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	Mainstreaming the Right to Development by William Lacy Swing International Organization for Migration   Today, we live in a world on the move. Today, more people are on the move than at any other time in recorded history: 214 million international migrants (including nine or so million refugees), according to UN statistics; and 740 million internal migrants. In other words, one in every seven persons is a migrant – on the move.   Greater than the sheer number of migrants is the value of the financial transfers - remittances - money that migrants send home to their families and communities of origin. Remittance flows to developing countries amounted to some USD 338 billion in 2008, according to the World Bank.   This figure represents money sent through official channels only – add 50%, or more, to obtain a rough idea of the real figure, including informal transfers.   Remittances are two times larger than all Overseas Development Aid; about as much as all global Foreign Direct Investment; and in some cases account for up to 30 percent of annual GDP for a dozen or more countries. Remittances are one of the largest cash flows in the world.   In Africa, most African migrants actually stay within Africa rather than migrating to other regions of the world. Remittance flows to Africa are significant and in 2008 have been recorded at USD 23 billion.   One would think that these striking figures would create a positive impression of migrants and migration, but most of the hype in the media and public discourse is negative.   Today, I would like to focus my remarks on a positive element of migration, the potential of migration to contribute to development; I would like to make three main points.   I. Financial Remittances   Firstly, it has to be fully understood that migration is not a substitute for development and that remittances are private funds.   In a very real sense, however, migration is itself a powerful manifestation of an individual"s right to development. Since time immemorial, people have left their place of birth and embarked on long, often dangerous journeys seeking a new life and new opportunities.   And, migration, that is humanly managed, can and does positively support the right to development. In the first instance, migration directly alleviates poverty at the individual household level. Remittances allow households to purchase food, healthcare, shelter and education – and thereby cover the most basic of needs and provide livelihood opportunities.   But remittances can - and do - do more. Innovative diaspora programmes can effectively leverage the migrant"s contribution with public resources.   The Mexican 3 for 1 ("tres por uno") programme - where every dollar of remittance money sent by a diaspora member through a dedicated Mexican Home Town Association abroad is matched by a dollar from the municipal, state and federal government in Mexico – makes a real difference in empowering migrants and promoting local community development.   IOM – the International Organization for Migration – has pioneered the idea of mainstreaming migration in development planning. This is done both at the conceptual level and in practice; migration should be included in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. One example here is the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) - a virtual platform for exchange of best practices relating to migration, development and remittances, facilitating learning and capacity building among practitioners.   Also, IOM has helped create organized remittance transfer mechanisms that enable migrants to secure their transfers, reduce the transaction fees paid, and pool their resources so as to maximize the impact of these resources. Tajikistan for example, is one of the top five remittance receiving countries and one in which remittances constitute around a third of its GDP.   In Tajikistan, IOM projects are assisting rural communities to use remittances to develop sustainable livelihoods -- this is done through microcredit schemes, infrastructure investment and education initiatives.   II. Social Remittances   But the contributions of migrants go far beyond the economic or monetary dimension. My second point is that social remittances –- migrants skills, knowledge and networks -– are perhaps even more valuable in promoting the development of the countries and communities from which they came. Migrants represent untapped economic and social capital.   The African Diaspora and its involvement in development efforts are indeed key priorities of the African Union and part of the AU Constitutive Act. IOM is working in close collaboration with the AU Civil Society and Diaspora Organization (CIDO) in the development of the African Youth Volunteer Programme.   IOM"s Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme provides a rich array of means for diaspora members to become involved in home countries and share their expertise – whether (a) through establishing exchange programmes in public administration or (b) university training or (c) by facilitating the return of doctors and other health care workers from Europe to Africa.   To support the right to development, our goal should be that when migrants return home, they do so with new or improved skills as well as capital to invest in their home communities: IOM is working to identify means at every stage to help facilitate this process.   III. Protecting Migrants and Raising Public Awareness   My final point is this: protection of the human rights of migrants is a fundamental requirement if migrants are to realize their personal potential and actively support the development at home. Integration of migration fully into development planning requires an active public information programme to informed public opinion about migration.   Too often migrants are subject to discrimination, racism, exploitation and other abuses in both transit and destination countries.   Under such conditions, migrants struggle to get by, let alone to support their families and home communities.   Ratification and implementation of the norms enshrined in human rights instruments, with special reference to the situation of migrants, is therefore indispensable in promoting the Right to Development.   Provisions made in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the Resolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights on Migration and Human Rights represent important steps in that direction. In addition, more must be done to combat the negative stereotypes of migrants.   Migrants are being blamed for taking jobs away from natives; threatening public security; or abandoning the home country in times of need.   Instead, the positive contributions of migrants to both home and host countries are being ignored. Only when migrants contributions are recognised publicly will the real potential of migration be realized for human and societal development. Visit the related web page
	African social welfare organisations receive prestigious international award by Pambazuka News Kenya   Four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Africa have been selected to receive a prestigious award by UK-based charity, the STARS Foundation.   Bungoma-based NGO, ACE Africa Kenya, Nairobi-based NGO, Childline Kenya, Hargeisa-based Africa Educational Trust and Cape Town-based, Home from Home Trust, will each receive a STARS Impact Award, consisting of $100,000 in unrestricted funding and tailored consultancy support.   STARS presents six awards to NGOs in Africa and Asia each year, in recognition of the excellent standards they set in helping the world’s most disadvantaged children. Each organisation is assessed over a list of eight criteria, to test whether they are demonstrably improving the lives of children, and are managed to the highest level of efficiency and innovation.   ACE Africa Kenya   Western Kenya is one of the regions hit worst by HIV/Aids in the country. About 15% of adults in the region are thought to be infected and the virus has an impact on everyone, whether they are infected or not.   ACE Africa Kenya works in the remote locations of Bungoma and Siaya to reduce the impact of HIV/Aids on the lives of children. Cultural practices such as polygamy and wife inheritance mean that the infection rate in Bungoma is higher than in other parts of the country. There is roughly one doctor to every 60,000 patients.   Vicki Peaple, Africa-Middle East Programme Officer, STARS Foundation said: ‘ACE Africa Kenya, stands out in the field more than most because it researches where the need is greatest and develops holistic programmes based on this research, meeting the needs of vulnerable children living in the most remote parts of Kenya.’   ACE runs a range of programmes to help meet the many needs of the community. It provides nutritional education and help parents to generate income and feed their families through farming. It also provides counseling for those living with HIV, train children to educate one another about HIV/Aids, and hold HIV testing for anyone who wants it, with after-dark testing for those whom stigma prevents from coming during daylight hours. It hands out aid packages and support school-age children by providing uniforms, and in some cases, bursaries.   Childline Kenya   Before Childline Kenya was founded in 2004, children and adults who were victims of sexual abuse, forced marriage and ill health had few places to turn for confidential advice. Through the provision of a 24-hour helpline, Childline Kenya provides free advice, information, and basic counseling on a range of child protection issues. Through a range of workshops, conferences and outreach work, Childline Kenya educates communities on child rights issues. Its’ partnerships with more than 40 local specialist agencies mean that a child’s cry for help can be acted upon, and interventions into situations of abuse can be carried out swiftly.   ‘We were particularly impressed with Childline Kenya’s approach to working collaboratively with others, enabling children to reach all the services they need, as well as its efforts to ensure the Kenyan Government protects, respects and fulfils the rights of every child.’ Said Vicki Peaple, Africa-Middle East Programme Officer, STARS Foundation:   Childline Kenya is a strong political voice acting as a vital advocate at a national level for child rights issues. In addition to lobbying the government, Childline Kenya has run a high profile and sustained media campaign to raise awareness that child abuse must be stamped out. The growing use of mobile phones in Kenya means that the confidential telephone line is now accessible even to those living in slums and remote rural areas.   Africa Educational Trust Somaliland   Africa Educational Trust (AET) run a number of education programmes teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills targeted at some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Somaliland and Somalia. Internally displaced people, nomadic people, and people living in rural areas are taught through a radio-based literacy programme and mobile and makeshift schools.   Vicki Peaple, Africa-Middle East Programme Officer, STARS Foundation said: ‘Delivering any level of educational service to children in Somaliland whilst working under such difficult conditions is impressive, let alone reaching the high standards of innovation that AET manages to.’   Education in Somaliland has been severely disrupted due to the political upheaval of the region; its schools and educational resources were destroyed during the rule of Siad Barre, resulting in the virtual collapse of the education system. It is estimated that 80% of the educated population of Somaliland fled the country during conflict and this has left a drastic void in the development of post-conflict Somaliland.   Home from Home Trust – South Africa   Home from Home Trust was established to provide support and care for orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children across Cape Town and its surrounding townships. Using a carefully-developed model of cluster foster care, Home from Home Trust provides a community-based system of support for children, which sees them growing up in households of no more than six children, led by a loving and well-selected foster mother or parents. Home from Home Trust ensures the material, medical and psychological needs of these children are met. They currently support children in over 19 households.   Vicki Peaple, Africa-Middle East Programme Officer, STARS Foundation said: ‘We were really impressed with the model of care that Home from Home Trust has developed in a relatively short amount of time, and the positive impact it’s already having on the health and well being of children in their care.’   South Africa’s HIV and AIDS epidemic has had a devastating effect on children; it is estimated that there are between 1.5 and 3 million AIDS orphans in the country. Most of these children are being cared for in institutions, few of which are funded and equipped to deal with their complex psychological needs. Large numbers of these children have learning difficulties and are traumatized by the loss of parents and the separation from their community. Many of them are infected with the virus themselves, meaning specialist counseling is essential to their development.   The STARS Foundation does not impose conditions on the funding it awards. It operates a policy of unrestricted funding.   Muna Wehbe, Chief Executive, STARS Foundation said: ‘If funding is restricted for groups working in disadvantaged communities then they have little opportunity to respond quickly to the changing needs in their communities. Restricted funding is important and useful but if it is the only approach, groups of highly vulnerable children and others will be left out.’ Visit the related web page
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