In 'Realising the Development Potential of Diasporas', a book published in 2011, its authors write: "Increasing attention is being given in both public and private forums to the issue of how the growing diasporas from the developing world could promote development in their homelands. Indeed, diaspora involvement in development opportunities in the homeland has increased significantly during the past decade."
It's a fact the international development community and policymakers – both in host countries and countries of origin – are waking up to. But the debate has often been limited to capitalising on remittances and much of the literature focuses on how other organisations can benefit from diaspora groups, rarely on capacity building for these collectives which are often informally organised, staffed by volunteers and ill-equipped to make the kind of impact that matches their commitment to the home nations.
Many diaspora networks struggle to gain recognition as development actors (pdf) or to secure the funding needed to sustain their projects, as this article on the Rwanda Diaspora Global Network points out. While some development actors, such as the Jethro Institute for Good Governance, are beginning to recognise and fill the capacity gaps, could the development community, host or countries of origin be doing more?
On Thursday 25 April, our live chat panel will debate the following questions: how should diaspora groups organise themselves to maximise their impact? How can they get better at securing grants, finding partners or working with governments? And, just as importantly, how do they forge an identity for themselves as an integral part of the development landscape?