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May we help with your questions?
Thank you for your questions and we hope our FAQ helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for visiting our FAQ page.
We hope you will find the information useful but if you have any enquiries you wish to find out directly from us, please feel free to contact us via GDC Virtual Reception.
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What is the Global Diaspora Confederation? What does it do?The Global Diaspora Confederation (GDC) is the world’s largest diaspora-led civic society organization that brings together Diaspora Organizations from across the globe to unite, support, develop and promote global diaspora communities. Led by Diaspora Organization leaders and partnered with the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), the GDC has the following overall objectives: Support exchange of best practices among Diaspora Organizations; Facilitate concrete joint initiatives among Diaspora Organizations; Identify global solutions which can be deployed locally; Promote cooperation between international development and humanitarian actors and Diaspora Organizations.
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Does the GDC run the global Diaspora Organization sector?The GDC does not run the sector but helps strengthen it by pioneering the coming together of Diaspora Organizations globally.
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What are the GDC's goals, values, and mission?"The GDC aspires to be the world's most united organization by building an inclusive movement where all Diaspora Organizations can be supported, belong to, discover, and realize their ambitions in order to achieve peace, unity, and social and economic advancement for all. Please visit the ‘About Us’ page on our website for further information about the GDC’s goals, values, and mission.
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I would like to send a proposal via email to the GDC. How can I contact the right person?Thank you in advance for your enquiry; we would like to hear from you. Please feel free to contact us via the Contact Form to be directed to the appropriate team to provide support for your proposal.
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Why should we join the GDC?The GDC offers membership and non-membership. As members, Diaspora Organizations have the opportunity to support their own communities and create opportunities both individually and with other Diaspora Organizations in their regions. Through continuous capacity building by the GDC, members are better equipped for growth in order to take up global leadership positions in the Diaspora Organization sector whilst promoting unity among people of the global diaspora. Non-members, including individuals, diaspora partners and non-registered Diaspora Organizations through affiliation with the GDC are kept abreast of the latest developments/news amongst Diaspora Organizations in various regions.
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Who are the GDC partners? What are their roles?The GDC has diverse partners ranging from humanitarian agencies to UN agencies. These partners work closely with the GDC to respond to specific project challenges of Diaspora Organizations as the need arises.
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How is the GDC different from the UN IOM?The UN IOM is a close partner of the GDC. They helped lay the foundations for the GDC and remain the primary stakeholders. The GDC is established as a non-governmental organization to support Diaspora Organizations.
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Does the GDC work with governments?Yes. Governments are key partners that support the GDC’s work with Diaspora Organizations. The GDC is particularly interested in working with governmental departments that oversee and work directly with Diaspora Organizations.
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How does the GDC work on projects?GDC works with member Diaspora Organizations and partners such as governments and humanitarian agencies to explore options to facilitate the development of projects that help address challenges facing these Diaspora Organizations and their communities on request.
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What are GDC's plans for the next 12 months?Feedback received from Diaspora Organizations during the Global Diaspora Week event (12th - 18th December 2021) will guide the GDC's next steps to ensure that future plans are made on the basis of priority. The GDC will continually work with diaspora partners to further advance its agenda and consolidate membership and plans for the next five years.
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Does the GDC organize events?Yes, the GDC organizes events. For more information on our events, please check the event page on our website.
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What is the Global Diaspora Confederation (GDC)?GDC is a global movement of Diaspora Organizations (DOs) working towards a world of unity, peace and development for all diasporas. GDC aspires to be the world's most united organization by building an inclusive movement where all Diaspora Organizations can be supported, belong to, discover and realize their ambitions in order to achieve peace, unity, and social and economic advancement for all. Our mission is to help unify, support, develop and promote Diaspora Organizations across the world through linking diaspora communities and allys. A key objective of GDC is to be an influential system leader for global diasporas’ interests and to establish, pioneer, and be the authentic voice of a worldwide sector alliance of Diaspora Organizations. Ultimately, empowering Diaspora Organizations to continually create sustainable, collaborative, and positive impacts for their communities and societies is of crucial importance. For more information please visit our website and read our profile here.
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What does the global diaspora community look like?There are 3 ways to describe the diaspora community; diasporas have a country of origin and country of destination, they are from all walks of life, they could be descendants of migrants or new immigrants, refugees or expats in different professional fields. Many times they may be seen or fall under the minority groups in their countries of destination. The diasporas create important social and economic impact in countries. Diaspora Organisations (DOs) organize the diaspora communities into groups to implement different activities and readily support in development and humanitarian assistance of the diasporas.
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Who can become a member of the GDC?All registered Diaspora Organisations (DOs) operating from any part of the world. GDC also has opportunities for non-registered DOs and individuals. For further information on how to connect with GDC, see here.
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What is the importance of membership?Members will contribute to the solidarity and growth of the global diaspora communities, while also providing support to diasporas in their countries of operation and beyond. As a GDC member, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with GDC to implement projects that will contribute to the growth of the diaspora and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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How do I apply for membership for my DO?Please see here for details on how to apply for GDC membership.
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How can I become a member?Become a member by meeting the membership criteria, completing the membership application form on our website, and providing any other necessary information requested by GDC.
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What is the duration/validity of my membership?4 years. DOs are expected to reconfirm/renew membership every 4 years to ensure they are still active.
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Does the membership have any costs associated with it?There is no cost for membership application for now.
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How are GDC members recognised?Once membership is approved, members will receive a GDC Membership Certificate for the membership level.
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I am an individual and I am not registered as an organization. Can I still become a member?No, however, you can connect with GDC as an affiliate, which is open to non-diaspora organisations and individuals. Please see: https://www.theglobaldiaspora.org/members
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What is included with my membership?Membership certificate, opportunity to connect with other diaspora organisations, access to the GDC humanitarian hub, opportunity to collaborate with GDC and other diaspora organisations in GDC network for project implementation and interventions.
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What is excluded from my membership?We do not provide legal, medical and financial advice and we are not liable for any introductions and referrals we make to members.
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I left my position with an organization that had membership and will begin working at another organization. Can I keep my membership?No, if the new organization is happy to register you as a representative, then it should be okay. Membership is mainly for Diaspora Organisations and the old organization will need to register a new representative if they do not have any other representative. If the new organization has not registered with GDC as a member, application will need to start from the beginning. GDC Membership is not transferable.
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What is expected from my organization if I become a member?Diaspora Organisations are expected to abide by the membership guidelines in the members handbook, participate in GDC members activities as required and be committed to continually contribute to diaspora communities. GDC also expects that your organisation will be a good model to other Diaspora Organisations, leading by example and complying with the relevant local laws. Ultimately, GDC expects that your organisation continues to share GDC’s vision to promote peace, unite, support and develop global diaspora communities.
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Are there different levels of membership?Yes. Please refer to the membership page here.
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How can organizations go up the ladder of the GDC membership levels?In order to move from one membership level to another, the organisation will be expected to meet the specific criteria outlined in the members handbook.
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Who is GDC accountable to? Partners? Board of Trustees? IOM?GDC is accountable to the confederation’s Board of Trustees, the Global Diaspora and our Donors.
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Who are GDC partners?GDC partners involve different stakeholders, which includes; Inter-governmental organizations, Government, Non-Government Organisations, Private Sector and Diaspora Organizations (DOs).
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Does membership with GDC mean an affiliation to the UN or an automatic acquisition of the UN ECOSOC consultative status?No, it does not. GDC has partnerships with UN Agencies (particularly with IOM), but GDC is not a UN agency itself.
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What if my membership questions are not answered in the FAQs, who should I contact?Please contact us through the contact us page here.
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What are the benefits of the membership?Members have better chances of partnering with GDC in projects and being qualified for exclusive opportunities. Members are also recognised by GDC and may be recommended for opportunities as they arise. Member organisations may have the opportunity to coordinate activities in their regions and represent diaspora communities at the global level during GDC events. Diaspora Organisation members will have a voice at the global level through the confederation on advocacy as well as work together to influence policies and promote inclusion. All members become a part of a system that enables DOs progress and provides opportunity and platform to grow and be empowered. Diaspora Organisation members will benefit from continuous development opportunities that may be offered by GDC to its Diaspora Organisation members.
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What support do I get?Diaspora Organisation members will receive support through the confederation’s network and platform. Members will also have peer-to-peer support from the diaspora community. GDC plans to empower members in some areas of identified needs that align with programme goals through capacity building activities.
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Do my membership benefits take effect immediately?Yes.
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Can I cancel my membership?Yes, at any time but give us at least 2 months’ notice if possible.
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Is there any penalty if I decide to leave the membership?Members who decide to cancel but are on a project funded or partnered by GDC may lose the opportunity to continue implementing or participating.
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How do I renew my membership? How often?Members will need to confirm or update their DO information on our system every 4 years. Membership can be renewed as often as the DO decides to remain a member.
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Is there an opportunity for automatic renewal of my membershipNo.
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How does the GDC membership support organizations in my country?GDC supports DOs through Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity building.
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Will the members have a members-only page/portal?We are considering developing a members-only portal but for the time being, we will be using iDiaspora as our platform.
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Does GDC have 24/7-line support?Not at the moment but we have a diverse team across different regions and typically respond to emails within 72hrs. Please use our contact us page for quicker responses.
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How can I sign up for the Global Diaspora Week event?Please check each virtual event day under the Event section 'Global Diaspora Week' on our website.
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How long is the event?We do not foresee any of the events during the Diaspora Week exceeding 2 hours per day.
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Will there be more events like this?Yes! Global Diaspora Week is an annual global event, but we also have smaller events programmed before the Global Diaspora Week next year. For more information, please check the Event section on our website
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What is the purpose of the event?The purpose of the Global Diaspora Week is to bring Diaspora Organizations together, create unity through diversity, give voice to Diaspora Organizations to advocate for small communities by letting them be heard by many diaspora partners, governments, and intergovernmental organizations in the world. Additionally, the Global Diaspora Week examines methods of collaboration and building strong partnerships to create concrete solutions.
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Who are the key contacts for the event?Feel free to contact our GDC virtual reception team in the 'Contact us' section of our website. They will be able to help you and provide any context for your continent.
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Does the GDC work with students or student groups in the diaspora?Yes, overseas student groups at universities are also Diaspora Organizations. A very large number of them are eligible to join the GDC. If students wish to join us as volunteers, we have a minimum age requirement. University students who are aged above 18 can apply for our volunteering positions, providing they also meet our other requirements.
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Am I registering my Diaspora Organization or myself as a representative of my DO with the GDC?The GDC’s membership is only open to Diaspora Organizations, when your DO membership application is successful, you will be able to register two leading representatives of your Diaspora Organization with us. For more information, please visit our Members section.
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I do not run a Diaspora Organization but want to get involved.Thank you for your kind interest in getting involved. If you are interested in creating a new Diaspora Organization, you can apply to the GDC Academy for DO programmes. If you are interested in volunteering with the GDC, you can apply to the GDC Academy for the Secretariat programme. If you only want to be kept in touch for future activities that may be open to you as an individual, please feel free to sign up for our newsletter via 'Sign up free' button at the top right corner of the website.
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My Diaspora Organization wants to organise a campaign against the policy set out by the Government, can the GDC help?"The GDC takes the needs and challenges of every Diaspora Organization seriously and on a case-by-case basis. As much as we aim to support Diaspora Organizations on major challenges, we also need to take into account many legal and global issues that may be affiliated with your proposed activities and implications to other diaspora groups. While the GDC does not decide the actions of every Diaspora Organization, where possible, we will carry out consultations and apply an approach that enables issues to be addressed or solutions to be reached harmoniously and respectfully.
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