BBVA Bancomer Foundation will hold the 4th edition of the Civil Society Days (CSD) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on November 8th and 9th 2010 within the framework of the Global Forum on Migration and Development 2010 (GFMD). These two events will take place successively: the first one with representatives of the Civil Society and the second one with representatives of the State Members of the United Nations. The GFMD 2010 will be organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Migration Institute of Mexico on November 10th and 11th, 2010.

Comparing Data and Practical Application

The seminar will examine conceptual, definitional and analytical issues, including the uses and purposes of statistical data and the evolving EU framework on data collection. It will also provide data needs from a comparative approach, available international and European statistical data sources, as well as practical training in relation to using such tools. Different case studies on data collection for regular and irregular migration and human rights will be discussed. The seminar will be based on a mixture of presentations, case studies and practice sessions. It will stimulate active participation and the sharing of experiences on data needs and application of databases.

The International Metropolis Project (www.metropolis.net) is a forum for bridging research, policy and practice on migration and diversity. The Project aims to enhance academic research capacity, encourage policy-relevant research on migration and diversity issues, and facilitate the use of that research by governments and non-governmental organizations. In the decade since its inception, the project has grown to include researchers, policy-makers, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from across North America and Europe as well as a growing presence in Africa, Latin America and much of the Asia-Pacific region. The project is perhaps best known for its international conferences, which are the largest annual gatherings of experts in the fields of migration and diversity. Each conference attracts between 800 and 1000 delegates for high-level plenary sessions, a comprehensive study tour program and more than 60 concurrent workshops. The conferences are an opportunity for delegates - both expert and novice – to discuss critical issues, identify research and policy gaps, compare international experiences and build the Metropolis network. The 15th International Metropolis Conference 2010 is organized by the Municipality of The Hague, The Netherlands.

“Inclusion has to come from inside – Building”

We have realized that African youth Diaspora living in Europe has an amazing potential that has not been recognized and used both by European and Africa society and it’s institutions. After having a first moment to analyze and reflect on the reality of the Africa youth Diaspora in Europe in the 1º Training Course for African Diaspora youth leaders living in Europe that took place from the 6th to the 12th of December 2009 in Lisbon – Portugal, we decided to take the step forward and create a space dedicated to the development of an official network that will enable us to represent the interest of African Diaspora youth living in Europe and at the same time to find ways and strategies to contribute to the development of Europe and Africa society. Therefore we decided to develop a seminar dedicated to the themes of inclusion and participation we where we expect to bring youth leaders, youth workers and other main actors working with and for African youth in Europe to discuss the role of an African Diaspora youth network in Europe and to address the present and future challenges that this network will face.

The African diaspora Policy Centre will launch its latest policy-oriented publication "Building Institutional Cooperation between the Diaspora and Homeland Governments in Africa: The Cases of Ghana, Nigeria, Germany, US and the UK"

information meeting for Somali Professionals

QUESTS-MIDA is a joint initiative between IOM and UNDP Somalia that supports the development of institutions of government by facilitating the transfer of skills, knowledge and experience from qualified Somali expatriates in the diaspora through short-term, capacity-building assignments in key public institutions in Somalia. The meeting will serve to provide in-depth information about QUESTS-MIDA, as well as to discuss questions and receive feedback from participants.

Promoting Trade and Investment - Mobilising Diaspora Capacities and Resources.

The aim of the conference is to increase trade and investment flows into Africa and to encourage a transcontinental exchange of knowledge and expertise.The conference will have as a specific objective, fostering business to business linkages, and in particular encouraging technology transfer, joint ventures, manufacturing contracts, franchising, sub-contracts, financial investments, equipment provision and inter-regional trade. It will seek to leverage the capacities and resources of the African Diaspora based in Europe, and those that have returned to their countries of origin in the recent past. Many within the Africa Diaspora are already engaged in business and can play an important role in brokering partnerships on both the European and African sidesA central plank of the of the conference will be to create an environment that facilitates memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and Joint ventures (JVs) between the selected African and European companies

Dovelyn Agunias, the Policy Analyst at Migration Policy Institute (MPI) talks about "The Future of Diaspora Policy: Building Government Capacity for Diaspora Engagement". Venue: IOM Headquarters in Geneva Time: 4:00 pm

“Waar staan we? Waar gaan we naartoe?”

'On 30 June 2010 the Democratic Republic of Congo will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Congo's independence. Congo Nederland Netwerk, an umbrella organisation of Congolese development organisations, is organizing different activities to celebrate this historical moment. Some of the activities that are going to take place are: Debates about the Millennium development goals in DR Congo presentations about the history of Congo, showcasing of best practices in Congo, Congolese music Photo exposition in the Embassy Workshops For more information:

The Hague African Festival is organised by Sankofa Foundation (an African Diaspora Organisation). The festival offers a colourful and inviting window on the Africa of today, with a focus on the richness of the African cultural heritage and contemporary developments within African cultures. Particular energy has been devoted to putting together a representative programme of African music that reflects both tradition and contemporary dance music.

Destruction in the Niger Delta

Refused for being too political at other major international film festivals, this will be one of the most explosive European premieres we have to offer. Sweet Crude tells the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. A region that generates billions of dollars in crude oil but where the residents pay a high price... Environmental damage and abject poverty in the area are widespread. The issues are complex, the answers elusive. But right now, there’s an opportunity to find solutions. What if the world paid attention before it was too late? A moving portrayal of the people most badly affected by oil exploration in the region.

Building Institutional Cooperation between the Diaspora and Homeland Governments in Africa

The African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC) and the Mac Arthur Foundation in Nigeria are jointly organising a policy seminar on how to foster the development of effective, formal and sustainable institutional cooperation between diaspora and homeland governments. The purpose of the meeting is to launch the latest publication by ADPC entitled: ‘Building Institutional Cooperation between the Diaspora and Homeland Governments in Africa – The Cases of Ghana, Nigeria, Germany, USA and the UK’. The publication presents key drivers that can help to advance institutional cooperation between African diaspora and their homeland governments. The seminar provides new insights into effective policies and best practices geared towards the establishment of formal linkages with African diasporas overseas for the development of their homeland countries across the continent. The policy seminar will be held in Abuja (Nigeria) on 26 and 27 May 2010.

Slums: Poverty and Opportunity

The I4D network (Innovation for Development) stimulates reflection and practical cooperation on the role of technology and innovation in the global South. It tries to establish regular contact between the technological innovation community (universities, business) and the development community (NGOs, ministries). Development in the Global South is impossible without modern technology. Healthy drinking water, good sanitary facilities, access to clean forms of energy, communication etc. depend on the use of technology. Through the introduction of modern technology, living conditions can improve, capacities can rise and productivity can grow. The I4D symposium offers students, academics, consultants, NGO representatives and policy-makers an arena to share knowledge and discuss innovations and technologies that can improve the quality of life in slums.

Afrika Dag 2010

This workshop will help articulate the diaspora perspective on three key points of the report’s policy recommendations. It will discuss the policy instruments needed to tap more into the considerable development potential of diaspora communities for the development of their countries of origin. It will also address the methods by which the business community in general and diaspora entrepreneurs in particular can be mobilized to play an active role in the development field. Finally, the workshop will deliberate the merits of the report’s proposal that future aid should go beyond poverty reduction and be oriented towards economic growth, wealth creation and self-sufficiency. Tickets & info: www.afrikadag.nl

Call for Participants

Encouraged by the successful experience of the first training Course, held in Almada, in December 2009, the North- South Centre will be organising a second training for the Youth Leaders of the African Diaspora Living in Europe. The Course will be held in Cape Verde, in the framework of the 2nd African University in Youth and Development. This will be a new opportunity to carry out a capacity building programme for the Diasporas living in Europe but to do it in Africa, and in a wider context where that can exchange with other youth leaders from Africa and from Europe, by sharing the same space of the AYUD. The training course will be a residential programme of 6 days, and will be held in Cape Verde, from the 4th (arrival day) to the 12th (departure day). The pedagogical team of the course will be composed of experienced trainers in Euro-African cooperation and will include trainers of the African Diaspora living in Europe and from Africa. This Training Course is an opportunity given to youth leaders from the African Diaspora to share, better understand and integrate the objectives settled at the international level and better contribute to their achievement. Deadline for Applications 9th of April 2010.

The Film: Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration. Debate: Three inspiring women from Ghana, who are all involved in the successful Sankofa Family Poultry Project in Ghana are invited to come to Holland to exchange their knowledge, experience and methods. Their training skills vary from making sensitive subjects discussable to empowering women, and from stimulating group processes to mobilizing African women. Following the movie 3 Ghanaian trainers will debate with the audience. Due to the limited seats available registration is compulsory. Please send a mail to info@sankofa.nl to register.

A Multinational Conference on Migration and Migration Policy

Internal and transnational migration is a policy issue of fast-growing political, economic, social and diplomatic importance in the twenty-first century. This conference will look at international migration from an academic and policy perspective as well as views from different continents and from a range of disciplines. To explore these and related topics, the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy in collaboration with the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) will hold a conference in Maastricht, from February 18, 2010 through February 20, 2010.

Experimental Approaches to Political and Legal Anthropology in Africa.

Thisworkshop queries whether new approaches to political and legal anthropology in Africa are possible in light of concepts and ideas developed from Melanesia. The focus is restricted to these domains because they appear most affected by the new developments in Africanist anthropology, and seem most vulnerable to the presuppositions called into question by recent Melanesianist anthropology. The notion of ‘Afrinesia’ thus aims to contrive a conversation between far‐flung peoples and places, in order to investigate similarities and differences between Africa and Melanesia, and explore novel approaches to legal and political anthropology.

The African Diaspora Policy Centre and the NCDO are organising a discussion evening about the role of the African disapora youth in the development of Africa. The aim of the event is to highlight the added value of the active involvement of the African diaspora youth in the development of their respective countries of origin. The participants will be provided specific guidelines on the various ways in which they can initiate and implement project. To register send an email to ayaan@diaspoea-centre.org

Technical Meeting

The seminar is the third phase of a programme initiated by the ADPC to further strengthen the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership programme by mobilising the considerable potential (capital, knowledge and networks) of the huge African diaspora in Europe to play a valuable bridge-building role in the process. The active mobilisation of the diaspora is critical as the diaspora are now in a better position to contribute to the overall development of Africa. More importantly, the African diaspora in Europe occupy a vital strategic position that links Europe with Africa in a more connected manner. This position enables the diaspora to build up valuable bridges between two cultures and societies as well as the space to mediate the transfer of values and skills between the two continents. The programme began this past summer with a consultation meeting between the leaders of select diaspora organisations on July 9, 2009 and continued with the second-phase policy seminar in Brussels on October 1-2, 2009. These efforts are the foundation for a much larger three-year program beginning in 2010 intended to foster greater engagement of the diaspora in the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership. Place: UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Conference Centre Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Enhancing Human Dignity: The Role of NGOs

Leaders of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from throughout the world join together at the World Congress of NGOs to discuss issues of pressing importance for the Third Sector. Known often as charities, nonprofits, and civil society organizations, NGOs assume a key role in tackling serious challenges confronting humanity and the world. Prominent international and national leaders from the intergovernmental, governmental, and for-profit sectors, who share an interest in helping NGOs accomplish their vital tasks, will also be participating in the Congress. Professional and practical training experts will provide invaluable information and useful tools to help the NGOs become more effective in carrying out their missions.

Presentation of the MANIFESTO for Human Rights

To mark the occasion of the International Human Rights Day 2009, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), in partnership with UNPO – Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, and the European Network FLARE Freedom Legality and Rights in Europe, is organising a two days initiative focusing on the position of migrant and diaspora organisations in the human rights field. The initiative is part of De Brug - Migranten voor Mensenrechten - a programme for networking among migrant and diaspora organisations in the Netherlands, who are aiming to promote and protect human rights in their countries of origin. More than 30 organisations from different countries are already willing to work on the preparations of the Manifesto, which will be held at a workshop on the 9th December 2009 at the Kivi Niria, Prinsessegracht 23, The Hague between 10.30. till 16.30. The MANIFESTO will be presented to the Dutch Parliament during a special meeting, and made public on 10th December during a cultural night at the Auditorium of the Hogeschool In Holland, Theresiastraat 8, The Hague, between 18.00 and 21.00. To register please send an email to 10december@ghrd.org

How much hope will the world championships of 2010 bring to the African continent?

Sport has the power to change the world. Sport gives hope to places where there was only room for despair, according to Nelson Mandela. How much have the Olympic Games changed China and how much hope will the world championships of 2010 bring to the African continent? What will be the impact of this giant sports event? What interests are at stake during it? And how will the image of the world championships develop? The documentary Trade Mark 2010 (VPRO Tegenlicht) will be presented in its pre-première. There will be a discussion with the South African ambassador Peter Goossen. The book The Dream of South Africa. Behind the scenes of the World Championships in 2010 (De Droom van Zuid-Afrika. Achter de schermen bij het WK2010) by the journalists Hoekstra and Milikowski (Carrera Publishers) will be presented. Simon Kuper (journalist Financial Times, Hard Gras and writer) will then talk with representatives of the Dutch government, Eduard Nazarski (Amnesty International), Professor Chris Elbers (Desmond Tutu Chair, VU University Amsterdam), Frank van Eekeren (Utrecht University) and Willem Vissers (Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant).

Integrating Migration Policies Into Development Strategies For The Benefit Of All

The theme of this year's Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is "Integrating Migration Policies Into Development Strategies For The Benefit Of All". The GFMD will feature three Roundtables: Roundtable 1: How to make the migration-development nexus work for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Roundtable 2: Migrant integration, reintegration and circulation for development. Roundtable 3: Policy and Institutional Coherence Partnerships.

The European Development Days bring some 4 000 people and 1 500 organisations from the development community together on an equal footing. Delegates from 125 countries are represented, including heads of state and leading world figures, Nobel prizewinners among them. The event aims to make development aid more effective, to build a global coalition against poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Through frank and sometimes controversial debates on pressing issues, such as governance, poverty and environmental sustainability, the European Development Days provide unprecedented opportunities for sharing ideas and launching innovative partnerships.

The Global Forum on Remittances 2009 is the third in a series of groundbreaking conferences dedicated to highlighting the importance of international migration and the vital flow of remittances that result. The conference is part of a series of events devoted to the creation of worldwide synergies among government, civil society and the private sector stakeholders that are key to maximizing the development impact of migration. The importance of this process is further highlighted by the Group of Eight’s explicit call on reducing the cost of remittances by 50 per cent over the next five years.

Participation of Diaspora in the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership

On 1-2 October 2009, the African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC) will host a policy seminar, co-organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The seminar is the second phase of a programme initiated by the ADPC to further strengthen the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership programme by mobilising the considerable potential (capital, knowledge and networks) of the huge African diaspora in Europe to play a valuable bridge-building role in the process. The active mobilisation of the diaspora is critical as the diaspora are now in a better position to contribute to the overall development of Africa. More importantly, the African diaspora in Europe occupy a vital strategic position that links Europe with Africa in a more connected manner. This position enables the diaspora to build up valuable bridges between two cultures and societies as well as the space to mediate the transfer of values and skills between the two continents.

On 23 September 2009, Africans living in the Netherlands tell their inspiring and successful stories. Their efforts vary from building a school to empowering women, and from stimulating entrepreneurship to changing mindsets. What sets these Africans apart isn’t only a steadfast commitment to peace and development, but also the fact that they are experts by experience. To register please send an email to sarah@diaspora-centre.org by 16 September 2009.

The Diaspora Forum for Development (DFD), in cooperation with Oxfam Novib, will be organising a pre-consultation in preparation for the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Athens, Greece, which will be held from 2-3 November 2009. For more information please email Doris Alfafara on desalfa@yahoo.co.uk.

The World Bank International Migration and Development Program and the French Development Agency (AFD) are jointly organizing an international conference on “Migration and Development”. The conference is devoted to investigating channels through which international migration affects the growth performance and development prospects of source countries. Possible topics include brain drain, remittances, network and diaspora effects, return migration, the trade-migration relationship, and the impact of emigration on poverty, investment, education and institutions. A selection of papers from the conference will be considered for publication in a special symposium issue of the World Bank Economic Review.

The Hague African Festival is organised by the Ghanaian diaspora organisation Sankofa. The festival focuses on the wealth of African cultural heritage and modern day developments in African culture.

The Migration and Remittances team of the Development Economics and Prospects Group (DEPG) of the World Bank is organizing an International Conference on Diaspora and Development on July 13-14, 2009 in Washington D.C. The diaspora of developing countries can be a potent force for development for their countries of origin, through remittances, but more importantly, through the promotion of trade, investments, knowledge and technology transfers. The conference aims to consolidate research and evidence on these issues with a view to formulating policies in both sending and receiving countries.

On 9 July 2009, the African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC), with the support of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will host a Consultation Meeting on the Participation of the diaspora in the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership. Gibril Faal, Board Director of the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD), Fantu Cheru, Research Director at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), Awil Mohamoud, Director of the ADPC and George Duncan, Chairman of Sankofa Foundation, are among the participants of the Consultation Meeting.

Interaction between DIASPEACE researchers and diaspora organisations

DIASPEACE is a multi-disciplinary research project that seeks to generate evidence-based and policy-relevant knowledge about the ways in which diasporas play into the dynamics of conflict and peace in their countries of origin. ADPC is organising a one day seminar in Amsterdam to bring together all the Horn of Africa diaspora organisations selected for the DIAPSEACE project interviews. This is to allow diaspora organisations to benefit from the preliminary findings of the research programme. The meeting is to be attended by a representative of each consortium member and some invited stakeholders in the Netherlands (NGOs, agencies and institutions) that are engaged with diaspora on peace building and community development in the countries of origin.

This year’s activities kick-off on Friday the 3rd of July with the ‘Living Colours’ fashion show, at 1e van de Kunstraat 292, 2nd floor and the Festival on Saturday, July 4th 2009 at the Oranjeplein. For more information, please contact the following numbers; Miss Akua Konadu : 0620479349 Ernest Amankwah : 06 26094018 Mr. V. Gambrah : 06 18126917

Julidans, the international dance festival in Amsterdam, is in its nineteenth edition and will be held from 1 to 11 July. For two whole weeks, the Leidseplein square will be the centre of contemporary dance. In this press release we want to inform you about the special attention for modern African dance. This year productions from South Africa, Burkina Faso, Togo and Urban Dance.

Although migrants and their organisations have contributed to development in the areas of origin already for a very long period, it is only recently that this role is widely acknowledged. Governments attempt to integrate the voice of migrant organisations in development policies and migrant organisations have become an important target group for co-development programs in for example France, Spain and the Netherlands. Thus far, much of the discussion the migrant organizations and development takes place at the policy level: how can policies support the potential role of migrant organisations? Among academics, attention for migrant organisations and their link with development is increasing, however, still fragmented. Also, the focus of many studies is on the USA-Latin America nexus. To register for this seminar, please send an email to Gery Nijenhuis (g.nijenhuis@geo.uu.nl) before May 11 with a short abstract of your presentation (approx. 100 words).

This conference addresses the causes and the background for migratory movements in the Mediterranean and takes issue with the prevalent human rights violations of the border management of the European Union as well as the North African states. It seeks to increase the awareness for the political connections between migration, border protection, human rights and development, with the aim to make relevant recommendations for a coherent approach of the EU's migration policies.

2009: it is now 15 years since the Rwandan genocide, 30 years since the end of the mass killing in Cambodia and 10 years since the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. For that reason three distinguished guest speakers will come together in Amsterdam to discuss the lessons the international community has learned on ways to prevent such human disasters from taking place in, amongst other places, the African Great Lakes region, as well as how to respond to mass atrocities in that region and elsewhere. These individuals have either lived through some of these horrors or have contributed significantly to the rebuilding of the devastated states and nations and helped the affected peoples regain their dignity.

Voice of sub-Saharan African Women is organising this event with the motto "Unity In Diversity: Be Aware - Be Tolerant - Feel Free - Feel Liberated". The aim is to bring together youth of diverse cultural backgrounds to exchange experiences and to gain more knowledge about one another.

ADPC is organising a diaspora research expert meeting as part of the preparations for its research project on Building Institutional Cooperation between Diaspora and Homeland Governments in Africa. The objectives of the meeting are: - To provide a platform for the diaspora researchers in which they can exchange knowledge and experience in the field, establish transnational contacts and enter into joint research collaborations; - To strength the participation of the diaspora researchers in the production of knowledge in the field of migration & development and better governance; - To stimulate the inclusion of the diaspora voices and visions in policy deliberations in the form of publications, public debates and expert meetings;

This will be the first time that 50 African diaspora organizations from 10 EU countries will come together to interact, network, dialogue, share and exchange information, new insights, specific experiences and best practices on diverse issues in the migration and development field. The African Diaspora Policy Centre is coordinating the initiative of this EU-wide coalition of African diaspora organizations in Europe. [file]Final_programme_fo.pdf[/file][filename]Download Program[/filename]

This meeting will bring together 20 key figures and opinion leaders among the African diaspora and policy makers both in the Netherlands and in other countries in Europe, with the purpose of identifying and deliberating priority issues that will be discussed in the policy dialogue seminar in June 2008. This pre-consulation meeting is in collaboration with Oxfam Novib.

ADPC is organizing a policy seminar on Diasporas and Policy Dialogue. The aim of the policy seminar is to facilitate an open policy dialogue in which migrant opinion leaders can share and exchange information, new insights, experiences and best practices with other stakeholders such as policy makers, development practitioners, academic researchers, civil society organisations and the private sector on diverse issues in the migration and development field.