Diaspora populations have long sent money back to their countries of origin in the form of remittances. Now, a new initiative led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Calvert Foundation seeks to tap that capital and put it to work more strategically.
It’s a test case, but if successful, it could be inspire similar efforts to better leverage other diaspora funds for development impact.
The Indian Diaspora Investment Initiative, a partnership between USAID, the Calvert Foundation and several private financial institutions in India, was announced with much fanfare last week by U.S. President Barack Obama.