Diaspora Networks at Work in SADC
Prof Jonathan Crush, Director, Southern African Research Centre, Queen’s University and Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town
Presentation to Conference on “Africa’s New Frontier: Innovation, Technology, Prosperity” Ottawa, 4 February 2010
Outline of Presentation
1. Diaspora Networking 2. Dimensions of African Diaspora in
Canada 3. Building Canadian-African
Knowledge Networks 4. Conclusions
1. Diaspora Networks
Diasporas are defined less by what they are than by what they do and, in principle, “what they do” consists of building networks over national borders (UNESCO 2009).
1. Diaspora Networking
Diaspora networks and associations of migrants have come to stand at the centre of the optimistic visions ofnational and international economic development policy (Faist 2008)
African global networks provide one social institution that “translates the experience of increased global integration into a language that makes some sense to a wide range of
Africans living in a diffuse set of locations” (UNESCO)
Diaspora networks are the latest “bridge institutions” connecting developing economy insiders to outsiders in command of knowledge, technical know-how and investment capital (World Bank)
Some Forms of Diaspora Networking
Migrants are using IT – email, forums, blogs, websites, social networking – to get and stay connected with their countries of origin. However, forging a network and consolidating its capacity for collective action over time requires more than just being connected (UNESCO).
Creation of global networks by African countries to “reach out” to diasporas for development (e.g. South African Network of Skills Abroad (SANSA).
Creation of networks within diaspora to work for development in Africa (e.g. Global South Africans – a network of the “1000 best minds”)
National networks (country-country e.g. GhanaWeb) or country-continent (e.g. ADAC)
Business associations e.g. Canada-South Africa Chamber of Business Social networking groups e.g. Facebook Groups (South-Africans in Canada,
Mauritians in Canada, Zambians in Canada etc), LinkedIn (e.g. Canada-South Africa Fellowship)
Knowledge networks – partnerships between Canadian diaspora and African organizations and networks
2. Dimensions of African Diaspora in Canada
Some studies of particular country diasporas (e.g. Canada-Ethiopia (AHEAD), Canada-Ghana)
Need for larger picture and profile of the African diaspora in Canada as a whole. Numbers are significant and growing.
North Africa91,99429%
Southern Africa88,82029%
East and Central Africa85,12228%
West Africa41,54914%
African ‘Migrant Stock’ in Canada: 307,000
Top 12 source countries make up 75% of African migrant stock in Canada
South
Africa
Egypt
Mor
occo
Algeria
Kenya
Somali
a
Tanza
nia
Ghana
Ethiop
ia
Ugand
a
Nigeria
DRC0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Top 12 African Source Countries to Canada
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
4000037681
19960
102016720
41862501 2380 1950 1035 911 430 305 200 195 165
SADC Migration to Canada
Migrant stock (first generation): 88,000. Large number of professionals, highly skilled.
Study in Progress of SADC Diaspora by SAMP (Southern African Migration Program) – Canadian-African research and policy network – funded by IRC
Aims of Study
Generate a Profile of the SADC diaspora in Canada
Degree and types of engagement of members of the diaspora with Africa (e.g. remitting and investment behaviour, skills and knowledge transfer)
Identification of enhanced opportunities for government-diaspora partnerships in promoting African development
Activities Census and immigration data to build socio-economic and
demographic profile
Data base of diaspora organizations and activities (international – ADAC; bilateral – AHEAD; community – ‘Help Lesotho’, ‘c4L’, ‘Women for women’)
Data base of diaspora social networking groups (e.g. web groups, Facebook groups, Linked In groups)
Survey of individual diaspora members – profile, migration experience, linkages, participation in diaspora organizations/activities, remitting behaviour, likelihood of return (http://www.queensu.ca/samp)
Accessing the Diaspora Through Social Media
09/04
/2009
09/24
/09
10/14
/09
11/03
/2009
11/24
/09
12/15
/09
01/06
/2010
01/18
/2010
01/27
/2010
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Respondents Over Time
3. Building Canadian-African Knowledge Networks
Institutional networking as means of enhancing the role of the diaspora in development
Diaspora academics in Canadian universities forging institutional networks with African universities, NGOs, governments
African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN)
CANADA -
QUEENS (LEAD)RYERSONCALGARYGUELPH
UWO
CIDAPARTNERSHIP
BRANCH
POLICY
Municipal Development Partnership (MDPESA)South African Cities Network (SACN)
COMMUNITY
Care Southern AfricaFood and Trees for AfricaIdasaABC Ulwazi
SOUTH AFRICA – Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN (LEAD)WITS UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU NATAL
BOTSWANA – GaboroneUNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA
LESOTHO – MaseruNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO
MALAWI – BlantyreUNIVERSITY OF MALAWI
MOZAMBIQUE – MaputoEDUARDO MONDLANE UNIVERSITY
NAMIBIA – WindhoekUNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA
SWAZILAND – ManziniUNIVERSITY OF SWAZILAND
ZAMBIA - LusakaUNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
ZIMBABWE - HarareUNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
TRAINING / RESEARCH
AFSUN Aims & Objectives Establishing partnerships between Canada and Africa and between
different African countries to promote a comparative perspective on urban food security and a coordinated regional response;
Building individual and organizational capacity within African institutions to respond to the challenges of urban food insecurity;
Providing policy advice and facilitating policy dialogue between researchers and policy-makers at the international, regional, national and municipal levels;
Equipping municipal officials in African cities with the tools to understand and respond to the policy challenges of urban food security in their cities;
Capacitating community change agents to design, implement, monitor and evaluate projects and programmes that will enhance the food security of urban populations
• http://www.afsun.org
Conclusions Knowledge about African diaspora networks within
Canada and connecting Canada to Africa is limited
Diaspora networks are a potentially strong actor in development and governments need to engage with and support these networks and their activities
The potential of social media networking as a development “agent” need further exploration
Diaspora knowledge networks and network partnerships have great potential for supporting development initiatives in Africa