Global Diaspora Services_Catalysts For Change Zone of Future Innovtion

© 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
© 2013 Institute for the Future. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
March 2013
Foresight Engine Game Analysis:
25 Zones of
Future Innovation
A project by Institute for the Future and The Rockefeller Foundation
www.iftf.org/our-work/global-landscape/catalysts-for-change/catalysts-zones-of-innovation
Contact: Tessa Finlev, tfinlev@iftf.org

16 | Global Diaspora Service
2

The connections between members of a
diaspora and their homeland are often
strong, and represent a source of
exchange, innovation, and learning.
While diaspora remittances have long made
up an immense proportion of local GDP in
many low and middle-income countries—
setting a new record of around $534 billion in
2012 according to the World Bank—there is a
great need to make this exchange of money
efficient and to harness the wider capabilities
of the diaspora. Using diaspora connections in
a more systematic way could have an outsized
catalytic effect on vulnerable communities.
3
16 | Global Diaspora Services | Future Innovation

Providing better platforms for people in the diaspora to mentor individuals
or even crowdfund larger infrastructure projects back home were but two
ways players suggested we could increase the potential of diaspora communities.
There was also discussion of incentivizing professional individuals in the diaspora
to return home in order to temporarily provide much needed services, like mental
health care, to counteract brain-drain losses.
4
16 | Global Diaspora Services | From the Players

© 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 5
#Kenyans in diaspora. Tap
from Kenyans in the diaspora.
Some of them have formed
investment clubs and are
investing in Kenya.*
Kenya**
16 | Global Diaspora Services | Micro-forecasts from the Game
*Cards have been lightly edited for readability.
**Player location was self selected.

USA
Diaspora bonds can tap into
wealth abroad and give it back
to communities in need, e.g.
for infrastructure investments
benefitting the poor.
# Kenyans in diaspora. Tap
investing in Kenya.
Kenya

Create a World Mobile
Banking forum (a la Davos) to
make mobile banking systems
interoperable and reduce
transaction costs for
remittances!
Singapore
investing in Kenya.
Kenya
wealth abroad and give it
back to communities in need,
e.g. for infrastructure
investments benefitting the
poor.
USA

Create online diaspora
networks for mentoring youth
back in the home country.
USA
investing in Kenya.
Kenya
poor.
USA
remittances!
Singapore

Yes. I think countries who
mobilise their Diaspora stand
to benefit immensely. I read of
Cape Verde & Eritrea in Africa.
Sweden
investing in Kenya.
Kenya
poor.
USA
remittances!
Singapore
USA

Create incentives for mental
health workers to do
internships in poor regions.
Untreated MH conditions lead
to disability/poverty
USA
investing in Kenya.
Kenya
poor.
USA
Cape Verde & Eritrea in
Africa.
Sweden
remittances!
Singapore
USA

investing in Kenya.
Kenya
poor.
USA
Cape Verde & Eritrea in
Africa.
Sweden
remittances!
Singapore
USA
Create incentives for mental
health workers to do
internships in poor regions.
Untreated MH conditions lead
to disability/poverty
USA

Signals from the Present
12
16 | Global Diaspora Services

The International diaspora
Engagement Alliance (IdEA)
promotes and supports diaspora-
centered initiatives in
entrepreneurship, volunteerism,
philanthropy, diplomacy, and social
innovation from around the world.
Chile Global
Chile Global is a network for Chileans living
abroad. Their main aim is to transform Chile
into a knowledge economy, and they do so
by facilitating collaboration between highly
skilled Chileans in the diaspora with people
in their home country.
16 | Global Diaspora Services | Signals from the Present
International diaspora
Engagement Alliance
Image Source: www.chileglobal.net/esImage Source: www.diasporaalliance.org

OneVietnam was started by people in the
Vietnamese diaspora to make philanthropic
endeavors in their homeland more efficient. The
site allows members to donate directly to
projects they care about, and to track the
resulting progress. They plan to scale up their
model and build similar networks for all
countries.
16 | Global Diaspora Services | Signals from the Present
OneVietnam
Image Source: www,onevietnam.org

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