Episode 263: Diaspora-led Humanitarian Solutions with Elvina Quaison

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Over the week/weekend just passed, the world recognized International Women’s Day as well as Ghana’s 68th Independence Day. Both happenings inspire thoughts, reflections, and movement in my heart and mind especially as I, we sit in constant review of the world we are making, remaking and re-imagining for our now. My conversation this week, in our continued March Herstories Month series is with British-Ghanaian, Elvina Quaison, is with a diasporan working intently with and within communities engaged in this re-imagining. She's now based back in the London after relocating to Brussels since our last conversation. In her time in the EU hub, she supported diaspora and government representatives as Diaspora Engagement Specialist for the EU Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF), a pilot project funded by the European Commission and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Elvina recently took on the role of CEO with Shabaka, a values-driven consulting and research organization focused on diaspora and migrants' humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. She has worked in the international development field, with a focus on African diaspora, for over 20 years; her experience spans diaspora engagement in humanitarianism, development, private and public sector as well as within civil society. She specializes in diaspora and private sector investment with a focus on the utilization of diaspora investment to enhance economic growth in countries of heritage and residence. Our conversation is a wonderful flash forward offering a hopeful persective on how #dynamicdiasporans are engaging with the concept and a #borderlessmindset, and #manifestinganewworld. Where to find Elvina? On LinkedIn On Instagram What’s Elvina reading? Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Other topics of interest: Notes on serving on boards On Belgium’s Human Zoo Brussel’s AfricaMuseum On the brutality of Belgium’s King Leopold On Onyekachi Wambu A conversation with Sophia Stewart, creator of The Terminator and The Matrix Shifters Play UK About SupacellSpecial Guest: Elivina Quaison.