Diaspora Philanthropy for Institutional Development in Home Countries: Experience of Ireland Funds and its Relevance for Africa
Experience of Ireland Funds and its Relevance for Africa
Washington, DC, USA, March 18, 2009
Worldwide Ireland Funds is one of the most successful and visible experiences of diaspora mobilization with 70 million plus strong diaspora.
In the modern world, talent is the most precious of resources and it tends to move globally. Mobilization of diasporas for the benefits of country of origin has shown a tremendous potential, yet putting this promise into practice has proven to be elusive: diaspora initiatives are very easy to start but difficult to sustain. With 70 million plus strong diaspora, Worldwide Ireland Funds is one of the most successful and visible experiences of diaspora mobilization.
The presentation focused on the history of the organization, discuss what worked and what did not in the engagement with diaspora and outline its current shift in strategy. Particular attention was given to the role of Irish Funds in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland and work with on Iraq. After the presentation, a small panel discussed implications for Africa and other developing economies. Â
Presenter: Kingsley Aikins, President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds Discussants:Â Melvin P. Foote, President and CEO, Constituency for Africa Chair:Â Yevgeny Kuznetsov, WBIHD
In India the focus is on diaspora’s role in mundane yet strategic issues of public service delivery (including education, health, energy and transportation).
This study will document emergence of open migration chains -- sequences of educational or job opportunities which allows a migrant to move to progressively complex educational and job tasks necessary to work in the global environment.
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