there.

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Can NEPAD harness the African diasporas developmental efforts?

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The publication of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in October 2001 appears on the face of it (we may alter our view with the benefit of hindsight) to be significant. Ostensibly, it is the first major attempt since the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action (LPA) by Africans to put forward an African agenda aiming to shift the continent out of its current crisis and onto a path of sustainable development. The African Alternative Framework to Structural Adjustment accompanied the LPA. (It is perhaps a sad sign of the times that activists once critical of the LPA now look back at it with misty-eyed nostalgia!)

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Return of the Icons – The restitution of African artefacts & human remains project mapping report

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This report sets out the findings of research undertaken by AFFORD from January to May 2020 to map communities of practice in the UK in relation to the restitution of stolen African artefacts and human remains in UK museums and cultural institutions. 184 diaspora community members responded to an online survey, as well as via three online focus group discussions. 22 semi-structured interviews were completed with museum professionals, diaspora professionals, and African government stakeholders active in this area. The research findings indicate several examples of good practice within UK institutions and among diaspora communities. Diaspora respondents were overwhelmingly (approximately 80% of all respondents) in favour of the return of stolen African artefacts and human remains to their countries and communities of origin.

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Return of the Icons – Key issues and recommendations around the restitution of stolen African artefacts

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AFFORD’s Return of the Icons programme is exploring and taking forward key conversations around cultural artefacts – and human remains – held by UK museums and other institutions, their preservation and campaigns for their eventual return to their countries of origin. British museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions hold unique collections of art, artefacts, and historical treasures from around the world as a result of Britain’s colonial past. Now, as UK foreign policy goals shift towards a vision of a Global Britain, how controversial issues around cultural patrimony and heritage are handled will increasingly come under the spotlight.

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Hello Africa 0502 Report

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This brief report follows AFFORD’s contribution to the innovations fund meeting held Wednesday 14 February 2002 and seeks to provide more detail and context. In sum, we report that while progress has been slower than originally envisaged, we can point to modest achievements and useful learning. Moreover, looking forwards we feel that we are well-placed, in fact in a strong position, to implement the project.

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Diaspora and Development Ndofor-Tah 2000

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This is a report of a piece of research conducted as part of a project entitled, “Target Africa 2015: development awareness, networking and lifelong learning among African organisations in London”. TA2015 was initiated by africa21, a consortium of five UK-based African development organisations. africa21 members identified a need to legitimise, recognise and support the efforts of UK-based African diaspora groups in contributing to development in their regions of origin in Africa. The aim of the research was to set the work of these African diaspora groups against the backdrop of the 2015 international development targets (2015 IDT) around which much mainstream development effort is now organised (see Box 1). To this end the research investigated and documented UK-based African grassroots organisations’ contribution to development in Africa and assessed their awareness of the 2015 IDT.

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A Guide to Doing Business in Nigeria 2018-19

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This factsheet, produced as part of the AFFORD Business Club’s services, provides a route map of the exciting business opportunities in Nigeria for existing and potential investors within the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) sector. It aims to bring together useful information and insights that will ease business and country operations for diaspora and other businesses in the complex Nigerian market. The ABC Guide opens with an overview of the country’s economy, political and social context, with basic market insights into the business opportunities that exist in key sectors. In addition to access to finance, which is one of the biggest challenges for diaspora SMEs, this guide provides information of useful statutory and private sector organisations whose functions may have implications for businesses operating in Nigeria. It provides case studies of some of the situations businesses frequently encounter and the strategies adopted to successfully overcome them. It concludes with tips and advice gleaned from the experience of AFFORD and its partners about operating successfully in Nigeria. There will be regular updates of ABC Guide to Doing Business in Nigeria.

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02 Academic Diaspora Engagement

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In recent years, there has been a growing academic interest in the study of diasporas, and how they contribute to their ‘home’ and ‘host’ societies. In particular, the nexus between migration and development has arisen as an important area for researchers and policy-makers alike. While collaboration between the academic community and diaspora organisations and practitioners is crucial to improve research in these areas, the engagement between the two parties remains uneven. There appears to be a significant disconnect between researchers and diaspora activists, causing the latter to feel excluded from research on the very diaspora that they are part of.

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Optimising Actual, Virtual and Circular Diaspora Return?

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The main aims of the training are: • Understand the nature and processes of actual, virtual and circular return • Gain skills required to facilitate productive diaspora return • Understand how to effectively support sustainable diaspora return The main topics covered in DAY 1 are: • Understanding productive diaspora return: actual, virtual and circular • Return to set up commercial or social enterprise • Return to take up public or private sector job or role • Return for semi or full retirement The main topics covered in DAY 2 are: • The key conceptual and practical challenges to diaspora return • Government policy priorities to optimise productive diaspora return • Stakeholder best practices to optimise productive diaspora return

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