Overview

The Historic African Diaspora Placement Program (HADIP) is a collaborative pan-African initiative for fostering cultural and professional connections and understanding between Africans on the continent and African Diaspora in the United States. It is committed to promoting sustainable development of  Africans and African diaspora in the United States by providing African diaspora professionals in the United States with the opportunity to engage in professional and cultural immersion experiences in African countries. The intent is to match the skills, talents and experience of African diaspora professionals with the development needs of the host countries.  The program is implemented by a partnership comprising the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Union Mission to the United States, the International Partnership for Inclusive Education and Development (IPIED), the Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations of the African Union Commission (CIDO), and the Africa-America Institute (AAI), with ACBF serving as the Secretariat, and the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)  and DelReeve Konsult as technical and implementing partners.

African Diaspora in the United States consists of two broad populations: the contemporary Diaspora and the historic Diaspora. While the contemporary Diaspora are largely voluntary immigrants or descendants of voluntary immigrants, the historic Diaspora are descendants of Africans forcibly taken from Africa during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. HADIP is historic in committing to meet a long-existing pan-African need to meaningfully and sustainably connect the Diaspora, especially in the United States with Africa by offering the unprecedented pan-African programmatic opportunities for both populations of African Diaspora to live in Africa, to authentically experience Africa, and to leverage their skills and expertise to contribute directly to the sustainable development of Africa, as well as to enhancing relationship and understanding between Africa and the Diaspora.

Mission

HADIP's mission is twofold: to enhance cultural connections and understanding between Africans and African diaspora in the United States and to enable African diaspora professionals to actively contribute to Africa's development in alignment with the African Union's Agenda 2063. By facilitating cultural exchange, technology transfer, and establishing transnational networks, HADIP aims to heal any lingering historical or contemporary alienation and estrangement, promote sustainable development, and provide African diaspora with an opportunity to reconnect with their ancestral homeland more meaningfully.

Pilot Phase

HADIP will be implemented in a phased approach, starting with a 3-year pilot phase involving African countries which would have expressed interest, on the principle of “first come first served”. The pilot will consist of two tracks: short term deployments and longer term occupational and cultural immersion. African diaspora in the United States placed in each of the host countries will be provided a return flight ticket, monthly stipend, and life and health insurance coverage. Lessons learned from the pilot phase will guide the program's expansion to additional countries in subsequent phases.

Objectives

v  Identify and engage African diaspora professionals in the United States interested in participating in the program.

v  Match the skills, talents, and experiences of African diaspora professionals to the development needs of the host countries.

v  Strengthen the human and institutional capacity of the pilot countries.

v  Facilitate cultural integration and immersion experiences for the participants.

v  Foster the professional development of the participants through coaching and mentorship.

Benefits for African Countries

v  Knowledge and skills transfer contributing to capacity building, enhancing local industries, and promoting economic development.

v  Stimulation of economic development through entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of local industries.

v  Cultural immersion by connecting African diaspora professionals in the United States with African countries.

v  Access to coaching and mentorship to deepen knowledge and understanding of the history of African diaspora in the United States.

v  Potential for sustainable development initiatives, investments, international trade, and philanthropic efforts that benefit African citizens.

Benefits for African Diaspora Professionals in the United States

v  Cultural immersion and the opportunity to reconnect more meaningfully with ancestral heritage.

v  Opportunity for an enriching and authentic lived experience in Africa.

v  Meaningful and direct participation in Africa's development and contribution to targeted African countries.

v  Professional and personal development through exposure to African environments and experiences.

v  Opportunity for collaboration with local professionals, businesses, and organizations, leading to partnerships, joint ventures, and knowledge sharing, fostering innovation and professional development.

v  Visit to historical and tourist sites.

Budget and Funding

In addition to direct financial contributions, some partners may release African Diasporans to work under the program through secondment agreements for specific periods.

Projected Impact

By the end of the 3-year pilot phase, HADIP aims to have facilitated the immersion experiences of 3,000 African diaspora professionals in the United States. This will contribute to sustainable economic growth and development in the targeted African countries while fostering professional connections, deepening cultural understanding, and healing any lingering historical or contemporary estrangement, and building transnational networks.

More Information

v  African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) – Barassou Diawara b.diawara@acbf-pact.org

v  African Union Mission to the United States – Seraphine Manirambona smanirambona@gmail.com

v  International Partnership for Inclusive Education and Development (IPIED) – Reginald Nnazor rnnazor@ipied.org

v  Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations of the African Union (CIDO) – Angela Naa Afoley Odai OdaiA@africa-union.org

v  Africa-America Institute (AAI) – Ambar Tavarez atavarez@aaionline.org

v  International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) –Nichole Cirillo nichole@iave.org  

v  DelReeve Konsult – Obi Emekekwue oemekekwue.delreeve@gmail.com