Enhancing Development through Diaspora Engagement in Armenia

Armenia benefits from a large and vibrant diaspora community with strong associations in many countries across the world. These associations (both formal and informal) support one another and new Armenian immigrants by providing integration assistance and unique networks. They also contribute to sustainable economic development of Armenia, through remittances, philanthropy, as well as non-financial contributions such as business networking and skills transfer. Estimates of the size of the broader Armenian diaspora reach approximately seven million, with major concentrations in Middle East, Western Europe, US, Canada, Russia and Australia.

While Armenia already benefits from the contributions of its diaspora population, these contributions are often carried out in an ad hoc and informal manner, thus limiting their impact and sustainability. The Government of Armenia (GoA) recognizes, through better communicating and coordinating with the large and diverse Armenian diaspora communities, Armenia can better harness and maximize diaspora contributions in a sustainable manner that aligns with national and local development strategies and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In order to develop a sustainable long-term approach to diaspora engagement that creates a true partnership between the diaspora communities and the GoA, the project aims to strengthen the development impacts of the Armenian diaspora through a) mapping and better understanding different segments of the diaspora population in terms of their demographics, skills, networks, and interests and b) developing the framework for an effective and sustainable diaspora communications strategy that takes account of the capacities and interests both of the GoA and of the Armenian diaspora.