Shows
The New GigFreelancing and The Future of Work: The New Gig (ep#115) Loksan Harley (Founder, Homelands Advisory)I speak with Loksan Harley (Founder, Homelands Advisory)about life as an international development freelancer, and the current dynamics of 1) responding to trends (e.g. USAID and UK cuts), 2) juggling family and professional life. We also discuss the importance of building a personal brand as well as the best and worst parts of being a freelancer.
2025-04-2627 min
Afri-CAN by Pharo FoundationEpisode 5: Diaspora and innovationThere is a cliché that the diaspora’s migration crowds out opportunities for home grown talent and national innovation through the so-called ‘brain drain’. However, there are many initiatives that defy this cliché and in this episode, we explore the many modalities through which the diaspora can make a positive difference both at an individual level and on a national scale, leading to increased innovation. To help us look at this we have brought on three expert guests who have each experienced the catalytic power of the diaspora. These are: Loksan Harley, Independent Migration and Diaspora Specialist and Executive Director...
2025-03-1531 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 55: African migration aspirationsHello and welcome to Episode 55 of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show about anything and everything to do with migration and diaspora engagement.
I’m delighted to be joined today by Linda Oucho, Executive Director of the African Migration and Development Policy Centre (AMADPOC), who shares her insights into African migrant decision-making.
About Linda
Linda is an established migration expert with over a decade of experience leading AMADPOC – a research think tank based in Nairobi, Kenya. Linda returned to Kenya after 16 years studying abroad in Ghana, Botswana and the UK. She draws from her e...
2024-07-2242 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 54: Transcontinental talent: Unlocking win-win opportunities in EU-India migrationHello and welcome again to yet another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we showcase projects and people from the field of migration and diaspora engagement. I’m your host Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory, your independent migration and diaspora agency.
India is one of the most interesting countries to study when it comes to migration. When I think of Indian migration, my mind jumps to the large Indian diaspora community in the UK, the migrant workers in the Gulf, historical indentured servitude in Africa, and Indian tech founders in Silicon Valley. One thing I don’t th...
2024-07-0843 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 53: Protecting displaced children's rights in Latin AmericaHello and welcome again to yet another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we showcase projects and people from the field of migration and diaspora engagement. I’m your host Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory, your independent migration and diaspora agency.
Now, it’s been a while since we talked about Latin America on this podcast, so I’m very excited to present to you a conversation with Mara Tissera Luna, one of the region’s preeminent experts on migration and especially children on the move in displacement situations, which is precisely the topic of the day. ...
2024-04-2938 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 52: The prize of diaspora engagement (and how we risk squandering it)Hello and welcome to a very special episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, in which we have our first-ever repeat guest. Great friend of Homelands Advisory and star guest of episode 2, Dr Martin Russell, AKA Doctor Diaspora, is back on the show to talk about the state of the diaspora engagement sector now four years on from that first interview.
About Martin
Everyone who works on diaspora engagement is more than familiar with Martin but for those of you who aren’t, Martin is the founder of the Global Diaspora Insights (GDI), a con...
2024-04-1559 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 51: Turning down the volume - how to make migration debates better
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, produced by Homelands Advisory, your independent migration agency. In case this is your first time tuning in, we spotlight projects, research and stories related to people on-the-move.
Today, we’ve got a heavyweight of the migration world, Rob McNeil from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, on the show to get his take on contemporary public debate on migration.
About Rob
Rob is the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Communications at the Migration Observatory, where he...
2024-04-0145 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 50: Engaging diasporas to localise humanitarian responsesHello and you’re listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show that shines light on some of the most impactful trends, projects and people working in the field of migration and diaspora engagement. And I’m your host, Loksan Harley, Executive Director of Homelands Advisory - your independent migration agency specialised in research, policy development and trainings.
About Bashàïr
Today, I’m joined by Dr Bashàïr Ahmed, CEO of Shabaka, a diaspora-led organisation specialised in research, policy and practice contributing to the role of diaspora and migrants in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery. B...
2024-03-1841 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 49: The journey of a granadilla - how a podcast is connecting Peruvian diaspora women
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we discuss topics, projects, ideas, and everything else related to migration and diaspora engagement.
Today, we’ve got a podcast about, well, podcasting. We’ve got Ana Lucía Gutiérrez González on the show to share her wonderful story connecting with fellow Peruvian diaspora women through the Granadilla Podcast that she hosts.
About Ana
Ana interviews Peruvian women around the world and shares their stories as a form of inspiration and motivation for future female migrants while cr...
2024-03-0441 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 48: Assessing migration governance - learnings from IOM’s MGI programmeHello, and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we discuss topics, projects, ideas, and everything else related to the movement of people.
Today, I’m joined by David Martineau, Senior Programme Manager at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who tells us all about the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) programme.
About David
Working within IOM’s department of policy and research, David works to build governments’ capacity to understand how their policy frameworks could better respond to emerging challenges and opportunities stemming from current migration dynamics. In his decade working...
2024-02-1939 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 47: How win-win labour mobility can address global skills imbalancesHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show about all things migration hosted by yours truly, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory.
Today, we’ve got a fascinating episode featuring my friend Salvatore Petronella from Labor Mobility Partnerships (LaMP).
About Salvatore
Salvatore Petronella is a migration governance specialist focusing on the EU external dimension, with a special focus on labour mobility and the smuggling of migrants. He is currently the Knowledge and Influence Lead at LaMP, developing proof-of-concepts for EU Member States and engaging with industry representatives and international inst...
2024-02-0547 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 46: Multi-stakeholder engagement in migration governance - reality from the groundHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show about all things migration. Today, I’m delighted to welcome Elana Wong from the Civil Society Action Committee (CSAC) to the show to talk about multi-stakeholder engagement in global migration governance.
About Elana
Elana is a young advocate for migrant rights, and civil and whole-of-society representation, currently serving as part of the secretariat for the CSAC and Global Forum on Migration & Development (GFMD) Civil Society Mechanism, housed under the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC). She formerly served as Co-Director (2021-2023) and Asia-Pacific Reg...
2024-01-2242 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 45: How ICMPD's new Migration Capacity Partnerships could usher a new era of cooperation in the MediterraneanHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast. We're taking a break from recording at the moment as we are in a particularly busy period delivering projects for several of our clients, but in case you were missing us, we wanted to make sure that we got this discussion to your airwaves ASAP.
I really enjoyed this conversation with Julien Simon, who is Head of Mediterranean Region at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), who tells us all about the ICMPD's new #MigrationCapacityPartnerships.
About Julien Simon
Julien has...
2022-09-1230 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 44: Bridging the African diaspora start-ups funding gap - in conversation with Zidi Circle's Fridah NtarangwiHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your co-host, Aurore.
Today, I'm joined by Fridah Ntarangwi, Founder and Managing Director of Zidi Circle to talk about how Zidi Circle is aiming to bridge the African diaspora venture funding gap.
About Fridah
Originally from Kenya, Fridah founded the first-ever diaspora entrepreneurship incubator out of the Netherlands, Zidicircle supporting the diaspora and migrants with entrepreneurship training, mentorship, match-making and access to investment to succeed as entrepreneurs both in their countries of residence and home countries.
Through her leadership, Zidicircle has...
2022-07-1836 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 43: Beyond the diaspora-development nexus: Towards value-based engagement & segmentation of the African diasporaHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your co-host, Aurore.
Today, I'm joined Kemo Camara, CEO and Founder of Omek to talk about the complexity of the African diaspora and how a psychographic segmentation of the latter led him to found Omek.
About Kemo
Originally from Guinea, Kemo is the founder of Omek, a community-centric platform whose mission is to amplify the talent, the voices, and energy of biculturals of African descent. Kemo is a social entrepreneur, community leader, economist, and public speaker.
Kemo believes that the potential...
2022-07-0446 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 42: Migration and development: the evolving nexus - global insights from Sonial PlazaHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory - your independent migration agency.
Today, we've got a true rockstar of the migration and development field, Sonia Plaza, on the show to share her insights and lessons learned from a long and distinguished career working for the World Bank in the field of migration, remittances and diaspora engagement.
About Sonia
Sonia Plaza is a Senior Economist in the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank. She is also the...
2022-06-2040 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 41: Migrant integration in Tunisia: Challenges and opportunitiesHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today, we're delighted to welcome Jenny Wright from the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Tunisia country office on the show to talk about the integration of international migrants in Tunisia.
About Jenny
Jenny Wright has been either working or volunteering with migration and migrants since 2001. She has used her project management, research and communications skills to dedicate over a decade of her life to consulting for non-profits and international organisations worldwide. She is currently working for the IOM in Tunisia (update: j...
2022-06-0637 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 40: Diaspora networking to build an "Everyone a Changemaker World" - Ashoka's storyHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory. Today, I'm joined by my friend Asier Ansorena, Senior Change Leader at Ashoka, to talk about diaspora networks and social entrepreneurship.
About Asier
Originally from Spain, Asier completed his studies in Economics and Political Science at the University of Michigan. He then worked at AIESEC on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship projects in Jordan and several Latin American countries.
In 2009, he moved to Brazil to lead the microcredit team of Instituto Banco Palmas, the first community bank in...
2022-05-2338 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 39: Governing by proximity - cities shaping migration policyHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley.
In today's episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Colleen Thouez, one of the foremost experts in the field of city-level migration governance.
About Colleen
Colleen Thouez is currently a senior fellow at the New School’s Zolberg Institute, where she directs the Global Cities portfolio. She is also a senior visiting fellow at SciencesPo Paris where she advises French cities, and the Africa-Europe Mayors Dialogue on Growth and Solidarity. As the inaugural director of the Welcoming and Inclusive Cities...
2022-05-0940 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 38: The Global Diaspora Summit 2022 - Paving the way towards achieving GCM Objective 19Today, we have with us Larisa Lara from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - one of the true unsung heroes of the diaspora engagement field - to tell us all about the landmark summit on diaspora engagement that took place just three weeks ago in April 2022.
About Larisa Lara
Larisa is the Transnational Communities and Digital Communications Officer at IOM headquarters. Larisa works to advance IOM’s policy and programming work in the area of digitalization as it relates to labour mobility and human development, with a specific focus on the IDiaspora.org (which I hi...
2022-04-2534 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 37: Communicating Migration with Marco RicordaHello and welcome back to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. Really excited to present you with the first of a new season of podcasts about everything migration and diaspora.
And what better way to kick off the new season than by bringing to your airwaves one of the foremost migration communicators and someone who I'd even place in the category of "migration influencer", with us on the show to talk about migration and communications.
Yes, you may have guessed it, I'm talking about Marco Ricorda.
Marco is an I...
2022-04-1135 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 36: How is migration governed at the city level? Mediterranean lessons learned from the MC2CM projectHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast - a show about all things migration, with me your host, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory.
Today, we're going local. We're talking all about city-level migration governance with Lamine Abbad from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and Fátima Fernández of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
Lamine
Lamine manages the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration project (MC2CM), which he'll tell us more about in a few moments. Previously, he was a project officer at UCLG in charge of mai...
2021-06-1458 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 35: What happens when victims of human trafficking are put on trial?Hello and you're listening to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast - a podcast about all things migration. Today, I'm thrilled to welcome human trafficking expert, Lori Mann, to the show to talk about trafficking in persons legal cases in which the victims of trafficking themselves are on trial as defendants.
But first, about Lori. Lori is an independent consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of international human rights and the rule of law, with a strong focus on women's rights and gender equality, including violence against women and human trafficking.
...
2021-06-0743 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 34: Tracking mixed migration flows in West Africa - insights from the Mixed Migration CentreHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, hosted by me, Loksan Harley, from Homelands Advisory, your independent migration and diaspora agency. Today, I'm delighted to be joined by Aurélia Donnard to talk about mixed migration in West Africa.
Aurélia became Mixed Migration Manager for West Africa at the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) in Dakar in August last year. She first joined the MMC West Africa Team as the 4Mi Project Manager in January 2020.
Aurélia has worked for the past decade on community-led development and human rights projects for the Senegal-based NGO Tos...
2021-05-3141 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 33: Serving the the Chinese and global diasporas - the story of the UKFCP and the Global Diaspora ConfederationHello and you're listening to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, powered by Homelands Advisory.
Today, we've got Peter Kwok with us, who is the Chair of both the newly-formed Global Diaspora Confederation and the UK Federation of Chinese Professionals.
Peter is originally from Hong Kong but has spent much of his career and life in the UK. In addition to his chairpersonships, he is also involved in 10 other diaspora associations and has held board positions at a further six community organisations in the UK and China. He has advised public, private and third se...
2021-05-2446 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 32: Connecting Diaspora For Development and the story of Zuhur's diaspora return to SomalilandGood morning and you're listening to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory.
I'm delighted to present to you today a lovely interview with a team member and diaspora participant of the Connecting Diaspora 4 Development (CD4D) programme, which is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Netherlands.
CD4D engages members of the Afghan, Iraqi, Nigerian and Somali diasporas to support the development of their countries of origin through the transfer of knowledge and expertise.
We're very lucky to be...
2021-05-1748 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 31: Super-charging African diaspora entrepreneurship - with ADN's Almaz NegashA very good morning to you and you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, one of the fastest-growing podcasts on migration and diaspora issues in the world... probably.
I'm delighted to welcome to the show, Almaz Negash, the Founder and Executive Director of the African Diaspora Network (ADN), an exciting network, based in Silicon Valley, that I've just joined as a member of the ADN Executive Leadership Council.
Almaz has been named one of the 100 outstanding Silicon Valley Women of Influence for her work in social innovation. In 2010, she founded the ADN, whose mission is...
2021-05-1037 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 30: What homelands can do to engage their diasporas - Oleg Chirita's insights from Moldova and the worldGood morning and you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show about anything and everything migration and diaspora.
Today, I am most excited to share with you this interview with Oleg Chirita, Head of Global Initiatives at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), about his experiences as an engaged member of the Moldovan diaspora, as well as he and ICMPD's work to support governments worldwide to engage their diasporas.
Oleg joined ICMPD in 2009, working extensively with ICMPD's programme of technical assistance to governments (the MIEUX programme). Over the years, Oleg rose through...
2021-05-0356 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 29: South Asia migration mega-trends - with Shabari Nair from ILOGood morning and you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory.
Today, we've got my friend, Shabari Nair from the International Labour Organization's (ILO) New Delhi office, on the show to talk us through South Asia's migration mega trends.
Shabari is the Labour Migration Specialist for South Asia at the ILO's Decent Work Technical Support Team in New Delhi. He provides technical advisory services to seven countries in the South Asian sub-region. Before that, he led ILO’s work on global migration policy, including during the Global Compact for Mi...
2021-04-261h 05
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 28: Mobilising Tunisian diaspora talent and investment - insights from GIZ's Oula TarssimGood morning and you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley from Homelands Advisory.
Today's guest is Oula Tarssim, the German Development Cooperation's (GIZ) Tunisia Coordinator for the Migration & Diaspora Programme.
Oula was born and raised in Germany to Tunisian parents. She started her career in marketing and management consultancy in Germany, before moving to Tunisia to work with the German-Tunisian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an integrated expert, as part of a GIZ collaboration. She went on to manage several German and EU-funded projects on youth employment, vocational...
2021-04-1955 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 27: Migrants and the platform/gig economy - opportunities, challenges and lessons from Europe and West & South AsiaGood morning and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, where we discuss everything to do with the movement of people. Today, we've got Glen Hodgson from Free Trade Europa on the show to talk about a trend that has certainly defined my life, but also the lives of many others, and the global economy. I'm talking about the platform economy and how it affects migrants.
So a bit about today's guest, Glen. Glen has over 20 years' experience in communications, public affairs and lobbying. He is the founder of the think tank Free Trade Europa, w...
2021-04-1248 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 26: The state of free movement of persons in AfricaHello, you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me Loksan Harley. Today we're talking all about the state of free movement of persons across the African continent with Amanda Bisong.
Amanda is a Policy Officer at the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), an independent think tank based in Maastricht, the Netherlands, that wants to make policies in Europe and Africa work for inclusive and sustainable development.
Amanda, originally from Nigeria, has Master's degrees in International Law and Economics (World Trade Institute, Bern) and International Trade Policy and Trade Law (Lund University). She i...
2021-04-0652 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 25: The UK's diaspora(s) - engagement insights from the Scottish Business Network and GlobalWelshWelcome to a very special episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast. Today I have on the show Christine Esson, Co-founder and CEO of the Scottish Business Network (SBN), and Walter May, Founder and CEO of GlobalWelsh.
First of all, a bit about of Christine, Walter, and their organisations.
Christine is a practically focused economic development specialist with significant expertise gained from working in global public and private sector organisations. Christine co-founded the SBN, a not-for-profit global community, facilitating greater communication and connectivity between the Scottish diaspora to support Scottish-based companies expand internationally.
Walter h...
2021-03-291h 07
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 24: The Missing Migrants Project - tracking missing and deceased migrantsHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, hosted from East Sussex, UK, by me, Loksan Harley.
Today I am excited to bring to your airwaves a discussion with Julia Black from the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC).
Julia coordinates IOM's Missing Migrants Project, which deals with data collection and identification of missing migrants worldwide. Julia is also the co-editor of IOM’s most recent report on migrant deaths and identification, Fatal Journeys 4, and has authored several other GMDAC publications. Before joining IOM, Julia ran a lo...
2021-03-2131 min
The Impact Consulting Podcast#8: Paddy's journey: Dipping in/out of freelancing and the consulting-parenting nexusHello and welcome back to the Impact Consulting Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley. Today we have my friend and IC-Hub member, Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, with us to talk us through her many years dipping in and out of freelancing throughout her career as a development economist and migration specialist.
About Paddy
Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, originally from Zambia, has over 16 years of professional experience as a Development Economist and Migration expert. Her work covers migration governance, regional integration and public finance management. Her experience spans supporting NGOs, governments, Regional Economic Communities, and UN agencies i...
2021-03-1758 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 23: The "Who", "What", and "How" of diaspora engagement - Roberto Cancel's insights from a global diaspora careerGood morning and you are listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast where we talk about all things migration. I'm your host Loksan Harley and as always I'm so happy to be bringing the best of the best migration and diaspora experts to your airwaves to share what they're working on and what they've learned. And today I'm joined by my friend Roberto Gil Cancel Comas, Senior Regional Labour Mobility and Human Development Specialist for South America at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Part of the great puertorriqueño diaspora, Roberto has been working with mig...
2021-03-1551 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 22: Latin America's migration mega-trends, with Felipe Muñoz from the Inter-American Development bankHello, you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today, we've got Felipe Muñoz, Chief of the Migration Unit at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with us to talk about Latin America's migration mega-trends.
A bit about Felipe. He's been in his current position leading IDB's migration practice since August 2020. Before that, for more than two years, he was advisor to the President of Colombia on the country's comprehensive response to migration from Venezuela, during which time he was in charge of coordinating government responses to the migration flows at the n...
2021-03-0846 min
The Impact Consulting Podcast#7: Caroline's journey: Using freelancing to maximise personal impact in the humanitarian spaceHello and welcome to another episode of the Impact Consulting Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley. Today I’m joined by Caroline Paoli who shares her impact consulting journey.
Caroline Paoli is a humanitarian professional with over ten years of experience in NGO headquarters as well as in the field, in human resources management and operational coordination. She is an investigator, trainer and consultant in safeguarding and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. She works with local and international NGOs.
After completing her studies in human resources management at a French business school, Caroline wo...
2021-03-0446 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 21: Looking at migration through the gender lensHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today I'm joined by Jenna Holliday to take a look at migration through the gendered lens.
So a bit about my friend, Jenna Holliday. Jenna is a migration, labour rights and gender specialist. Jenna consults extensively for United Nations and other international organisations, in particular the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Women, providing expert support on integrating gender and labour perspectives into migration policy.
Jenna's work is predominantly focused on the...
2021-03-0141 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 20: US presidential special briefing on the Biden migration agendaHello and welcome to a US presidential special edition episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show with me your host, Loksan Harley, about all things migration. Today, I have Jessica Bolter from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) with us to talk about the newly-elected President Joe Biden's migration agenda.
Jessica Bolter is an Associate Policy Analyst with the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at MPI, a non-partisan think tank based in Washington, DC. Jessica's research focuses on migration patterns at the U.S.-Mexico border, immigration enforcement, and asylum and refugee issues. For the past four...
2021-02-2247 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 19: Seeking Justice For Wage Theft for migrant workers in AsiaHello and welcome again to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show where we discuss everything migration. Today I'm speaking with a true powerhouse in the field of migrant rights in Asia, William Gois.
William is the current regional coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), a regional network of grassroots organisations, trade unions, faith-based groups, migrants and their families and individual advocates in Asia working together for social justice for migrant workers and their families. represented in 26 countries across Asia and the Middle East. He is the former chairperson of the Global Coalition for Migration (GCM) and o...
2021-02-1540 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 18: What do inter-state migration dialogues do and how do you run one (insights from the Rabat Process)?Hello and a big welcome, or bienvenue, to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley.
Today I'm absolutely thrilled to be joined by Audrey Jolivel from the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) to talk about the role of inter-state migration dialogues in migration governance.
Audrey is the Coordinator of the Secretariat of the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development, otherwise known as the Rabat Process Secretariat. She is also the West Africa Liaison at ICMPD. Audrey brings some 15 years of professional, policy and managerial experience in the m...
2021-02-0842 min
The Impact Consulting Podcast#5: Sophie’s journey: Generating consultancy work through writing & being firm but fair with clientsHello, and you’re listening to another episode of the Impact Consulting Podcast with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today I’m joined by Sophie Zinser to share her freelance consulting journey.
Sophie Zinser is a policy analyst and consultant focusing on forced labour and China's role in the Middle East, South and Central Asia. She has worked with refugees and migrants on developing community-focused policy solutions for five years across the Middle East and Asia. A 2018 Fulbright Research Fellow, 2020 Schwarzman Scholar in Beijing, and incoming Chatham House Fellow in London, Sophie is currently consulting in Hong Kong...
2021-02-0332 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 17: Migration and development - linkages, causes, and consequences with Prof. Melissa SiegelHello and welcome to yet another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley. Today we're returning to the fascinating topic of migration and development and how each affects the other. And I have the ideal guest on to share her wisdom on the topic - Dr Melissa Siegel from the United Nations University Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT).
Melissa is a Professor and Head of Migration Studies at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and UNU-MERIT where she manages several migration research projects and coordinates the M...
2021-02-0148 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 16: "Messy but beautiful" - how civil society engages in global migration governanceHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today I've got Colin Rajah on the show to talk about, in his words, the "messy but beautiful" business of advocating for civil society in global migration governance.
Colin is the Coordinator of the Civil Society Action Committee (AC), the largest global platform of civil society organizations and networks engaging in global migration governance and policy advocacy, housed by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC). He also serves as the Co-Coordinator of the Global Forum on Migration and Development’s Ci...
2021-01-2550 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 15: Engaging the African diaspora - contributions, under-exploited potentials, and insights from AFFORD-UKHello and welcome to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show in which we talk about anything and everything to do with migration; with me your host Loksan Harley.
Today I have the honour of being joined by Onyekachi Wambu, Executive Director of the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD-UK), to talk about his illustrious career spent engaging African diasporas in support of the African continent's development.
Onyekachi has had a distinguished career as a print and broadcast journalist, spending time as a senior producer and documentary director at the BBC and PBS. He...
2021-01-1859 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 14: Invaluable insights from providing technical assistance to 20 governments in the field of migrationHello, you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley. It's January 2021 so a very happy new year to you and let's hope this year is much better than 2020; I mean, it really has to be, right. For those of you subscribed already to this podcast's mailing list, I hope you enjoyed the new year update that I sent you last week and I'd really like to hear back from you and how I can support your migration and diaspora goals in 2021, so feel free to get in touch.
Today I have my...
2021-01-1150 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 13: The 20th birthday of the UN protocols on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants - cause for celebration?Hello and thanks for joining me your host, Loksan Harley, for another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast. I'm very lucky to be joined today by Dr Marika McAdam to discuss a special birthday that is taking place this year: the 20th birthday of the three Palermo protocols to address trafficking in persons, the smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of firearms. This certainly is not your usual birthday celebration!
For those who are less familiar with these topics, these three protocols were developed to supplement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). They provided...
2020-12-1453 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 12: How to engage diasporas in humanitarian assistanceWelcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast with me your host, Loksan Harley. Today I'm joined by Dr Daniela Villacres to talk about the fascinating topic of diaspora engagement in humanitarianism.
Daniela specialises on diaspora, remittances, and civic engagement mechanisms in the context of both international development and humanitarian assistance. Daniela has worked on these topics with governments, international organisations, non-profits, and research institutions. She has provided technical assistance on the behalf of the International Organization for Migration on mainstreaming diaspora engagement across multiple sectors, such as climate-induced displacement; and worked with the World Bank to reduce the...
2020-12-071h 01
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 11: How to use ICT to fight human trafficking and labour exploitationHello, I'm Loksan Harley and you're listening to another episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show about all things migration. I'm joined today by Hannah Thinyane to talk about Apprise, which is a tool for screening vulnerable populations with the potential to unmask situations of forced labour and human trafficking.
A little bit about Hannah: Hannah is currently a Principal Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute in Macau, where she leads the Migrant Tech Research Project. Since 2016 she has led a multi-disciplinary team, innovating and inventing ICTs to support proactive and consistent screening of...
2020-11-3043 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 10: How to integrate migration into international cooperation and developmentHello and welcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show in which we talk about anything and everything to do with migration; with me your host Loksan Harley.
Today, we are lucky to have with us Katy Barwise from the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) European Regional Office to talk about her and IOM's mission to "mainstream migration" into international cooperation and development, which broadly means taking into account the migration linkages within international development programmes and projects. Now if that still sounds like Greek or Chinese to you, do not worry because we'll...
2020-11-231h 01
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 9: How to maximise the potential of diaspora investmentGood afternoon, you're listening to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast where we discuss all things related to migration and diaspora, with me your host, Loksan Harley.
On this week's episode, we're joined by an absolute rockstar of a guest, Eric Guichard. Calling in from his home in Maryland, USA, Eric is CEO of Homestrings, which he founded in 2012 as a web-based crowdfunding platform, which offered the African diaspora access to investment opportunities. Homestrings raised over $25 million in capital from 5,000 members, which led to Eric being named 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year and 2014 African Financier of the Year i...
2020-11-161h 05
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 8: Caribbean migration in 2020 - intra/CARICOM and extra-regional trends, and the impact of the Venezuelan crisisHello and welcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley. Today, I have Jermaine Grant on the show, who joins us from his hometown of Georgetown, Guyana.
Jermaine has been working in the field of migration for the past 10 years. Most recently he was a Technical Officer, working with Guyana's Minister of Citizenship - a role which involved advising his government on migration policy and programmes, especially in relation to support to Venezuelan migrants and refugees.
Previously, Jermaine worked as a Programme Officer for the International Organization for...
2020-11-091h 10
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 7: The new EU Migration Pact - the definitive briefing with Timo from MPI EuropeHello and welcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a show in which we talk about anything and everything to do with migration; with me your host Loksan Harley.
For today’s episode, I was joined by a rising star in the migration world, Timo Schmidt, to talk about the European Union’s brand-new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was released on the 23 September by the European Commission.
Timo works at the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) Europe, a Brussels-based think tank focused on migration and asylum policy. His areas of expertise are EU a...
2020-11-021h 00
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 6: Migration and strategic communications - can and should we try and influence migration decisions?Welcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast about all things migration, with me your host Loksan Harley.
Today I'm joined by Paul Clewett to discuss the fascinating topic of strategic communications and behavioural-based migration interventions. Paul is an independent consultant specialising in research, evaluation and operations in fragile states. After developing a passion for migration at the Migration Policy Institute in Brussels, he spent several years at Seefar, an international social enterprise, where he supported the development of its global migration, modern slavery and justice programming. Years of research in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and N...
2020-10-2644 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 5: Children on the move in West and Central Africa - Context, vulnerabilities, and protection needsHello and welcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host Loksan Harley. Today I have Amanda Azzali on the show to talk about children on the move (or child migration).
Amanda is the Children on the Move Regional Advisor for West and Central Africa at Save the Children International, so she's really THE person to talk to on the topic.
A few words about Amanda. She first studied pedagogy with a specialisation in The Reggio Emillia Approach, before going on to study International Relations and International Development. She then worked a...
2020-10-1955 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 4: Critical next steps to achieving migrant remittances SDG Target 10.C - a conversation with Leon Isaacs ("Mr Remittances")Hello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast where we discuss all things related to migration, with me your host, Loksan Harley.
I was very excited to be joined for today's episode by Leon Isaacs, CEO of Developing Markets Associates (DMA), which is a specialist international development company that he founded in 2007. Leon is a seasoned expert and business leader in the payments and international development fields with a particular expertise in migrant remittances. During the course of his 30-year career, Leon was Managing Director of the International Association of Money Transfer Networks, he has ser...
2020-10-1259 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 3: Studying trafficking in persons in South Sudan - our findings and lessons learned along the wayWelcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast about all things migration, with me your host Loksan Harley. I'm delighted to see that we're averaging almost 100 plays per week at the moment, with viewers tuning in from across the world - from the US and the UK to Angola, Botswana, Egypt and Grenada. Thanks to you all for continuing to share the podcast with your networks!
On today's episode we discuss a research study that I carried out for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) into trafficking in persons in South Sudan. I was...
2020-10-0557 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 2: "Doing diaspora" - lessons learned from Dr Martin Russell's diaspora engagement work worldwideWelcome to today's show which is jointly presented by Doing Diaspora, a YouTube interview series by The Networking Institute, and The Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast hosted by me, Loksan Harley, where we discuss all things migration.
Today I was delighted to interview Dr Martin Russell. Martin completed his PhD on Diaspora Strategies & Conflict Transformation at the Clinton Institute (University College Dublin) where his work focused on diaspora networks, media, philanthropy and politics. He was also a visiting fellow at UNU-MERIT and is currently an advisor with The Networking Institute which provides teaching, training, and consultancy on n...
2020-09-2858 min
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastEpisode 1: Discussing China-Africa migration with Hannah Ryder and Development ReimaginedWelcome to today's episode of the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, a podcast about all things migration, with me your host Loksan Harley, and boy do we have a show for you today!
Today I was joined by a good friend of mine, and seriously one the most inspiring and hardworking people I know, Hannah Ryder.
Hannah is the CEO and founder of Development Reimagined, a pioneering international development consultancy in China.
Development Reimagined advises Chinese businesses how to invest in Africa sustainably; they advise sustainable African businesses on how to enter the Chinese market...
2020-09-181h 02
The Migration & Diaspora PodcastThe Migration & Diaspora Podcast: Season 1 trailerHello and welcome to the Migration & Diaspora Podcast, with me your host, Loksan Harley.
I'm starting this podcast to bring people together to discuss anything and everything related to the movement of people. I was inspired to start this podcast after sitting through many many webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt many of these events could have been audio recordings - recordings that you could listen to in the car, on your morning jog, or at the breakfast table.
While locked down, I also reflected on a different way to connect and engage with...
2020-09-0702 min