In 2024, SIDA collaborated with the Diaspora Group for Global Citizenship and Olanrewaju Popoola on a research project exploring how effectively diaspora communities are included in Scotland’s approach to global justice, and how their inclusion and leadership can be strengthened. The summary below outlines the key findings and recommendations.
Key recommendations are:
For government and civil society
1. Create spaces for engagement:
Set up open and accessible platforms where diaspora communities can take part in decision-making from the start.
2. Encourage participation:
Involve diaspora communities from the beginning of any process that affects them.
3. Increase transparency:
Make policy-making more open, accessible and inclusive so that diverse voices, especially from the diaspora, are heard.
4. Improve access to information:
Share information about policy consultations clearly and widely so diaspora communities can respond in time.
5. Recognise and compensate for contributions:
Acknowledge and compensate for the economic and intellectual value of diaspora communities.
For diaspora communities
1. Educate communities:
Diaspora leaders should help members understand how to engage effectively in policymaking and raise awareness about global justice and Scotland’s role in it.
2. Strengthen grassroots action:
Continue and expand efforts that build advocacy from community levels up to national policy spaces.
3. Lead from within:
Encourage diaspora groups to take ownership of their issues and lead the conversation about their experiences.
4. Partner with NGOs:
Work with established NGOs and organisations to gain better access to policymaking spaces.
5. Build global networks:
Connect with diaspora groups in other countries to promote global justice through shared international efforts.
6. Use social media:
Leverage social media as a low-cost way to raise awareness and advocate for change.
7. Share lived experiences:
Support individuals in bringing their personal experiences into policy and parliamentary discussions.
8. Secure funding:
Collaborate to find and secure funding for initiatives that strengthen diaspora involvement in policy advocacy.
If you would like to know more about how to be part of making this change, please be in touch at hannah@intdevalliance.scot