A presentation at the African Union on African Youth Diaspora for the Strategy Review Workshop on African Union Youth Volunteerism Corp

1. Diaspora Interventions
by
Rosannwo Babatunde
Global African Dialogue
at
Strategy Review Workshop
African Union Youth Volunteerism
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
March 18-20, 2009

2. INTRODUCTION
• Volunteering has not only become an
important issue in the Western world; it is also
receiving much more attention in many other
countries across the globe. In many
ways, volunteering enjoys greater political and
cultural recognition today than it did in past
decades, that is, it is beginning to attract
awards from various communities and
institutions.

3. VOLUNTEER EFFORTS BY THE
DIASPORA
• African Union (AU) considers the African Diaspora as
consisting of “peoples of African origin living outside
the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and
nationality and who are willing to contribute to the
development of the continent and the building of the
African Union.” The term as used in this study refers to
what might be called the “new” Diaspora, i.e., Africans
who migrated out of the continent over the past few
decades either in search of better opportunities or as
asylum-seekers, as well as those who, after studies in
the West, elected to remain in the host country.

4. BRAIN DRAIN VS BRAIN RETAIN
• Reasons behind the African brain drain are
many, including push factors such as low
wages, unsatisfactory living and working
conditions, as well as social and political
instability. A higher income and standard of
living, better career opportunities and
prospects for professional development, and
political stability are some of the pull factors
that attract skilled Africans to more developed
countries.

5. AFRICAN DIASPORA YOUTH
• The exodus of African potentials to
industrialized nations is not a new
phenomenon as Africa possesses some of the
world’s most creative people. There are many
African Youths who were born and raised in
the Diaspora, these young people hardly have
any links to their parents and do not feel like
part of either the US, Europe or Canada as
the case maybe.

6. The African Youth in the Diaspora is substantial
and may be classified into 4 groups namely
• Youth students
• Completed students not returning
• Recent immigrants other than students
• African youth born outside the
continent(children of the Diaspora)

7. Why focus on Africa
Youth in the Diaspora:
• Is a Key Strategist asset in building Africa’s
capacity
• Is a social, financial, intelligent and political
capital
• Is Africa’s biggest Aid Donor [Remittance]
• Shares common vision and commitment for
Africa’s development
• Transfer its skills and resources

8. While abroad the youth in the Diaspora
• Acquire new skills and experience
• Maintains backward linkage to home country
through remittances and Skill and knowledge
transfer
• Stimulate trades between country of origin
and host

9. Challenges
• Social Exclusion/ Discrimination Abroad
• Discrepancy in allowances and wage
differentials
• Different cross cultural values/perception and
Adaptation
• Perceived threats by peers

10. SUMMARY
• “The Diaspora offers an exceptional synergy:
the problem-solving perspective that comes
with distance and the intense commitment
that comes with a sense of deep closeness and
belonging. Oh yes, it also includes a lot of men
and women with world-class competence in
their respective fields.”
Noah Samara, Diaspora Ethiopian
CEO of WorldSpace Satellite Radio