Beyond 3×1: Linking Sending and Receiving Societies in the Development Process

Abstract

In this paper, I explore the possibilities of linking and expanding existing sending and receiving countries' initiatives that mobilize immigrants to participate in the development process of their countries of origin in such a way as to advance two main goals of such initiatives: (1) to multiply their developmental impact in sending regions; and (2) to help increase the social and political capital of immigrants and immigrant associations, so as to facilitate both their role in the development of their countries of origin and also their integration in their host societies. In the paper, I will study the Mexican 391 programme and Spain's co-development model and explore the ways in which programmes such as these could be ideally linked and implemented, in diverse contexts, in a way that is advantageous to both sending and receiving societies. The paper is based on research conducted over the past 9 years with Mexican immigrant associations in the United States; on interviews with Mexican government officials in Mexico and the United States; and on interviews conducted in 2008 and 2009 in Spain.

Channeling Remittances to Education: A Field Experiment among Migrants from El Salvador

“…Each dollar invested by migrants is matched by $3 from the Mexican government. Migrants have contributed an average of $15 million annually since the program began (Hazán 2012). Additionally, there has been particular interest in enhancing the positive impacts of remittances on education.…”

The Palgrave Handbook of International Labour Migration

“…In some cases, there has been an attempt by local authorities to encourage them to work to create viable organizations that can propose co-development initiatives. This has been the case of the Municipality of Madrid and of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Hazan, 2013). However, it also has to do with the existing dynamics between sub-national authorities and NGOs in the cooperation and development field which have arguably discouraged the more active involvement of immigrant communities, as specialized NGOs in the international cooperation field have been the primary beneficiaries of the government funds for co-development as well.…”

“…The Municipality of Madrid, one of the cities in Spain that has invested the largest amount of resources in co-development initiatives (two million euros by 2008, just before the economic crisis), has focused primarily on supporting initiatives that attempt to strengthen local institutional capacity. In contrast, San Sebastián and Bilbao, in the Basque country, have supported initiatives that address gender and identity issues (Hazan, 2013). Although there have been many initiatives supported by subnational authorities one of the major limitations is the limited participation of immigrant associations in co-development policies.…”

Diaspora for Development in Africa

“…Whereas in the case of France it is the host country that provides the matching funds, in the case of Mexico's 3x1 Program, Mexico provides the funds. The Mexican State of Zacatecas, and other Mexican States, match migrants' investments in their home countries (de la Garza and Hazan 2003;Hazan 2009). France's concept of codevelopment not only relies on the diaspora, but also on other partners to contribute.…”