While
diaspora actors have long made contributions in various forms to humanitarian
response efforts in their respective Countries of Origin (CoOs), most of this
involvement has historically been ad hoc. Examples of these contributions
include contextual knowledge, local connections, quick mobilization, financial
support, and volunteers. The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM)Framework
for Diaspora Engagement in Humanitarian Assistance and its accompanying tools
are examples of coordination mechanisms that international humanitarian
actors and diaspora organizations have developed and implemented to better
integrate and engage non-traditional actors in humanitarian responses. IOM's
Framework was developed through a multi-stakeholder consultation process, and
it has been used in Haiti, the Philippines, and Somalia. 

This
interactive simulation workshop is designed to explore these mechanisms
focusing on the interoperability of coordination among institutional
humanitarian actors and diaspora during a simulated crisis. The exercise will
also explore the level of cooperation that humanitarian actors, both
traditional and non-traditional, might expect from one another.   

It
is anticipated that participants will leave the session with useful tools for
organizing their humanitarian efforts, a better knowledge of the processes
involved in multi-stakeholder coordination, and a wider range of contacts and
resources to help communities affected by disasters experience more long-term,
lasting effects. Furthermore, the input and feedback received from the
attendees' participation will help to improve the mechanisms so that they can
be used in other situations.   

The
overall scope of this session will be to apply the mechanisms for strengthening
the engagement of diaspora in humanitarian operations by:

1.
Presenting tools, response mechanisms and guidelines to enhance coordination
between institutional humanitarian actors and diasporas, explaining who can
benefit, when and where it is applicable, and how this can lead to more
collaborative and effective humanitarian assistance.



2.
Conducting an interactive exercise where the participants apply coordination
tools and frameworks to a simulated crisis scenario to facilitate coordination
with diaspora and other non-traditional actors.

3.
Discussing lessons learned from the activity.