II.2.3. The place of diaspora in local development
Diasporas have got increasingly various roles to play in rural
development (JMDIMD, 2011). Flows of migrant transfers are becoming
increasingly important comparatively to other regions in some countries. In
Senegal for instance, the World Bank and CRES (2009) have noticed the highest
share of transfers from the diaspora in direction of rural areas. They also
noticed that many of the migrant were issued from countrysides in search of
good living conditions. This would have led to expecting important
rapprochements between development practitioners on one side and policy makers
on the other side. Since, governments carry on policies and measures that are
favorable to flourishing important activities. (OIM and MPI, 2012;
Africa-Europe Platform, 2014). Doing so, governments set lucid conditions
allowing diaspora to directly send financial means as easily as possible to
home residents in their country. Diasporas are therefore like a core potential
for lighting several ways to intervene in assuring the current and future
development process (Africa-Europe Platform, 2014; Nishikant and Priyanka,
2018). This is mainly because they originally issued from their peasant
community with whom they share the same culture, language, local insights and
emotional ties. Cohen (1980) in Brinkerhoff (2008) identifies a range of
features common to Diasporas including:
· A collective memory and myth about the homeland
· An idealization of the putative ancestral home and a
collective commitment to its maintenance, restoration, safety and prosperity,
even to its creation.
· The development of a return movement which gains
collective approbation.
· A strong ethnic group consciousness sustained over a
long time and based on a sense of distinctiveness, a common history and the
belief in a common fate, and
· A sense of empathy and solidarity with co-ethnic
members in other countries of settlement.
All these features are requisite in fighting against poverty
with regard to development of communities' identity, where members boost their
tie to home culture and subsequent values. Diaspora then becomes consequently
empowered to community livelihood changes, additional information and
communication technology facilitating them to remain tied to their homeland
community (Africa-Europe Platform, 2014).
In Europe, there are currently a lot of African diaspora
organizations and groups with high philanthropic purpose for rural and
community development in the homeland countries (Africa-Europe Platform, 2014).
Most of them are located in North-western Europe while others are spread in
other European countries like France, UK, Germany, etc. Organizations located
in France were found to actively intervene in Africa. The main share of
transfers is allowed to West African and Maghreb countries. Meaningful diaspora
remittances are recorded from East Africa related to Somalia, Ethiopia and
Kenya; and Zimbabwe, Angola and the Republic of South Africa from the South
African region. Diaspora groups from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Cameroon in Central Africa and from Cape Verde are also actively involved in
rural and community development in their country of origin (Africa-Europe
Platform, 2014).
Globally, these characteristics of remittances discussed above
show that transfers, often characterized by stability and absence of
cyclicality, could have a significant impact in bringing to light the economic
pressure on receivers while, based on the criterion of sustainability,
financial flows diminish over time owing to the fading of the migrant's
motivation. This paper examines the WTP of internal notables that have migrated
from their chiefdom for dwelling in Bukavu town in the nick of time of
development.
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