This document discusses diasporas and their relationship to development. It defines diaspora and identifies key stakeholders in the diaspora-development nexus. It also outlines important data needs for understanding diasporas and their connections to countries of origin. The document proposes establishing professional training and public-private partnerships related to diaspora and development.

1. “Harnessing our Global Energy”

2. Understanding Diaspora
What is Diaspora?
Migration + Strategic Relationships
“Diaspora is a Greek
word for Empire”

3. Definition of Diaspora
• Definition of Diaspora?
• Further to a lacuna identified in the inaugural
inter-regional workshop (Observatory, April
2011), discussions at both national and
regional levels should include the
adoption/advancement of a clear definition of
diaspora in ACP Caribbean (perhaps in
cooperation with India, China and AU).

4. Where are we?
Trinidad and Tobago in South-North context
•A difficult and historical relationship with the
advance of the major industrial countries (G8) –
Canada, United States, United Kingdom
•The Trinidad and Tobago Diaspora has come to
be positioned in some of the preeminent global
cities of the first world.

5. Where are we from?
Trinidad and Tobago in South-South context
•The colonial history of the West Indies has
brought populations from several of the major
world centres of wealth.
•Over the course of the 20th/21st century, these
centres have begun to reassert their historical
preeminence in world affairs: China, Nigeria,
Ghana, old Ottoman Empire, India.

6. Caribbean Diaspora and
Diasporas

7. Diaspora and Development
KNOWLEDGE MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
• Diversification is more
than new types of
products
• Knowledge mobility
management necessary
to support innovation

8. Seven Pillars:
Innovation for Lasting Prosperity
• Knowledge-based, diversified economy
– brain gain
– dual brain drain
– nostalgic markets
– Cross-diasporic/co-diasporic linkages

9. Seven Pillars:
Innovation for Lasting Prosperity
• Good governance
– migration and diaspora affects social and
economic health of Trinidad and Tobago
• Foreign Policy
– a new aspect of soft power

10. Diaspora Stakeholders
The Diaspora-Development nexus comprises a number of
interconnected relationships among seven (7) sectors:
1) Community Members: Migrants’ households in origin and destination
countries
2) Civil Society Organisations in Countries of Origin
3) Civil Society Organisations in Countries of Destination
4) Relevant Government Institutions in Countries of Origin
5) Relevant Governments Institutions in Countries of Destination
6) Private Sector/Commercial Sector in Countries of Origin
7) Private Sector/Commercial Sector in Countries of Destination

11. Stakeholders = Data Sources
• Civil Society
• Communities
• Social Media
• Universities
• Private Sector
• Regional Institutions
• International
Organisations
• Schools

12. Diaspora Data Needs
1.The (relative) status of the country of origin and the country of destination
2. Relationship between diaspora and home country (remittances, imports,
tourism, financial services)
3. The demographic composition of the diaspora/transnational families
4. The nature and level of commercial and NGO activity
5. Local and International Infrastructure (cost of diasporic relations)
Inter-national or Inter-state Relations: existing international legal agreements
on migrant rights/decent work; data sharing among states at regional and
international level

13. ACP and Diaspora
• ACP Observatory • Establishment of
Interregional Workshop Diaspora Policy and
on Diaspora Diaspora Unit at
Ministry of Foreign
• ACP itself as a space of Affairs and
African and Asian Communications,
including the
diasporas worldwide
establishment of a
(African continent, Fiji,
diaspora database
Seychelles in Pacific,
Caribbean)

14. Professional Training + P3
• Development of
professional training
curriculum on M&D
mainstreaming
• Government, civil
society and private
sector institutions (P3
secondments)

15. Feel free to add your input