Looking at the bigger Looking at the bigger picturepicture

Humanitarian Humanitarian response by the response by the

DiasporaDiasporabyby

Unisa Dizo-ContehUnisa Dizo-Conteh

AFFORD - The African Foundation for DevelopmentAFFORD - The African Foundation for Development

What is humanitarian What is humanitarian response?response?

““humanitarian aid is assistance designed to save humanitarian aid is assistance designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of human dignity during and in the aftermath of emergencies.” emergencies.”

(Organisation for Economic Cooperation and (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Development)

Who are the “Diaspora?Who are the “Diaspora?

• Diaspora is a Greek word – “to Diaspora is a Greek word – “to scatter/spread”scatter/spread”

• The dispersion of any people from their The dispersion of any people from their original homeland original homeland (Oxford Dictionary)(Oxford Dictionary)

projected 215 million diasporans -great potential for projected 215 million diasporans -great potential for Diasporas to contribution to humanitarian responseDiasporas to contribution to humanitarian response

General framework of General framework of Diaspora contribution? Diaspora contribution?

• The Five Cs of Diaspora Capital The Five Cs of Diaspora Capital Financial Capital - Financial Capital - remittances, supporting families, remittances, supporting families,

Entrepreneurship & private sector investment Entrepreneurship & private sector investment Intellectual Capital - Intellectual Capital - brain drain to brain gainbrain drain to brain gain

Political Capital - Political Capital - involvement in politics, building involvement in politics, building democratic institutions – financial and other contributionsdemocratic institutions – financial and other contributions

Cultural Capital - Cultural Capital - unique cultural values – blend with unique cultural values – blend with country of origin and current country of residence. Brand country of origin and current country of residence. Brand ambassadors ambassadors

Social Capital - Social Capital -

How does the traditional How does the traditional humanitarian system humanitarian system

work?work?

Traditional & Traditional & Contemporary Contemporary

humanitarian system/shumanitarian system/s

DiasporaDiaspora humanitarian humanitarian systemsystem

Humanitarian Role by Humanitarian Role by the Diaspora: Sierra the Diaspora: Sierra Leone’s ContextLeone’s Context

During ebola outbreakPre-ebola outbreak

How are these How are these organisations responding organisations responding to the Ebola crisis? to the Ebola crisis? Lunchbox Gift Lunchbox Gift • serving nutritious, meals to patient serving nutritious, meals to patient

and staff at Ebola treatment and staff at Ebola treatment centres, always striving to centres, always striving to preserve their dignitypreserve their dignity

• During lockdown in September During lockdown in September 2014, 2014, 2,6002,600 hot meals served to hot meals served to vulnerable communities in vulnerable communities in FreetownFreetown

• Increased to Increased to 50,00050,000 hot meals to hot meals to patients and frontline healthcare patients and frontline healthcare workers. Isolation of Ebola patients workers. Isolation of Ebola patients means that their families cannot means that their families cannot get food to them in the usual wayget food to them in the usual way

How are these How are these organisations responding organisations responding to the Ebola crisis? to the Ebola crisis? SLUK Diaspora SLUK Diaspora

Ebola Response Ebola Response Taskforce:Taskforce:

• Strategic partner of Diaspora Strategic partner of Diaspora organisations and bringing organisations and bringing together organisations with together organisations with shared aimsshared aims

• Recruitment and training of Recruitment and training of healthcare volunteershealthcare volunteers

• Shipment of essential medical Shipment of essential medical supplies and equipmentsupplies and equipment

US-UK Diaspora Pioneering US-UK Diaspora Pioneering CollaborationCollaboration

National Organisation of Sierra National Organisation of Sierra Leoneans in North America Leoneans in North America

and and

Sierra Leone UK Diaspora Ebola Sierra Leone UK Diaspora Ebola Response Taskforce Response Taskforce

airlift US$85,000 worth of medical supplies for emergency Ebola response effort

What are the major What are the major challenges Diaspora challenges Diaspora communities face?communities face?

• Recognition -Recognition - as most are small groups or as most are small groups or individual efforts and often informal individual efforts and often informal

• Co-ordinationCo-ordination - absence of a body or - absence of a body or organisation to coordinate effortsorganisation to coordinate efforts

• Funding & Resources Funding & Resources - most of them often - most of them often compete for limited funding etccompete for limited funding etc

Major humanitarian Major humanitarian challenges and driverschallenges and drivers

• Climate change and environmental Climate change and environmental degradationdegradation

• Global population growth Global population growth

• Global inequalities and poverty risingGlobal inequalities and poverty rising

• Violence, conflicts & terrorism Violence, conflicts & terrorism

• Unprecedented technological change Unprecedented technological change & cybercrime& cybercrime

What are the major What are the major problems of the problems of the

humanitarian system? humanitarian system? Conventional humanitarian assistance is faced with three fundamental problems:

What are the potential What are the potential opportunities for opportunities for

engaging with diaspora engaging with diaspora communities?communities?

• First responders to a crisisFirst responders to a crisis* *

• Skilled with unique local and cultural knowledge Skilled with unique local and cultural knowledge

• Direct Access to needs of affected population Direct Access to needs of affected population (through advance technology – mobile, social (through advance technology – mobile, social media), thereby improving flow of informationmedia), thereby improving flow of information

• Direct intervention where they are needed most Direct intervention where they are needed most – including hard-to-reach areas– including hard-to-reach areas

• Provide skilled volunteers for humanitarian Provide skilled volunteers for humanitarian actionaction

AFFORD’s Diaspora AFFORD’s Diaspora Emergency Aid & Emergency Aid &

CoordinationCoordination

What we do know and don’t know so What we do know and don’t know so far? far?

• Aimed at improving operational and Aimed at improving operational and strategic communication and coordination strategic communication and coordination between diaspora communities and between diaspora communities and conventional humanitarian actors.conventional humanitarian actors.

ConclusionConclusion

Improving strategic partnership and coordination Improving strategic partnership and coordination between diaspora communities and conventional between diaspora communities and conventional humanitarian actors is not just an option. humanitarian actors is not just an option.

It is absolutely necessary to improve humanitarian It is absolutely necessary to improve humanitarian response preparedness and coordination response preparedness and coordination

THANK YOUTHANK YOU