[ad_1]
By Ayenachew Aseffa Woldegiyorgis 1
July 26, 1818
The current momentum of change in the Ethiopian political sphere is, to a large extent, the result of the contribution of the community of the Ethiopian diaspora around the world because it is the basis of the hope of greater participation. This is symbolically summarized in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's planned visit to the United States to meet and discuss with the diaspora, and his recent proposal for the Diaspora Trust Fund as a platform for pragmatic diaspora participation in social development. -economic of the country.
Abiy Abiy's appeal for a pledge of one dollar a day from the diaspora generated a euphoric response reflecting the level of desire of the diaspora to contribute to the ongoing change in the country , and widespread popular support for PM Although support for the initiative is strong in various media, and even as some have begun to post the receipt of their upload on social media, some issues and concerns also arise.
. Several people report difficulties in making a transfer to the account announced by the government, while the account is not yet functional to accept transfers. Some have even been asked to pay a commission to third parties to make the transfer.
On the other hand, discussions are also underway on the legal and institutional provisions of the Trust Fund, as well as the wider participation of the diaspora. Given that the initiative has just been launched, it may be too early to make a reasonable badysis of the legal and institutional provisions. However, this does not exclude, and should not, exclude the need for a dialogue on what would be the best way to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the initiative. , beyond the current busy climate. What will the governance of the Fund look like? How and by whom is the diaspora represented? To what extent and how would the diaspora control the use of the fund? What means of accountability must be established to avoid corruption and inefficiency? These are some of the issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. The timetable could be debated, but the need to give an institutional structure to the initiative is inevitably important; the good intentions of the public and the inspiration of the Prime Minister can only be inputs on which to capitalize.
To address these and other relevant issues, it is important to take a broader view of diaspora participation. . The participation (or engagement) of the diaspora is a vast field with a rich accumulation of experiences from around the world. One of the important lessons of the most successful cases of diaspora engagement is the effective use of community organizations. Community organizations grow naturally by focusing on a cause that people are enthusiastic about. As a result, they are more likely to be managed more effectively and to support the long-term commitment of dedicated volunteer members to the cause. Community-based organizations use informal networks and means of communication with cultural and social values as a glue to keep members together.
In recent decades, the Ethiopian diaspora has had a number of community organizations built around social, political, professional, and economic issues. religious, religious, cultural, etc. causes, which, in one way or another, have contributed to the development of the country and the improvement of the lives of the citizens left behind. Associations in the hometown are, for example, one of the most common and successful forms of diaspora engagement, in which the Ethiopian diaspora has shown a remarkable degree of participation, according to Chacko and Gebre (2017). There are enough examples of community organizations such as Tigray Development Association (originally established in the Diaspora and which maintains strong links), professional organizations such as the I & # 39; Ethiopian Association of North American Health Professionals, networks of common interest such as Ethiopian Scientific and Academic Network a large number of small communities of religious, political and human rights initiatives that have maintained good services in the country. Creating more space and facilitating better working conditions for these organizations, along with general initiatives such as the Trust Fund for the Diaspora, will be on the agenda.
It can be argued that small community organizations and initiatives of common interest are the indispensable means for the success of the Trust Fund's major initiative. Why?
Smaller initiatives often have a clear target around which like-minded individuals organize themselves with commitment. Most of their goals are related to the development of the social or economic life of a part of society. As such, they contribute to the development goal of the big initiative.
The Ethiopian diaspora, as Ethiopia itself, is diverse ethnically, religiously and politically. Forging this diversity into a big initiative has its own challenges. The challenge in the diversity of opinions is evident in the multitude of disagreements reported over the past two weeks regarding the preparation of Prime Minister Abiy's visit to the United States. It should be noted that there is no difference of fundamental interest – which allows the prime minister to have a fruitful discussion with the diaspora – but rather to have a good time. a difference of opinion on how to proceed. The challenge is often compounded when the primary responsibility for coordination rests with the government, as it provides a platform for breaking down decades of political tension. On the contrary, organically advanced initiatives can manage differences, if not reach consensus, much easier through the participation of its institutions and the agency of its leaders – an example: the recent multifaceted campaign to save Lake Tana . In addition, by having a clearly defined goal and target area (both in terms of geographic coverage and socio-economic development), such initiatives can avoid potential differences and conflicts in setting priorities.
through the Trust Fund, as much as it targets development activities. The Trust Fund can be designed to help channel financial resources from a multitude of initiatives, where the latter deposit their money with the trust fund, in foreign currency, and ship them to Birr. as soon as they are ready to use them in different projects it is a preliminary circumstance that needs to be further discussed.)
There are few other benefits to encouraging small initiatives. First, it is inevitable that the contribution of individuals will begin to decline at some point as the current momentum fades towards future programs. More modest initiatives based on the pbadion and enthusiasm of their members / participants are the best mechanisms for continuing efforts, as they often use informal channels and the social structure of accountability. This can also be seen in the light of more confidence that the diaspora can have in their leaders than in government institutions or representatives. Second, the bulk transfer of funds raised through these organizations, as opposed to separate individual transfers, would reduce the transaction cost and, as a result, bring more money home. Thirdly, since such organizations are often registered as non-profit organizations in the countries where they are established, donors could benefit from tax breaks for the amount they pay. institutional framework for establishing transparent and accountable governance, we must build on the current momentum of diaspora motivation. But it is also important to engage in a dialogue on how to make the initiative sustainable by avoiding the challenges inherent in large-scale initiatives. One of the alternatives is to consider creating an enabling environment that encourages community organizations, professional badociations and similar initiatives of common interest; embrace existing initiatives and design a flexible mechanism, they can contribute to major developmental and financial goals.
___
1 The writer is a Ph.D. candidate at Boston College, studying the role of the diaspora in higher education in Ethiopia. He can be contacted at: [email protected]
Source link
