The National Diaspora Summit and the Role of Migrant Associations in International Cooperation

This paper examines the National Diaspora Summit as a case study within the MIGREM project, "Migrant Remittances and Transnational Ties: Care, Social Change, and Development Across Borders," highlighting the crucial role of migrant associations in international cooperation. The Summit serves as a platform for these associations to evolve from beneficiaries to promoters in development processes, enabling them to promote bidirectional development and create mutual benefits between countries of origin and destination countries.

The analysis will delve into the significant contributions of diaspora members to local entrepreneurship and capacity building. Another aim of the work is to examine to what extent destination countries are truly able to empower these communities and allow them to effectively influence public policies and promote economic and social development. Furthermore, the paper will differentiate between sustainable development cooperation and sporadic solidarity actions, exploring how social change can be influenced by the reproduction of existing power dynamics.

To enrich this analysis, in-depth interviews with institutional members, including diaspora forum participants and sector experts, will be presented. These testimonies will provide valuable insights into the dynamics of representation and the strategies employed to overcome barriers to participation.

Finally, the paper will highlight the importance of measuring the impact of diaspora-led projects to ensure that they produce lasting and meaningful results in the communities involved. By evaluating these outcomes, the presentation aims to analyze the transformative potential and key challenges faced by diasporas in shaping international cooperation frameworks through effective, inclusive, and sustainable actions.

PRIN 2020 Project “Migrant remittances and transnational ties: care, social change and development across borders” [MIGREM], funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (Prot. 2020H2EHFZ).