CD4D Ambassadors Reflect on the ‘Diaspora Making the Difference’ Campaign

To reflect on the ‘Diaspora Making the Difference’ campaign, the CD4D team invited the CD4D Ambassadors at the IOM office in the Hague. The campaign was launched in the spring of 2021 to create awareness about the role of diaspora in development. The stories of ten inspiring CD4D Ambassadors, who all contributed to the development of their country of origin within and beyond CD4D, were highlighted. The CD4D Ambassadors regularly appeared in public, starring in magazines, news articles, blogs and social media, and speaking at events and conferences. During the meeting, we reflected on the campaign, discussed the experiences of the CD4D Ambassadors, and looked ahead at the potential role of the diaspora in the future. 

The CD4D Ambassadors positively look back on their role in the project. They see the added value of their position as part of the diaspora, motivating them to participate in the project. “I feel a certain responsibility as a member of the diaspora. I see the experiences that it has brought me as part of my reward because it is fulfilling”, says Ambassador Stanley Mbelu, who is a member of the Nigerian diaspora and CD4D Ambassador. CD4D Ambassador Clement Adu Twum also shared his positive experiences with the campaign during the meeting. “I have received a lot of positive feedback on my role as an ambassador. The campaign gave me a feeling of self-empowerment, it motivated me to speak out about my story”, he says.

IOM has always been convinced of the special role of the diaspora, but for some of the Ambassadors, the campaign made them realize how important it is to share their stories. Zuhur Mohamed explains: “Even though for us, our stories reflect our normal life, to others they are important and interesting. People want to know more about us and learn from it.”

IOM the Netherlands would like to thank all CD4D Ambassadors for their continuous commitment. They turned out to be great speakers, amazing writers and dedicated changemakers. On one thing the CD4D Ambassadors all agree: the work of the diaspora is not finished yet. CD4D Ambassador Ayalew Kassahun concludes: “With IOM we created a spark. Without a spark, you cannot create fire. This is why we need to keep going, one way or another”.