On 12 November 2021, within the frames of the EU-funded Project: ”Sustaining Border Management and Migration Governance in Georgia”, IOM Georgia hosted the training on “Contributing to Local Development in Georgia through Diaspora”. The training was organized in a hybrid format and it brought together the representatives from the Department for Relations with Diaspora and International Economic Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Administration of the Government of Georgia, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Vocational Skills Agency, as well as representatives from the local municipalities.

Mr. Mukhran Gulaghashvili welcomed the participants on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and gave an overview of the existing national strategies and policies for engaging the Georgian diaspora.

The workshop was jointly led by Dr. Michaella Vanore, M&D Specialist, and Dr. Martin Russell, Founder of Global Diaspora Insights Limited. The training was shaped around the following topics:

• Diaspora Communications: Building and Maintaining Networks for Impact
• Capitalizing for Development through Diaspora Engagement
• Connecting Diaspora Interest with Opportunity

Speakers from Kosovo, Turkey and Ireland were invited to intervene during the panel discussions and share the good practice examples of diaspora communication strategies, as well as key challenges and lessons learned.