In 2022, according to the World Bank, about 630 billion US dollars1 will be transferred to their countries of origin by members of the corresponding diasporas established elsewhere on the planet.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
If this estimate holds, this international accumulation will have jumped by more than 30%, only since 2018. In Canada, that year, these money transfers totaled nearly 25 billion, more than five times more than all aid. international paid by Canada abroad2.
In fact, in terms of financial flows to other countries, Canada ranks third (in dollars) and fourth (in share of gross national income) in the world, respectively. In itself, therefore, it is a substantial economic activity and a great impact. And for countries that are net recipients of these transfers, it is often an essential part of their GDP. In 2022, the World Bank estimates that 54% of the Lebanese economy will be supported by transfers from abroad. Elsewhere, in Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, these proportions can reach a quarter of GDP, or even a third.
Of course, most of these sums are intended for the families and relatives of emigrants, in order to increase their income and allow them to meet their personal needs. It is nevertheless a form of philanthropy, which indirectly finances health, education or even social and community development services in the recipient countries. According to many researchers, these financial flows will continue to grow steadily. New technologies make these exchanges much easier and cheaper than in the past, and the purchasing power of diasporas tends to increase over time.
Land of welcome
But the generosity of immigrants also extends to their host country. A recent survey conducted by the firm Épisode shows that immigrants to Canada make donations in the same proportions as non-immigrants, and that their average annual donation is even higher.3. Unfortunately, this reality is overlooked.
In 2016, out of a population of over 34 million people, Canada had over 14 million first or second generation immigrants4. Among them, more than 3 million have arrived since 2000. In Quebec and Greater Montreal, which still receives the vast majority of newcomers, there are nearly 2 million immigrants, including approximately 500,000 who have been with us for twenty years or less.
Among these people, many of whom belong to racialized communities, there are creators of wealth, agents of change, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. They have in common a desire to give back and contribute, both to their home community and to their host society, but they are not joined by traditional philanthropic institutions.
Unlike the contingents of European immigrants established here for a long time – think of the Jewish, Greek, Irish or Italian communities – who have built over time many associations combining the promotion of their identities and the development of their local communities. , more recent immigrant groups often face barriers that slow down the development of their philanthropy, in addition to making it invisible.
They are also communities that face prejudices, or that we sometimes prefer to ignore. At a time when the discourse of equity, diversity and inclusion is taking up a lot of space, wouldn’t it be time to examine more carefully and mobilize more effectively what all these people have to offer? Otherwise, society as a whole loses out.
The money is there. The culture of giving and the desire to help too. What is missing to unleash all this potential and make a difference? An open posture and a discourse that values the contribution of all our communities, beyond the clichés, as well as meeting spaces and collective action mechanisms that will finally make it possible to recognize and channel these philanthropic impulses.
Like the rest of society, philanthropy must become a reflection of the plural communities it aspires to serve. “Cultural communities”, no matter where they come from or how long they have been established here, have an immense capacity to act and their own contribution to make to develop and strengthen our society. It’s time to recognize it, to lend an ear, then to reach out.