Co-Financing Organizations and Self-Organizations:

First, let me express my deepest appreciation for inviting me to share my thoughts and ideas about the relationship between Dutch co-financing organizations and migrant and refugee self-organizations, specifically about development cooperation. It is not an easy topic. Up until now, this is an unexplored terrain. As far as I know, there are no recorded past experiences on which I can base my presentation since I am not aware if Dutch funding agencies are already supporting small development projects initiated by migrant and refugee organisations in their countries of origin.

Second, I would like to express my appreciation to the organizers of this event for taking a bold step and initiative in providing a forum to discuss a long-overdue concern of many migrant self-organizations.

Migrant self-organizations in the Netherlands have already existed for quite some time. If I may speak about the Filipino community as an example, Filipinos have already had their own organizations for more than twenty years now. Other migrant communities who have been here much longer than the Filipinos have already formed their own groups much earlier. Migrant self-organizations differ in the focus of their activities - there are social/cultural groups, faith-based groups, sports clubs, and associations for social services, for education, for economic concerns or entrepreneurship, and political groups. With these groupings, we can make two main distinctions: those organizations that fulfil the basic social needs of the community to meet together, to re-live their own cultural values and practices by organizing community events where they could wear their own traditional costumes, celebrate their national holidays, and relish their native delicacies. These activities are may be considered “trivial” by some; nevertheless, they help migrants considerably to overcome loneliness and to feel that they are connected with their compatriots. It is a panacea against “homesickness”, a way of expressing and asserting their own identities in an environment where integration into the Dutch society is highly expected from those wishing to become permanent residents or full-fledged citizens of this country.

The other groups focus their activities on the issues and concerns that migrants, immigrants, and refugees confront in the Netherlands. The leaders and members of these groups are usually actively involved in public discourses and they work very hard to bring about changes that would have a positive impact on them.

They are very much aware of the push and pull factors that brought migrants here in the Netherlands. They are aware that to achieve betterment in the well-being of compatriots in their native lands, positive economic and political changes must take place back “home”. It is not surprising, therefore, that they maintain close ties with various NGOs and groups in their home countries and extend support to various development projects and advocacy programs there.

I presume that many Dutch development organizations are aware of the existence of these self-organizations. But I should add: they may be aware of these self-organizations, but they probably don’t know them enough. Perhaps, they are not aware of the level of expertise and capacity of the self-organizations.

There are many self-organizations which are managed by people who have had wide experience and expertise in the field of development work before coming to the Netherlands. These people keep themselves abreast with what is happening in their own countries. For some, the reason why they are here in the Netherlands was because they were actively involved in development work (human rights, people’s organizations, lobbying against construction of dams, land reform, etc.) which placed them in conflict with repressive regimes of their own countries.

Although they work as volunteers simply means not being paid for the services they render and with very little resources to run their respective organizations, they devote a considerable amount of time, effort and even personal money, not only to strengthen their respective organizations, but also to engage in various types of work to help their countries of origin. They are often asked by Dutch development agencies and other Dutch solidarity groups to give presentations about the situation of their own country like giving testimonials. They do everything — from giving lectures, to presenting cultural programs, and even cooking their own native delicacies for the audience! If you want to find highly committed and engaged people, just look for them among self-organizations. Leaders and members of migrant self-organizations, however, aspire to do more than these. They want to be treated as equals. For instance, they want to be actively involved in the policy-making vis-à-vis development cooperation.

Many migrant self-organizations support community-based projects in their home countries by conducting fund-raising campaigns. For example, aside from initiating workshops and seminars on Filipino migrant concerns, Stichting Kapatiran which was established in 1990 has already collected the amount of dfl. 106,000 for literacy projects, piggery projects, and goat raising for unemployed women, building a community center, supporting earthquake and volcanic eruptions victims, etc. in the Philippines. Not bad for a small organization run and managed by volunteers. Kapatiran received donations from a local American Catholic Church, a church group in Middelburg, Gemeente Gouda, Rabo Bank– Gendringen, friends and families, business companies, schools, etc. We also found a way to avail of funding from Novib’s special fund in the Philippines for projects above dfl. 5,000. We recommended various proposals to Novib Philippine Desk over the past three years and we were surprise to hear from our local partners that they received funding directly from Novib through Asset Philippines. Surely this development is a welcome change. Unfortunately, I am only talking about one funding agency with which Kapatiran happens to have a good working relation.

Kapatiran is now facing a dilemma. Requests from local partners, specially the smaller ones, keep coming in, and we do not know up to what extent the proposal we recommend will be acted upon favorably by Novib. I have already tried recommending some proposals to other funding agencies. Before sending the proposals, I studied several times the project criteria of the funding agencies. Despite having done my homework, I still get answers such as “The project does not fall under our criteria”; “We don’t support projects initiated by organization based in the Netherlands” even if I had made it clear that I sent the proposals on behalf of the local communities in the Philippines and not for Kapatiran; “We only work with our existing partners and our existing funds do not permit us to support this type of project.” Or I simply did not receive any answer at all!!!

But what do you do with small local communities that do not have direct links with and are unknown to Dutch agencies? Should they remain disenfranchised?

Small community-based development projects are sometimes not taken seriously by funding agencies because of the insignificant impact they create. It is not newsworthy. It is not worth mentioning in their annual reports. But if the small community organizations submit a bigger funding request, all the more they do not get financial support because Dutch development agencies doubt their capacity to manage, implement and evaluate their programs, or they simply are not familiar with the project proponents here in the Netherlands. Migrant and refugee organizations are virtually invisible. It is a Catch-22 situation.

I also receive requests from local organizations in the Philippines to follow up the proposals they submitted to the funding agencies, or to make appointments for them when their representatives happen to be in the Netherlands. But I often hesitate to accede to their requests because I am not sure how funding agencies would deal with my queries, especially when I make appointments for different people coming from different organizations. To be specific about it, I am not sure, whether I have the right to do this. How welcome are my initiatives? My impression is that Dutch development agencies do not like to work with go-between. It is a hassle.

It would be interesting if a study to find out the extent of financial assistance sent by migrant organizations to their respective home countries will be conducted. This would help us measure the impact of contributions of migrant communities to development cooperation.

What are the limits and possibilities of cooperation between Dutch development agencies and self-organizations?

The possibilities are many if only Dutch development agencies would start looking seriously for local partners right here in the Netherlands and take efforts to tap their expertise. The leaders and members of self-organizations here are highly motivated and determined enough to see to it that the projects succeed no matter how small for as long as they are given the proper guidance and enough resources. Self-organizations, if properly tapped and motivated, can provide Dutch development agencies excellent support to their various campaigns here in the Netherlands.

For their part, Dutch development agencies can assist self-organizations if they “maximize” the visit of their guests from development countries by allowing them to meet their compatriots. These guests are valuable resource persons. If timely informed, self-organizations can always try organizing informal discussions with the guests. The benefits are mutual: the guests will get to know the situation of their compatriots—the migrants, immigrants, and refugees, while self-organizations can ask questions about the activities and programs of the organizations represented by the speakers. Who knows, they can establish future mutual cooperation.

This workshop poses a question for which I sincerely hope we can provide concrete answers today.

If I am allowed to make a few suggestions, I would like to pose the following:

1.) If MFOs are seriously thinking about involving self-organizations in recommending and evaluating projects, they should conduct environmental scanning to find out capable persons from various self-organizations representing the countries where Dutch development agencies actively work with.
2.) Harness this available human capital. Invite these people not only to recommend projects but also to exchange ideas, opinions, and analyses about the latest developments in their home countries. Ask them for their independent opinions on what they think about the activities of NGOs (partner organizations) in their home countries.
3.) Involve them in conducting country evaluation or various campaigns.
4.) Conduct an exploratory meeting with these persons to find out how they mutually help each other.
5.) Conduct orientation training on how Dutch development agencies operate in the countries concerned; explain the project criteria and what the present needs are so that the contact persons of various self-organizations would be guided next time they recommend project proposals to avoid giving false hopes and expectations.
6.) Establish formal relationship, taking these persons (country experts) as equal discussion partners.
7.) Set aside a special fund which self-organizations can avail of to support the development projects in their countries of origin.
8.) Assist self-organizations in their fund-raising campaigns.
9) Provide them with technical assistance and other capacity building activities.

It is about time that the contribution of migrant communities is recognized by the Dutch government and by the governments of their countries of origin. In 1998 alone, overseas Filipinos (those outside the Philippines) sent home a total amount of US$ 7 billion dollars overseas remittances. There is a development potential of migration if funds sent by the migrants are tapped properly and parlayed to countryside development. Dutch development agencies might like to support the conduct of studies to find out how a portion of the overseas remittances could be harnessed to support development projects instead of having government use the remittances for foreign debt repayments, or having commercial banks invest the money to build commercial centers, megamalls, golf courses, and other projects that do not generate employment and economic development particularly in the countryside.

This workshop poses a question that can be answered from two viewpoints: from the Dutch development agencies and from self-organizations. Each side has its own needs but each also has its own reservations and doubts as well. If a positive relationship will be established in the near future, leaders and members of self-organizations will finally consider it as recognition of their many past efforts. With their experience and knowledge of their countries sharpened by their stay in the Netherlands, there is no reason why they cannot become worthy active participants in shaping development cooperation policy.

The bigger challenge confronts Dutch development agencies. Will they invite more cooks to come up with a more delectable, multi-cultural dish, or will we just have to contend with one single “Dutch treat”, the Dutch development agencies' s delight.

This is a tall order but I hope Dutch development agencies and self-organizations will deal with in the near future. I hope one day Dutch development and self-organizations will be able to work together to achieve their common goal: to help the countries they both care for.

Paper presented during the ARC MUNDI Conference, 23 September 2000, The Hague.

Note: In 2003, ICCO, Cordaid, Hivos, Oxfam Novib, Plan Nederland together with NCDO and COS Nederland opened a front office called LINKIS. This a new facility where migrant organisations can apply for funding to support their projects in their countries of origin. Several dialogues and meetings are being conducted to promote cooperation. In 2006, Oxfam Novib finally included migration, remittances and family networks among the innovative themes in its strategic business plan 2007-2010.

July 28, 2007