It is estimated that there are more than 10 million emigrants from South America living outside the region, a figure that does not include second and third generation migrants. The contribution of these transnational communities or diasporas to the South American region is more important than ever, considering that several of the countries were already facing complex socio-economic conditions before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has deepened the precarious situations in some countries.

With support from the IOM Development Fund, the project “Empowering the South American Diaspora as Agents for Sustainable Development” seeks to involve and empower South American communities abroad. The main expected results are the following: a) governments and other actors from participating countries share lessons learned; and b) men and women of the diasporas from the benefitting countries actively participate in generating opportunities to contribute to the well-being of the communities in the region. While the project maintains a regional perspective, it also has a focus on the six participating countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru.

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