Diaspora for Climate Action

Are you part of the Bangladeshi, Ghanaian, Jamaican, or Moldovan diaspora in the UK? Are you passionate about climate action? We are looking for up to 20 people to become Diaspora Climate Champions and inspire change within their communities.

Selected diaspora members will participate in an interactive workshop organised by IOM UK in London on the 11th and 18th of May 2024, where they will expand their networks and share their knowledge and skills, as well as gain access to the necessary tools to lead and contribute to climate action initiatives.

Apply before 21st of April 2024.

Climate change is impacting the lives and livelihoods of people around the world and is one of the greatest challenges of our time, requiring urgent collective action. 

Diaspora groups are powerhouses of innovation in their countries of residence and origin. Their contribution, for example through remittances, direct investment, philanthropy and skills transfer, is widely recognised. They are also among the first to respond when a disaster strikes in their countries of origin, but governments are yet to develop frameworks, policies and programmes that can unlock diasporas’ global connections and potential in accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Diaspora groups have the knowledge, skills, and global connections that are crucial to accelerate climate action in their countries of origins and on a larger scale. 

The UK is home to some of the largest diaspora communities worldwide and to help leverage this untapped potential, IOM UK launches the Diaspora for Climate Action (D4C) project. The project will enable diaspora members to build connections with key stakeholders in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica and Moldova that can help them achieve more effective and coordinated climate action, and greater and longer-lasting impacts on climate-vulnerable populations. 

These four countries are all significantly affected by the negative impacts of climate change, and the challenges they face require immediate and effective responses and mobilization of resources from a variety of stakeholders.

This initiative is funded by IOM Development Fund, working with IOM missions and relevant ministries in these four countries, and will contribute to government efforts to address the adverse impacts of climate change and promote sustainable development. D4C aims to create a model for other countries to promote the unique role diaspora can play in shaping national climate action policies and interventions alongside governments and other actors.

For information on the D4C project please contact Martina Castiglioni, mcastiglioni@iom.int; or Shuva Thapa, shuthapa@iom.int. 

IOM defines Diaspora as ‘Migrants or descendants of migrants whose identity and sense of belonging, either real or symbolic, have been shaped by their migration experience and background. They maintain links with their homelands, and to each other, based on a shared sense of history, identity, or mutual experiences in the destination country’ (IOM Glossary, 2019).