Dear Readers,
This is the first newsletter that we issue on diaspora engagement as a global topic, combining CD4D2 and ED4D news. It is a long edition and the first one since my appointment as Programme Coordinator of the Labour Mobility, Human Development and Resettlement Unit.
My name is Nina Staal, I was previously in charge of the unit within IOM the Netherlands dealing with Integration, Resettlement and Family Reunification. My portfolio has been enlarged since the retirement of Adri Zagers to also include Migration & Development and Labour & Skills Mobility. I am happy to take on this new challenge, to contribute to the team’s great achievements, and to work closely with all of you.
This newsletter is focused on diaspora engagement and on how we at IOM the Netherlands place the diaspora at the centre of our projects. I could not explain it better than our participants do in our promotion video, featuring our projects and highlighting their achievements. You will also have noticed that our website has been improved with a fresh new look and several additional features to showcase results even better. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created unforeseen challenges, it is due to their enduring commitment that we are continuing to create meaningful impact.
Priority Sectors for Knowledge Transfer per Focus Country
Since the start of the new phase of the Connecting Diaspora for Development project (CD4D2) in July 2019, we have been extremely busy liaising with our colleagues and stakeholders to …read more
Outreach by Diaspora Organizations
Even before the current COVID-19 situation, we relied a great deal on the assistance of our diaspora partner organizations to help us engage the diaspora communities in the Netherlands….read more
Baseline Assessment by the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance
To match the assignments of our CD4D participants with the needs of the host organizations, interviews were held in Afghanistan and Somaliland in February and March. The interviews with staff ….read more
Pre-departure Training
CD4D2 assignments are usually on a short-term basis, meaning that participants must adapt quickly to their new environment and hit the ground running. Diaspora naturally has a pre-existing awareness…read more
First Assignments to Somaliland
On 15 June 2020, six diaspora members from the Netherlands and the UK started their assignments at four selected institutions in Somaliland and five others will start on the 24th …read more
Adaptation of CD4D2 to the Global Pandemic
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where both travel and face-to-face interactions have been heavily restricted, it became clear that many of the planned activities within IOM´s programming……read more
Selection Finalists and Postponement of the ED4D Go-And-See Missions
In March 2020, the ten finalists for both Ghana and Ethiopia have been selected by a jury, composed of IOM, PUM, Zidicircle and the Ethiopian Embassy (for Ethiopia). The choice …read more
Webinars on Access to Finance and Investor-Readiness
IOM is currently organizing, in collaboration with Zidi, a series of weekly webinars on access to finance and investor-readiness for the ED4D participants. The first session took place on ….read more