AFFORD is home to people – anybody that seems to identify themselves as Africans whether they be located on the continent or not. It doesn’t really matter, but it’s your consciousness of your identity as an African which is important. Which is important. I think that going forward, I’m seeing a lot more movements towards that direction. And like I said, the key is the day that Africa stops being the basket of despair and [is instead] the continent of hope.”
Nicholas Atampugre, 4th May 2023
What can we learn from looking at AFFORD’s work over the last 30 years? Perhaps that civic spaces can foster radical and progressive potential, offering opportunities for experimentation and trying out new ideas; that there has been part of a series of sweeping changes in how the migration-development nexus is conceived, and AFFORD, along with other actors have been part of this shift; that approaches to development in Africa have also changed, with Africa perhaps now seen space of investment potential, rather than charity; that civil society can also nurture narratives of ‘a rising Africa’.
There is also the possibility of learning from past struggles. For example, there is a need to reflect on how diaspora and development have been operationalised in the past, and whether how these policies are operationalised produces just and equitable partnerships. It is important to question the dynamics that exist within diasporic civil society ecosystems, and whether these reproduce or subvert dominant power relations. Crucially, the context in which development is being conducted is constantly changing, with new actors, priorities and ways of working shaping the landscape in unexpected ways. As a wider range of actors enters the sector, a key question that continues to drive AFFORD’s work is how to engage with newer actors and ways of working whilst maintaining a sense of diasporic agency. Reflecting on how to enhance financial sustainability and bring young people in to the organisation is also crucial.