VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #2520/01 3101718
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061718Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3936
INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0515
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0178
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0271
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1043
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0961
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0502

UNCLAS LONDON 002520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR USAID AND PEACE CORPS, DEPARTMENT FOR S/P 
AND S/GPI (MARY KAREN WALKER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID PHUM OIIP SCUL SMIG ECON SO PK NI
CE, BG, UK 
SUBJECT: UK INITIATIVES HARNESS DIASPORA CAPACITY 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  The UK has initiated a number of programs to 
help engage UK-based Diaspora groups and harness their 
expertise in international development.  Under the direction 
of the Department for International Development (DFID), and 
the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), these programs are 
typically focused on building the capacity of already 
existing Diaspora organizations and range from advice and 
support roles to funding and sponsorship. These programs 
assist Diaspora groups in managing substantive projects and 
providing technical support to countries including Somalia, 
Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) DFID has become increasingly interested in the success 
of its programs that work directly with Diaspora groups to 
provide aid and development in targeted countries throughout 
the world.  It finds that Diaspora groups bring a range of 
skills and assets to the partnership including a "specialized 
knowledge of need, an ability to work within and across both 
cultures, and an ability to command the trust of the 
communities in their homelands."  Furthermore, Diaspora 
volunteers who work in tandem with those providing aid in 
target countries transfer valuable knowledge and skills back 
to their country of heritage.  By capitalizing upon the 
language and cultural skills, as well as the commitment, of 
Diaspora groups, these initiatives have been successful in 
supporting development initiatives. 
 
The Diaspora Volunteering Programme 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) A joint Department for International Development 
(DFID) and VSO initiative, the Diaspora Volunteering Program 
completed its pilot program in 2008 in which it worked with 
at least 18 organizations and sent over 270 volunteers to 
target countries.  It has since received an additional GBP 3 
million (USD 5 million) to carry the project forward for the 
next 5 years.  The program provides funding and technical 
support to build the capacity of Diaspora organizations based 
in the UK and assist them in developing and managing their 
own volunteering programs.  Benefits to fledgling Diaspora 
groups include pilot phase research and implementation; 
assistance in the recruitment and training of new volunteers; 
fundraising and sustainability support; in-country support 
from DFID program offices; and assistance in raising 
awareness within their communities.  The program provides 
funding for qualifying organizations to perform research, 
visit to the target country and implement initial phases of 
development programs. 
 
¶4. (U) Diaspora groups qualify for funding if they are a 
registered charity with a functioning governance structure 
that reflect the "Diaspora led character" of the organization 
and which have a "clear link with a critical mass of 
Diaspora" within the UK.  Diaspora groups must commit to a 
number of stipulations in order to receive funds.  These 
include the development of a "capacity building plan," 
attendance at bi-monthly training sessions, and submission of 
information to program leaders for monitoring and evaluation. 
 Successful projects have included a project to create urban 
resource centers that provide career skills to poor youth in 
slum communities of India; a project to provide specialized 
health care for the elderly in Nepal; and a program to 
provide targeted business support such as accounting, 
business planning and logistics in Ghana. 
 
The Diaspora Volunteering Alliance 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Diaspora Volunteering Alliance seeks to bring 
together the leadership of UK Diaspora groups in an effort to 
share best practices, coordinate assistance efforts and 
provide a united front in tackling international development 
issues. Benefits to Diaspora groups include networking and 
sharing of best practices; collective advocacy efforts for 
funding and government access; and input into appropriations 
of available funds. The alliance consists of 18 voting member 
organizations and meets directly with DFID and VSO directors 
to steer future projects and funding. It provides a valuable 
platform for the sharing of skills and best practices with 
other Diaspora groups and allows common problems to be 
addressed with a unity of purpose. 
The Common Ground Initiative 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Under the direction of "Comic Relief" and co-funded by 
DFID, the Common Ground Initiative is a GBP 20 million (USD 
33 million) fund supporting African development.  It is 
mainly a grant offering platform for small or Diaspora-led 
organizations working in the UK to alleviate poverty in 
African countries.  Grants are offered for organizations that 
specialize in offering health, education or enterprise 
programs and are designed to build the capacity of the 
Diaspora organizations as well as increase the long-term 
sustainability of their work.  As part of the program a study 
will run alongside the grants to better understand the role 
played by UK Diaspora in development. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom 
 
Susman