Madrid Update No. 5

Today the World Forum on Migration in Madrid featured two long sessions focused on ¨Economic Capacity Building in the South.¨ There is a lot of thinking and doing in that regard at least here in Spain. Much of the conversation in one session focused on co-development projects between Spain and Morocco, and Spain and Senegal. There are several associations that have been  established for these purposes. They focus on working with immigrants from those regions who take leadership roles in developing co-development projects with programs back in Morocco and Senegal. The activities range in focus from micro-financing, to women, to small business, to how remittances can be used for purposes other than building projects, which tends to be how most remittances are used. The goal of all these programs is that participants should be co-equal partners, that projects be based on the reality of life for immigrants here and their neighborhoods back home, that the strength of the local group must be fortified, that training be available
for fund management, project management, and strategic analysis, and communication be a high priority.

The other session talked about how a major cause of migration is lack of economic development in many countries. However, speakers on this panel made a strong case that immigrants (through remittances) should NOT be responsible for economic development in their home countries. Sending countries should not be allowed to sit back and be happy exporting their people and wait for remittances to come back to support their economy. Both sending and receiving countries have to be serious about their own investments in true development projects. The World Bank was criticized for suggesting that development should be placed on the back of immigrants who send remittances back home.

When it comes to development, there should especially be focus on developing human capital and human development in the areas of education, housing, health care, and employment skills. A democratic system should be constructed that goes from the local to the international levels. There needs to be an understanding of the importance of promoting small and medium enterprises. Special focus on rescuing agriculture in many countries should be forthcoming. And we need a cultural revolution of understanding the connection between development and the movement of people.

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