SADC member states are finding ways to effectively harness the potential of their diaspora communities.
These were some of the reasons behind the Regional Capacity Development Workshop on Diaspora Engagement, which ended in Windhoek.
Even though the diaspora plays a significant role in the development of the SADC region, governments and other stakeholders still need to put in place policies and programmes that facilitate the contributions diaspora members make to their communities.
The just-ended three-day workshop was therefore aimed at better strengthening the mechanisms for proactive engagement with the diaspora.
The Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations, Penda Naanda, says the capacity-building workshop was necessary for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders.
"Our diaspora is among our key partners for national development and are our natural ambassadors abroad. We should therefore prioritise engaging them for mutual benefit. Our diaspora also needs our respective governments and national entities to be more responsive to their needs and interests. Let us, therefore, find ways to continue strengthening linkages with our diaspora and enhance our communication and outreach programmes."
Naanda told the delegates to impress upon their governments the need to prioritise the implementation of the Maputo Declaration.
"The expected outcomes of the workshop have been attained or even exceeded, being to increase awareness of the continental and regional frameworks for engagement and their relevance to and applicability to the SADC region, and to strengthen the capacity of the participants to engage the diaspora and approaches to mapping our diaspora. I believe that the workshop empowered all delegations with the tools and skills necessary to develop and/or improve our respective national policies to improve our engagements with our respective diaspora communities. Moreover, it is my hope that with the tools and skills acquired during this workshop, we have moved a step closer to developing our regional diaspora policy framework in line with the Maputo Diaspora Declaration."