Ethiopian Diaspora Service reviewing decade-old Diaspora policy

Addis Ababa, November 14, 2024 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Diaspora Service in collaboration with Wollo, Jimma, Hawassa, and Jigjiga Universities is reviewing the country’s decade-old diaspora policy.

The government of Ethiopia has been exerting efforts to help the diaspora engage in the overall national activities of their country considering their critical contribution to ensuring prosperity.

A number of encouraging achievements have been registered over the past years in this regard as these segments of Ethiopian society are engaged in several development activities in their homeland in addition to voicing their country’s interest in the global venues.

Research that examines the effectiveness and challenges of the existing diaspora policy is essential to further strengthen the relationship between Ethiopia and its diaspora.

In his opening remarks at the research validation workshop organized to reviewing the decade-old diaspora policy today, Ethiopian Diaspora Service Director General Ambassador Fitsum Arega said that the research is important to understand and harness the immense potential of Ethiopian diaspora.

The Ethiopian diaspora are a global community whose commitment has greatly contributed to Ethiopia’s development journey, he added.

Fitsum emphasized that the diaspora contributes to its country’s overall development through investment, trade, tourism, remittance, and knowledge and skill transfer, as called by local newswire service.

“The Ethiopian diaspora policy study led by the Ethiopian Diaspora Service in collaboration with Wollo, Jimma, Hawassa, and Jigjiga Universities is the first of its kind to involve the academia. This study reviews our decade-old policy exploring opportunities and challenges in diaspora engagement and underscores the Ethiopian government’s commitment to evidence based policy that fully leverage diaspora capability,” Ambassador Fitsum elaborated.

Wollo University President, Awol Seid said on his part that Ethiopia’s remarkable growth and development in recent years have been directly tied to the contributions of its diaspora, particularly in areas such as investment, advocacy, remittances, and knowledge and technology transfer.

The positive contributions of the Ethiopian diaspora to the country’s development are undeniable, he stated, and added that they bring new skills, innovative ideas, and the energy needed to fuel the continued progress.

Research that examines the effectiveness and challenges of the diaspora policy is essential to strengthen the relationship between Ethiopia and its diaspora, he added.

“The research focused on evaluating the contribution of the 2013 Diaspora Policy, considering the challenges it has faced and the lessons learned over the past decade. In doing so, it has explored ways to enhance the mutual benefits between the diaspora and Ethiopia, while also highlighting the need for alternative strategies, mechanisms, and institutional frameworks to foster a more dynamic and impactful diaspora-state relationship,” Awol stressed.

According to him, with over 3 million Ethiopians living abroad, the diaspora’s impact is felt in Ethiopia and across regional states, where their involvement in building systems and institutions has been critical.