Diaspora Programme

22/05/2026

💡Join the Seminar: Policy paradoxes of recovery in Ukraine - the role of the diaspora and return migration.

We will explore key policy paradoxes influencing Ukraine’s reconstruction and ask: what lessons can be drawn from other diaspora experiences in rebuilding post-conflict societies?

Co-hosted by DIIS and Ukraine House, the event brings together researchers, NGOs, representatives from the Ukrainian Embassy and diaspora, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There will also be new research on diaspora engagement and displacement presented.

🗓️ Wednesday, 27 May 2026 | 16:00–18:00
📍 Ukraine House, Strandgade 27B, 1401 Copenhagen

Limited seats available – register here: https://www.diis.dk/en/event/policy-paradoxes-of-recovery-in-ukraine-the-role-of-the-diaspora-and-return-migration

Speakers:
• Adrien Bory: Global Diaspora Advisor and Head of DEMAC at DRC, leading international diaspora engagement in humanitarian and migration contexts.
• Andrii Yanevsky: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark, with extensive diplomatic experience across the US, the Middle East, and North Africa.
• Roman Mykytenko: Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) for Northern Europe and Chair of its Humanitarian Committee.
• Nataliya Popovych: Chairperson of Ukraine House in Denmark and cultural diplomacy strategist advancing Ukrainian-Danish collaboration.
• Ninna Nyberg Sørensen: DIIS Senior Researcher and pioneer in diaspora studies focusing on migration, conflict, and development.
• Nauja Kleist: DIIS Senior Researcher specializing in mobility, belonging, and socio-political engagement.
• Ida Marie Savio Vammen: DIIS Senior Researcher examining migration dynamics, specifically EU externalization in West Africa.

With the war in it’s fifth year, recovery efforts in Ukraine are continually reshaped by new challenges, highlighting the importance of these discussions to strengthen diaspora engagement and collective action.

Get your free ticket here: https://www.diis.dk/en/event/policy-paradoxes-of-recovery-in-ukraine-the-role-of-the-diaspora-and-return-migration

19/05/2026

📢Upcoming this week: Fundraising opportunities for in !

DiPS is hosting a webinar on Fundraising Opportunities for Diaspora in Denmark on May 21st. Join this webinar to learn about key funding opportunities for diaspora organizations in Denmark, and gain wider resources for tracking and securing funding.

🗓️ Thursday, 21st May 2026 | 17:00–18:30
📍 Online - Zoom

You will gain insight into:
• DiPS Funding Opportunities
• Wider Funding Opportunities in Denmark (CISU, DERF, DUF)
• Wider Resources & Recommendations on tracking and securing funding

This webinar underscores DiPS' focus on strengthening diaspora organizations by funding diaspora-led projects that meet the needs of affected people and by supporting them in developing capacities and meeting goals.

💡Register here: https://bit.ly/3QCYwyO

21/04/2026

How are diaspora networks responding to the climate crisis?

Globally, diaspora organizations play a crucial and multifaceted role in building a climate resilience future: from immediate disaster response and recovery assistance to supporting investments in green technologies and knowledge transfer.

Diaspora communities are well-positioned to address the immediate needs of communities and build locally sensitive solutions, including:

🔹Capacity building on disaster risk reduction
🔹Technical training in green agriculture and energy, as well as resource management
🔹Building psychosocial support programs that focus on the secondary impacts of climate change
🔹Fundraising for emergency relief

Recognizing the important role that diasporas play in climate action is vital for supporting local systems and resilience.

20/04/2026

💡 Event Recap: Pocket Guide Launch & Diaspora Networking Evening

Last week, SSPDO, DanSomala, Afghan Cultural Association, IFTIN, Hela Afghan Youth Association, CISU, and the Danish Refugee Council came together to celebrate the launch of three new pocket guides designed to support diaspora organizations in Denmark: https://bit.ly/4czzSq5

As this project, Peer to Peer – Organizational Development - is coming to an end event, the event also looked forward with presentations on upcoming funding opportunities for diaspora organizations based in Denmark.

The evening concluded with an energetic diaspora networking dinner, where participants exchanged ideas and explored new avenues for collaboration.

Event highlights included:
• Insights from Dekha B. Hussein, Anisa Abdi Isse, Abdi Khadir Gaal, Shoukat Naeimi and Obaidullah Abdulhaq, who presented the pocket guides and key learnings from the project.
• A presentation by Christoph Lodemann (CISU) on the Civil Society Fund, Information Fund and Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF), followed by an engaging dialogue with Anisa, who shared her journey through the DERF application process, including initial rejection, learning and improvements, and ultimately securing funding.
• A presentation by Nina Falkesgaard Sørensen (Globalt Fokus) about the Fund for Joint Capacity Development, which will open in the early autumn.
• Updates on DRC’s DiPS project and funding oppourtunities shared by Matilde Tomasini, Diaspora Project Specialist (DRC), and Adrien Bory, Interim Head of Localization (DRC).

A heartfelt thank you to all diaspora leaders who joined and contributed to the discussions. We look forward to seeing you at future events!

15/04/2026

💡MMC Essay competition for young diaspora leaders live now!

The Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) holds an annual essay competition for emerging writers and researchers from the Global South. This year, the essays should explore how interconnected global pressures are shaping migration dynamics from the perspective of their country of origin and lived experiences from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The winners will receive a $1000 USD prize and have their essays published in the November 2026 Mixed Migration Review that will examine how this age of polycrisis is transforming migration, globally, regionally, and locally, and how dynamics may shift into the future.

Submit an abstract of no more than 200 words by May 5th.
See here for more information: https://lnkd.in/evZK-vXE

07/04/2026

Experiencing war and displacement leaves a lasting impact. For many in the diaspora, integration is about more than adapting to a new place; it is about rebuilding, connecting, and finding a sense of belonging.

Diaspora networks and communities are vital in supporting one another, building resilience, and leading initiatives that foster empowerment and inclusion. We are proud to support current and future initiatives that strengthen recovery and resilience for individuals and communities after displacement.

This is "Experiencing war and displacement – At opleve krig og flugt // engelsk" by DRC Dansk Flygtningehjælp on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

31/03/2026

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) invites you to the launch of the Global Displacement Forecast Report 2026. Join us for a high-level discussion as we unveil the trends and hotspots and explore how these predictions can inform our displacement strategies, centred on shared responsibility and proactive measures.

This year marks the sixth edition of DRC’s annual Global Displacement Forecast, a crucial analysis shedding light on the evolving landscape of forced displacement. Over the years, one message has remained consistent: large-scale displacement is rarely the result of isolated shocks alone.

Bringing together leaders from humanitarian policy, development finance, government, country operations, and civil society, this event will use Forecast as a starting point for a broader discussion on what a new displacement model can look like.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with thought leaders and contribute to shaping our collective response to displacement.

Register here: https://shorturl.at/ybMNU

26/03/2026

🌍 Diaspora Networking Evening 🌍
Join us on Monday, April 13, for an inspiring evening with SSPDO, DanSomala, Afghan Cultural Association, IFTIN, Hela Afghan Youth Association, CISU, and the Danish Refugee Council!

🗓️ Date: Monday, April 13th 2026
🕓 Time: 16:30–19:00 CET
📍 Location: VOX at Lyngbyvej 100, 2100 Copenhagen

Please join us to celebrate the launch of three new pocket guides for diaspora organizations on Leadership, Management of Volunteer & Members, and Projects in the Country of Origin, plus discover more funding opportunities for diaspora in Denmark.

Event highlights:
🔹Presentation of the three pocket guides and learnings from the project by Abdi Khadir Gaal (SSPDO), Anisa Abdi Isse (DanSomala), Shoukat Naeimi (Afghan Cultural Association), Dekha B. Hussein (IFTIN), and Obaidullah Abdulhaq (Hela Afghan Youth Association).
🔹Update on DiPS funding opportunities by Matilde Tomasini, Diaspora Project Specialist (DRC)
🔹Introduction to diaspora funding opportunities at CISU by Christoph Lodemann, Advisor (CISU)

Wrap up the evening with a networking dinner and connect with fellow diaspora organizations driving change across Denmark and beyond.

Register here before April 9th: https://bit.ly/4sepeeR

25/11/2025

🌍 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝟓𝟎 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜-𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

On 19 November, the Danish Refugee Council's Diaspora Programme, in collaboration with The Nordic-Africa Diaspora Collective Initiative welcomed 50 participants at 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜-𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

The aim was to share ideas of future collaborations between different African diaspora, local communities in Africa, professional networks, and relevant stakeholders in the Nordic countries.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟:
✅ Institutionalizing diaspora engagement to promote sustainable collaboration and maintain policy continuity.
✅ Enhancing intersectoral partnerships among governments, the private sector, and civil society to foster shared development.
✅ Promoting intergenerational knowledge exchange to foster future leaders and ensure lasting impact across a wider community.

During the roundtable, participants discussed in 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 around:
🔹Working with diaspora in the Nordics for better humanitarian responses. 🔹Reframing development partnerships between Africa and the Nordic Countries.
🔹Economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, and innovation across Africa and the Nordic countries.

A sincere thank you to all participants, speakers, and partners who engaged and made this roundtable a forward-looking discussion.

20/11/2025

🤝 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐨-𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞

Earlier this week, we held the kick-off session of our new 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 for smaller and diaspora organisations in Denmark. With 17 organisations participating, we explored key challenges and shared best practices for leading volunteer-based diaspora associations. The discussion drew on valuable experience from five diaspora organisations:
🔸𝐒𝐒𝐏𝐃𝐎
🔸𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚
🔸𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍
🔸𝐀𝐊𝐅
🔸𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐀𝐟𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

These five organisations have served as the focus group for developing 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 aimed at strengthening organisational capacity:
✅ Leadership in Diaspora Associations
✅ Management of Members and Volunteers
✅ Projects in the Country of Origin

The pocket guides are now available in Danish, with an English edition coming soon.

🔗𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
https://drc.ngo/resources/documents/toolkits-peer-learning-strengthening-diaspora-organisations/

This project has been funded by Globalt Fokus and implemented in close collaboration with CISU - Civilsamfund i Udvikling. It has been made possible thanks to the dedicated engagement, feedback, and partnerships of diaspora actors and their local partners.