Codevelopment
Encyclopedia
Codevelopment is a trend of thought and a development strategy in development studies
which considers migrants to be a developing factor for their countries of origin.
Although it is widely accepted that it was French
scholar Sami Naïr
who first coined the word codevelopment, it is believed this phenomenon has existed alongside migrations since they exist. Traditionally, immigrants (especially those who migrate for economic reasons) have, collectively or individually, supported their communities of origin.
In 1997 Sami Naïr, while directing the Interministerial Mission on Migration/Codevelopment, defined this last concept as a proposal for integrating immigration and development in a way that migration fluxes will benefit both the country of origin and the country of destination. This is, a consensual relationship between two countries that will allow migration to the country of destiny not to imply an equivalent loss in the country of origin.
Adherents to this model believe that it fosters mutual collaboration among countries in a way that traditional and hierarchical north-south development focus did not.
In this context, immigrant initiatives enrich the countries of origin both from a cultural and a human resources
perspective. Their condition as transnational citizens would allow them a better understanding of the needs of both the communities of origin and destination.
For this reason, their participation in projects involving members of their communities, in both “their” countries would be more effective, as priorities and needs would be correctly identified.
On the other hand, this participation would also work as an integrating force in the destination countries, as they would be perceived as an enriching factor by the public opinion and institutions.
At a European level, codevelopment was first mentioned during the Tampere Summit held in October 1999, when the European Council
defined 5 guidelines for the new European migration policy aimed at a common space of "Liberty, Security and Justice".
Anyhow, critics consider that Tampere quickly shifted towards a Fortress Europe
mentality, limiting development aid
to those countries willing to implement migration control measures and accepting repatriations.
An example of this tendency may be found in the imbalance between de 23 million euro budget that the EU plans on investing in the Schengen Information System
and the Visa Information System
(aimed at a further immigrant identification and control) with the 3 million euro budget (4 million in its second year) granted to codevelopment projects.
At the state level, in accordance with Tampere Summit on Migration, the GRECO Plan on migration management (Programa Global de Regulación y Coordinación de la Extranjería y la Inmigración 2000-2004), was launched by the Interior Ministry in 2001. This Plan devoted an important space for “joint development”, in line with the policies of Tampere and the French government. GRECO insisted on technical and educational cooperation, the voluntary return of migrants, the channelling of migrants’ remittances to development projects, and finally, on the cooperation with those governments that were ready to accept the returned illegal migrants, as well as to control the exit of their citizens with destination Spain. However, codevelopment was not even mentioned as a policy line in the Immigration law passed in 2000, and did not receive proper funding within the GRECO’s framework.
Since ending 2004, codevelopment policies have been open to discussion, including the contents, limits, and plans. Two state agencies claimed their space in codevelopment actions: the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the brand new General Directorate of Immigrants’ Integration, at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Regional and local authorities soon adopted this win/win approach and consequently launched several codevelopment guidelines within their Integration Plans and Development Cooperation Strategies. Ending 2009, most of the Spanish Regions (Comunidades Autónomas) had considered codevelopment and had set up budget lines both for migrants' associations and Development NGOs. Graciela Malgesini argues that codevelopment and migrants' remittances partly redirect the decentralized cooperation funds to their countries of origin.
According to Graciela Malgesini , spontaneous codevelopment could be defined as the win/win effect, the linkage between migration and development, which generates mostly positive impacts on both the society of origin of immigrants, and the host society. This definition presumes the role of immigrants as actors and vectors of development, in "both sides", and the understanding of the relations between host countries (North) and sending countries (South) in a horizontal way. Codevelopment is directly related to Transnationalism.
Carlos Gimenez pinpointed other two characteristics of codevelopment: (1) The multiplicity of stakeholders (a network of participants that surpasses both quantitatively and qualitatively the traditional agents in the traditional development cooperation projects, as it includes authorities, social organizations, trade unions, universities, training institutes, businesses and immigrant associations). (2) Transnational citizenship (immigrants acting in codevelopment activities, embedded in a transnational dynamic, are also transnational citizens, to the extent that they have a dual presence. This dual space of belonging, in turn, encourages decision making, influences on the economic, political and social development, and allows the formation of a separate identity, based on two geographical areas, the country of origin and the country of destination).
Development studies
Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...
which considers migrants to be a developing factor for their countries of origin.
Although it is widely accepted that it was French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
scholar Sami Naïr
Sami Nair
Sami Nair is an Algerian-born French political philosopher who coined the term "codevelopment". A specialist on migration movements and their socio-political effects, he advised the government of Lionel Jospin from 1997–1999, and the European Parliament until 2004...
who first coined the word codevelopment, it is believed this phenomenon has existed alongside migrations since they exist. Traditionally, immigrants (especially those who migrate for economic reasons) have, collectively or individually, supported their communities of origin.
In 1997 Sami Naïr, while directing the Interministerial Mission on Migration/Codevelopment, defined this last concept as a proposal for integrating immigration and development in a way that migration fluxes will benefit both the country of origin and the country of destination. This is, a consensual relationship between two countries that will allow migration to the country of destiny not to imply an equivalent loss in the country of origin.
Adherents to this model believe that it fosters mutual collaboration among countries in a way that traditional and hierarchical north-south development focus did not.
In this context, immigrant initiatives enrich the countries of origin both from a cultural and a human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
perspective. Their condition as transnational citizens would allow them a better understanding of the needs of both the communities of origin and destination.
For this reason, their participation in projects involving members of their communities, in both “their” countries would be more effective, as priorities and needs would be correctly identified.
On the other hand, this participation would also work as an integrating force in the destination countries, as they would be perceived as an enriching factor by the public opinion and institutions.
Codevelopment and migration control
In countries receiving immigration, codevelopment has been implemented by the institutions in a different way. Since they were first implemented in France, codevelopment initiatives in Europe have been frequently linked to control of the migration fluxes, often promoting the return of immigrants.At a European level, codevelopment was first mentioned during the Tampere Summit held in October 1999, when the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
defined 5 guidelines for the new European migration policy aimed at a common space of "Liberty, Security and Justice".
Anyhow, critics consider that Tampere quickly shifted towards a Fortress Europe
Fortress Europe
Fortress Europe was a military propaganda term from the Second World War which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the free United Kingdom across the Channel...
mentality, limiting development aid
Development aid
Development aid or development cooperation is aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social and political development of developing countries.It is distinguished...
to those countries willing to implement migration control measures and accepting repatriations.
An example of this tendency may be found in the imbalance between de 23 million euro budget that the EU plans on investing in the Schengen Information System
Schengen Information System
The Schengen Information System , is a governmental database used by European countries to maintain and distribute information on individuals and pieces of property of interest. The intended uses of this system are for national security, border control and law enforcement purposes...
and the Visa Information System
Visa Information System
The European Union Visa Information System is a database containing information, including biometrics, on visa applications by Third Country Nationals requiring a visa to enter the Schengen group....
(aimed at a further immigrant identification and control) with the 3 million euro budget (4 million in its second year) granted to codevelopment projects.
Codevelopment in Spain
Since the late nineties, codevelopment has been the subject of postgraduate studies, specialist courses, discussions and forums among multiple stakeholders, as well as calls for project grants by some local and regional administrations, beginning with the Municipality of Madrid. These authorities quickly became aware of the local impact of the presence of new immigrant communities, the importance of the links that bind them with their communities of origin, and the desirability of relating them in any future action to support the policies of cooperation. Codevelopment policies had a much stronger presence and development in the regional and local levels.At the state level, in accordance with Tampere Summit on Migration, the GRECO Plan on migration management (Programa Global de Regulación y Coordinación de la Extranjería y la Inmigración 2000-2004), was launched by the Interior Ministry in 2001. This Plan devoted an important space for “joint development”, in line with the policies of Tampere and the French government. GRECO insisted on technical and educational cooperation, the voluntary return of migrants, the channelling of migrants’ remittances to development projects, and finally, on the cooperation with those governments that were ready to accept the returned illegal migrants, as well as to control the exit of their citizens with destination Spain. However, codevelopment was not even mentioned as a policy line in the Immigration law passed in 2000, and did not receive proper funding within the GRECO’s framework.
Since ending 2004, codevelopment policies have been open to discussion, including the contents, limits, and plans. Two state agencies claimed their space in codevelopment actions: the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the brand new General Directorate of Immigrants’ Integration, at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Codevelopment policy
During 2005 there has been progress in the search for a consensus on competences and actors. A codevelopment line was mainstreamed in the Master Plans on Development Cooperation, and two years later, also in the new Integration Plan, called Strategic Plan on Citizenship and Integration 2007-2010, which was finally implemented in 2007, by the Ministry of Labour and Migration.Regional and local authorities soon adopted this win/win approach and consequently launched several codevelopment guidelines within their Integration Plans and Development Cooperation Strategies. Ending 2009, most of the Spanish Regions (Comunidades Autónomas) had considered codevelopment and had set up budget lines both for migrants' associations and Development NGOs. Graciela Malgesini argues that codevelopment and migrants' remittances partly redirect the decentralized cooperation funds to their countries of origin.
Current definitions of codevelopment
In the last ten years, academic research on codevelopment increased, as a result of the strong immigration process experienced by the Spanish society from 2000 onwards (which represented nearly 80% of Spain’s demographic growth). Many universities decided to open up new learning courses on the matter, following the steps of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Several doctoral thesis are currently being carried out, focusing diverse aspects of codevelopment, including the impact of migration and remittances in the sending countries, mainly Ecuador, Colombia and Morocco. Migrants living in Spain remitted nearly EURO 10 thousands millions, in 2007 (while the overall Spanish OAD summed only half of this amount).According to Graciela Malgesini , spontaneous codevelopment could be defined as the win/win effect, the linkage between migration and development, which generates mostly positive impacts on both the society of origin of immigrants, and the host society. This definition presumes the role of immigrants as actors and vectors of development, in "both sides", and the understanding of the relations between host countries (North) and sending countries (South) in a horizontal way. Codevelopment is directly related to Transnationalism.
Carlos Gimenez pinpointed other two characteristics of codevelopment: (1) The multiplicity of stakeholders (a network of participants that surpasses both quantitatively and qualitatively the traditional agents in the traditional development cooperation projects, as it includes authorities, social organizations, trade unions, universities, training institutes, businesses and immigrant associations). (2) Transnational citizenship (immigrants acting in codevelopment activities, embedded in a transnational dynamic, are also transnational citizens, to the extent that they have a dual presence. This dual space of belonging, in turn, encourages decision making, influences on the economic, political and social development, and allows the formation of a separate identity, based on two geographical areas, the country of origin and the country of destination).
Codevelopment in practice
Transnationalism and codevelopment are spreading.In Latin America, covedelopment is a relatively new idea, but it has been embraced by grassroots organizations. For example, on November 25, 2010, FAMIGRANTES—the Federation of associations gathering migrants' family members in South America—gathered in their 4th Meeting on Migration and Codevelopment, in Rosario, Argentina. They stated that the codevelopment approach was the best way of understanding the contribution that their relatives were making both in the reception countries and in their homelands (www.famigrantes.org and www.famisur.org). At the same time, more than 100 migrants' associations launched FEDACOD (Federation of Associations for Codevelopment) in Valencia, Spain, on September 24, 2010 (www.fedacod.com).External links
- Tampere Council
- Opendemocracy article on the relation between development and disporas
- Eshan Mashood, on diaporas and development
- CODEVELOPMENT IN SPAIN External links
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid, convocatoria de codesarrollo http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.236ae1c4f6e0b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=61800f9aa1ae1110VgnVCM1000000b205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4172adb6fc3d8010VgnVCM100000dc0ca8c0RCRD
- Programa GRECO http://ldei.ugr.es/webequal/Documentos/TextosArenaProfesionales/ModuloB/Textos/PlaGRECO.pdf
- Plan Director de la Cooperación Española http://magno.uab.es/fas/cooperacio/Documentacio/Politiques/plan_director_2005-08.pdf
- Plan Estratégico Ciudadanía e Integración http://www.mtas.es/migraciones/Integracion/PlanEstrategico/Docs/PECIDEF180407.pdf
- Consenso social sobre inmigración http://www.consensosocial.org/p_quees_2.htm
- CEAR http://www.cear.es/home.php
- CARITAS ESPAÑOLA http://www.caritas.es
- FEMP http://WWW.FEMP.ES
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid http://www.uam.es/departamentos/filoyletras/antropologia_social/PMM/documentos/pdf_2010/codesarrollo2010.pdf
- Migration and Development International Network http://www.migracionydesarrollo.org
- GRACIELA MALGESINI http://www.inmigracionclm.org/upload/14/48/Esta_es_la_guia_de_codesarrollo.pdf
- CARLOS GIMENEZ http://www.tercersector.net/pdf/ponencies/Carlos_Gimenez.pdf.