The Migration & Diaspora Podcast Loksan Harley

Hello and welcome again to yet another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we showcase projects and people from the field of migration and diaspora engagement. I’m your host Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory, your independent migration and diaspora agency. 

Now, it’s been a while since we talked about Latin America on this podcast, so I’m very excited to present to you a conversation with Mara Tissera Luna, one of the region’s preeminent experts on migration and especially children on the move in displacement situations, which is precisely the topic of the day. 

About Mara

Mara is an international consultant focusing on displacement and protection responses in Latin America and the Caribbean. She’s a fellow at the Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues at Georgetown University and has provided technical advice and applied research to UNICEF, the University of Edinburgh, Refugees International, and International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) in 14 countries, contributing to 25+ reports, handbooks, and short articles.

What we talk about

In today’s episode, we talk all about the rather harrowing protection issues faced by children in situations of displacement in Latin America, including: 


The state of play of forced displacement in the region. 


Specific trends in the displacement of children.


Solutions to address these very pressing needs.



Mara draws both from her recent research on very young children in Guatemala, as well wider research on the topic. We’ve included some links to some of these sources in the show notes as there is a lot to know and we couldn’t cover anything in a 45-minute podcast. 

Anyway, without further ado, I’d like to thank you again for tuning in and we hope you enjoy the show.

Links


Connect with Mara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maratisseraluna/


Mara’s website and newsletter sign-up:  https://latinamerica.website/maratisseraluna




Georgetown University's programme "Promoting Early Childhood Development for Young Children on the Move in Northern Central America,": https://globalchildren.georgetown.edu/posts/innovations-to-support-early-childhood-development-and-protection-for-young-displaced-children-in-guatemala 


Mini-guide "Research for Advocacy & Systemic Change: A Ridiculously Simplified Guide to Intersectional & Decolonial Research + examples.": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FK-wuDhJ3bHsvb85U_crh-M5Y51l66-O/view 


Background Paper "Protecting Children in Escalating Conflict and Crises: Armed Violence, Climate Shocks, and Displacement", Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action: https://alliancecpha.org/en/annual-meeting-2024/background-paper 


ODI and UNICEF’s “Children on the move in Latin America and the Caribbean: Review of evidence”: https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/reports/children-on-the-move-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean 


An in-depth, graphical overview of what’s happening at the U.S.-Mexico border right now, from the Washington Office on Latin America’s Adam Isacson: https://vimeo.com/918977850


The world's most neglected displacement crises in 2022: https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-in-2022/




The MDPcast Ep22: Latin America's migration mega-trends: https://www.homelandsadvisory.com/podcast/episode/2790db1d/episode-22-latin-americas-migration-mega-trends-with-felipe-munoz-from-the-inter-american-development-bank 


The MPDcast Ep5: Chlidren on the move in West and Central Africa: https://www.homelandsadvisory.com/podcast/episode/20c80d46/episode-5-children-on-the-move-in-west-and-central-africa-context-vulnerabilities-and-protection-needs 

Hello and welcome to a very special episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, in which we have our first-ever repeat guest. Great friend of Homelands Advisory and star guest of episode 2, Dr Martin Russell, AKA Doctor Diaspora, is back on the show to talk about the state of the diaspora engagement sector now four years on from that first interview.

 

About Martin

Everyone who works on diaspora engagement is more than familiar with Martin but for those of you who aren’t, Martin is the founder of the Global Diaspora Insights (GDI), a consulting firm. He completed his PhD at the Clinton Institute (University College Dublin) where his research focused on the role of the Irish diaspora in the Northern Ireland Peace Process specifically looking at diaspora media, diaspora philanthropy, and diaspora politics.

What we talk about

In today’s episode, we both reflect on our collective experience working on diaspora engagement in more than 50 countries, including: 


The evolving differences between migration and diaspora. 


The state of the diaspora engagement sector (progress made and opportunities missed). 


Diaspora diplomacy as an outsized opportunity area for governments. 



It’s a bit of a “no holds barred” talk in which we try not to pull any punches. We’d like to thank you for tuning in and we hope you enjoy the show.

Links


Global Diaspora Insights: https://www.globaldiasporainsights.com/ 


Connect with Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-russell-0530131a5/ 


MDPcast Ep2: https://www.homelandsadvisory.com/podcast/episode/f9e3585d/episode-2-doing-diaspora-lessons-learned-from-dr-martin-russells-diaspora-engagement-work-worldwide 


Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme: https://www.dfa.ie/global-irish/support-overseas/emigrant-support-programme/


Kingsley Aikins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingsleyaikins/ 


Global Diaspora Strategies Toolkit: https://thenetworkinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Diaspora-Toolkit-Book.pdf 


European Union Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF): https://diasporafordevelopment.eu/ 


Global Citizens 2030 - Ireland’s Talent and Innovation Strategy https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/012d7-global-citizens-2030-irelands-talent-and-innovation-strategy/#:~:text=Global%20Citizens%202030%20is%20Ireland's,and%20research%20and%20innovation%20systems. 


HBR article on diaspora marketing: https://hbr.org/2013/10/diaspora-marketing  


John Hume Novel Lecture: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1998/hume/lecture/


Routledge International Handbook of Diaspora Diplomacy: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-International-Handbook-of-Diaspora-Diplomacy/Kennedy/p/book/9781032080567 


Paul Quinn obituary: https://www.irishtimes.com/obituaries/2023/11/11/paul-quinn-obituary-pioneer-of-peace-process-who-did-not-seek-plaudits/


President Biden’s African Diaspora Advisory Council: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/26/president-biden-announces-the-inaugural-members-of-the-presidents-advisory-council-on-african-diaspora-engagement-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=In%20accordance%20with%20Executive%20Order,the%20continent%20and%20the%20Caribbean. 


Ghana Year of Return: https://www.yearofreturn.com/ 

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, produced by Homelands Advisory, your independent migration agency. In case this is your first time tuning in, we spotlight projects, research and stories related to people on-the-move.

Today, we’ve got a heavyweight of the migration world, Rob McNeil from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, on the show to get his take on contemporary public debate on migration.

About Rob

Rob is the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Communications at the Migration Observatory, where he leads on public relations strategy, parliamentary and community outreach and news and commentary work. Rob was actually part of the team who launched the Observatory in 2011 and, since then, has been working to embed its analysis in public debates. Rob also participates in Oxford University and the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society’s (COMPAS) research projects, examining the social environments from which news stories and narratives about migration and migrants emerge, how media debate affects migration policy decisions (and vice versa), and how information gaps affect how these issues are discussed. Rob is a former journalist and previously served as Media Director for the US environmental organisation Conservation International, PR manager for Oxfam GB, Senior Press Officer for WWF-UK, and as a journalist for the Evening Standard, The Daily Mirror, Time Out and BBC Wildlife, among other publications.

What we talk about

That’s quite the track record. In today’s far-reaching, perhaps meandering, interview, I learn from Rob’s extensive media and academic experience studying migration narratives and debates, especially in the UK and Europe (though parallelling discourse in many other countries). We discuss the nature of these migration debates and, in particular, which factors seem to lead to more balanced and less toxic debates on migration. I’m sure you’ll agree this is a very timely conversation. 

I thoroughly enjoyed having Rob on the show because he not only speaks from his eminent position at the Observatory, but also draws from his experience working on different topics in different countries. I’d like to thank Rob for coming on the show and thank you for listening. And without further ado, please sit back and enjoy the episode.



Links


Migration Oxford Podcast: https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/migration-oxford-podcast  


MDPcast Ep37: Communicating migration with Marco Ricorda:  https://www.homelandsadvisory.com/podcast/episode/52bc36f7/episode-37-communicating-migration-with-marco-ricorda 


Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-mcneil-060b1822/ 


Is it time to turn down the volume on the migration debate?: https://feps-europe.eu/is-it-time-to-turn-down-the-volume-on-the-migration-debate/ 


Communicating on migration (policy brief series): https://feps-europe.eu/publication/communicating-on-migration/ 


Reporting migration: A handbook on migration reporting for journalists: https://www.icmpd.org/file/download/50559/file/Handbook0on0Reporting0Migration0EN.pdf#page=39 


Unpicking the notion of ‘safe and legal’ routes: https://mixedmigration.org/unpicking-the-notion-of-safe-and-legal-routes/ 

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

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we discuss topics, projects, ideas, and everything else related to migration and diaspora engagement.

Today, we’ve got a podcast about, well, podcasting. We’ve got Ana Lucía Gutiérrez González on the show to share her wonderful story connecting with fellow Peruvian diaspora women through the Granadilla Podcast that she hosts. 

About Ana

Ana interviews Peruvian women around the world and shares their stories as a form of inspiration and motivation for future female migrants while creating a space to empower them. She is currently pursuing a PhD in migration, focusing on Peruvian migrant women while running operations for a startup in Israel. She is married and has a dog. Ana loves travelling, good food and long naps. BTW, these introductions I include at the beginning of each episode are the bios that guests share with me and I love that having a dog and enjoying naps feature in Ana’s. 

What we talk about 


Ana’s experience being a Peruvian diaspora woman. 


Building a podcast in the midst of a pandemic to connect with other Peruanas por el mundo.


How Ana ended up turning that podcast into an organisation that not only tells diaspora stories but that also now connects, supports, trains and empowers Peruvian women.



I really enjoyed having Ana on the show and I thoroughly recommend checking out the Granadilla Podcast, whether you’re a Peruvian or Latina migrant or if you’re simply interested in hearing some wonderful stories of identity and human connection. And listen out for the curious story behind the name of Ana’s podcast. 

Last but not least, thank you so much for tuning in and without further ado, please sit back and enjoy the show. 




Tune into the Granadilla Podcast: https://granadillapodcast.com/ 
Connect with Ana on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/analuciagutierrez/ 
Follow @RandomAnaG on X: https://twitter.com/RandomAnaG 
Special 1 (in English): The Journey of the Granadilla:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zKDfGxAZXcuDv3BcpQL5U?si=3910ab7890ef4922 
Episode 3 with Katherine in England: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2U908W46GwJRjHOhq0VGM9?si=2bfd6ce60ad24ac8
Episode 19 with Nadian in the US: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LOJTgRSR4cLhFJ0Vrr5FW?si=c181cfb5b5834a8b 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we discuss topics, projects, ideas, and everything else related to the movement of people. 

Today, I’m joined by David Martineau, Senior Programme Manager at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who tells us all about the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) programme. 

About David

Working within IOM’s department of policy and research, David works to build governments’ capacity to understand how their policy frameworks could better respond to emerging challenges and opportunities stemming from current migration dynamics. In his decade working at IOM, he has worked on the organisation’s engagement on the Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda and other multilateral processes. He was deployed to Moldova for the Ukraine response and worked on UN partnerships in New York. Before IOM, David studied and worked in Germany, Ukraine, Russia and Canada. David holds Masters degrees from the Munk School of Global Affairs (University of Toronto) and Queen’s University in Canada.

What we talk about

It was an absolute pleasure to have David on the show to tell us all about:


How IOM helps different countries from around the world to assess their migration governance frameworks. 


What migration governance constitutes. 


The indicators used to measure migration governance.


Knock-on effects that the MGI assessments have produced for the countries and municipalities who have benefited from the programme.



Links


MGI webpage: https://www.migrationdataportal.org/overviews/mgi 


MGI success stories: https://publications.iom.int/books/migration-governance-indicators-success-stories-2023 


Connect with David on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-martineau-0ba24136/ 

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