Europe-wide Diaspora Platform for Development launched!

A platform representing Diaspora organizations working on international development issues was today created at the end of a three-day meeting of diaspora organizations drawn from 13 countries in Europe. The conference held at the Kontakt der Kontinenten in Soesterberg, The Netherlands resolved that the Europe-wide Diaspora Platform for Development be formed to coordinate international development efforts of migrants in Europe.

While the role of Diasporas and diaspora associations in the development of countries of origin has steadily gained recognition both in their host countries and countries of origin, there has not been a concurrent development of institutional and structural support to meet the aspirations of various local- level and national initiatives across Europe.

The Europe-wide Diaspora Platform for Development ( EDPD) has therefore been set up to meet these gaps in the areas of policy engagement at the European level, information exchange and networking among diaspora organizations in Europe and synergizing engagement with countries of origin.

The Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD) based in The Hague, The Netherlands will serve as the interim secretariat for the new Europe-wide Platform. An international working group set up at the conference will spearhead the formation of the Platform which will be formalized at a general assembly planned in November 2011.

The communiqué adopted at the conference setting up the Platform is attached. For more information and press inquiries, please contact Santo Lewis Deng, s.deng@d-f-d.org, Tel. +31(0)641905900 or Doris Alfafara, d.alfafara@cosutrecht.nl, Tel.+31(0)636033553.