About Diaspora Forum for Development - Netherland
Diaspora Forum for Development - Netherland Diaspora Forum for Development - Netherland Who we are
Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) is a Diaspora-led platform of networks and organisations from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe.
DFD was formally registered as a foundation in the city of The Hague, The Netherlands on October 2007. DFD envisions a just and humane society where migrants - both men and women - are equally empowered and visible and can exercise their fundamental human rights. DFD recognizes the unique transnational role of migrants as actors in development. It seeks to harness the capacities of migrants so that they can actively participate in social, economic, and political sphere and contribute to initiating viable interventions to improve the quality of life of migrants, their families and their wider communities.
Mission
Engage, stimulate and empower diasporas to be actively involved in the field of migration and development both in the Netherlands and in their countries of origin;
Encourage solidarity and collaboration among the diaspora organisations within and beyond the boundary of The Netherlands by promoting a broader unity around a shared platform and based on the spirit of complementarity in diversity;
Strengthen and enhance the social capital of diaspora organisations through capacity building and its mobilization for development;
Enhance endogenous skills and capacities of diaspora organisations and provide a platform to launch effective lobby and advocacy;
Engage in constructive dialogues with policy makers, development agencies, private sector, microfinance institutions, and other stakeholders and establish strategic partnerships that support gender-sensitive initiatives that contribute to the improved quality of life of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable sectors specifically in migrants’ countries of origin; andFacilitate capacity building activities for migrant organisations to enhance their skills and highlight their positive contributions to the development of their countries of origin.
Background
The Diaspora Forum for Development was established after an expert meeting on “Diaspora Organizations: Building Partnerships in Challenging Times†organized by Oxfam Novib in cooperation with African Diaspora Policy Centre. Twenty-one diaspora organizations were represented from Argentina, Sudan, Philippines, Somalia, Bolivia, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Ghana, Guinea, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, Turkey, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. The 21 participants unanimously decided to form the Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) to serve as a coordinating body of diaspora organizations active in migration and development. DFD outlined 4 urgent tasks of the platform namely:
Broadening of migrant constituencies,
Building strategic alliances of transnational networks both national and international,
Increasing the voice of diasporas in the policy making processes at all levels, and
stimulating active involvement of diasporas in the development of their countries of origin.
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