Episode 50: Engaging diasporas to localise humanitarian responses

The Migration & Diaspora Podcast

Hello and you’re listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show that shines light on some of the most impactful trends, projects and people working in the field of migration and diaspora engagement. And I’m your host, Loksan Harley, Executive Director of Homelands Advisory - your independent migration agency specialised in research, policy development and trainings.

About Bashàïr

Today, I’m joined by Dr Bashàïr Ahmed, CEO of Shabaka, a diaspora-led organisation specialised in research, policy and practice contributing to the role of diaspora and migrants in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery. Based in Brighton, UK, Bashàïr has over 20 years’ experience working with United Nations agencies and international organisations focused on fragile and conflict-affected countries. Bashàïr has consulted on a wide range of migration and diaspora initiatives, including the protection of irregular migrants, the development of e-trainings on humanitarian principles for diaspora organisations, and providing guidance on diaspora engagement in development and humanitarian response. Bashàïr holds a doctorate in Migration Studies from the University of Sussex, where she also serves as a Research Associate; her academic interests include humanitarianism, diasporas, migration and development, and intergenerational engagement.

What we talk about

• The state of play of diaspora engagement in humanitarianism.

• How diasporas contribute to response to and recovery from different forms of crisis.

• How traditional humanitarian organisations currently work with diaspora organisations.

• Constraints on diaspora groups’ humanitarian involvement.

• The shifts required to amplify diaspora groups’ impact in humanitarian contexts as well as their critical role in localising aid and humanitarian responses.

For those of you whose interest in the topic is piqued by this conversation, I recommend tuning into Episode 12 on the same topic, which you can find on homelandsadvisory.com/podcast where you’ll also see a form at the top of the page allowing you to subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode.

Anyway, without further ado, I’d like to thank Bashàïr very much for coming on the show and I very much hope that you enjoy our conversation.

• Cluster system: According to UN OCHA, the humanitarian cluster system is a coordination mechanism used by the UN and other humanitarian organizations to respond to crises. It is designed to organize humanitarian actors into core sectors, such as water, health and food security.

• Shabaka’s website: https://shabaka.org/about-shabaka/our-team/

• Connect with Bashàïr on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bashair-ahmed/

• Twitter: @Shabaka_org

• MDPcast Episode 12 with Daniela Villacrez: https://www.homelandsadvisory.com/podcast/episode/2a7391e0/episode-12-how-to-engage-diasporas-in-humanitarian-assistance

• British Red Cross Diaspora Humanitarian Programme: https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/diaspora-humanitarian-partnership-programme-grants#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Diaspora%20Humanitarian,at%20engaging%20with%20diaspora%20communities.

• “The switchboard”: https://shabaka.org/about-switchboard/

• Why these 10 humanitarian crises demand your attention now: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2024/01/08/why-these-10-humanitarian-crises-demand-your-attention-now

  All the MDPcast episodes: https://homelandsadvisory.com/podcast