The latest activities carried out by the Bureau for Diaspora Relations were marked by events and phenomena that need to be detailed specifically, as a part of the events and phenomena that are planned in the same area need to. Valeriu Vasilica tried to expound some of them in an interview with the Bureau for Diaspora Relations’ head Valeriu Turea.
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- You have recently launched the program “Diaspora Engagement Hub”.  Why do you consider it so important and why such a somehow sophisticated name?

- I assure you that this name for our compatriots from the diaspora is as usual and understood as the most used notions from the mother tongue because a large part of the best trained people of our country are now abroad. Regretfully, this is the reality. The DEH is a new program intended for our communities from abroad. It was worked out within the “Consolidating Moldova’s Migration and Development Institutional Framework” project that was financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The program is implemented by the Bureau for Diaspora Relations (BDR) and the International Organization for Migration’s Mission to Moldova. It envisions the provision of 39 grants to the total value of 125,000 Swiss francs.

The program is divided into three subprograms centering on issues topical for the diaspora and for Moldova in general: innovative projects of the diaspora; return of the diaspora professionals, and regional partnerships of the diaspora. Details about the eligibility criteria, online forms, selection procedure, announcement of the results and other useful information can be found on our website brd.gov.md. Thus, returning to the issue, the DEH is a program by which our compatriots from abroad get new possibilities of becoming involved in what they consider beneficial for their communities and for the Republic of Moldova in general.

- What is the program’s relevance?

- There are several elements that should be noted here. First of all, I think we can speak about a particular change of attitude to the relations between the BDR and the diaspora. It is for the first time that the BDR, together with the international partners, are launching such an extensive program of grants. This implies another level of engagement on the part of associations and private individuals of the diaspora. We can no longer remain at the phase of supporting concerts with national singers on traditional occasions. These are necessary, but not at all enough.

We must bear in mind that the diaspora evolved a lot over the last few years. We have wonderful examples of involvement by associations, by our compatriots in the development of the Republic of Moldova, especially at the local level. I want to give at least some of the many names: Victoria Dunford, Elena Dragalin, Valentina Geamana, Ion Lazarenko Tiron, Tamara Skiopu, Silvia Zaharia, Nicolae Bairactari, Dragomir Margineanu, Ion Mereacre, Ludmila Furtuna and many others who do not ask for funds from the BDR or other institutions with limited budgetary possibilities in an ultimatum-like way. They themselves suggest new ideas and solutions, innovative investment projects to the value of hundreds of thousands of euros.

Surely, the bureaucratic barriers are often revolting and corruption seriously affects them, but these people cannot be discouraged so easily. There are also the regional partnerships of the diaspora. In plain words, this means encouragement of joint projects implemented by associations from at least two countries, which are aimed at stimulating the strengthening of relations between associations and communities. We should do away with that discord in the country and abroad. In fact, these positive trends can be found and are encouraged by the draft national strategy “Diaspora – 2025”, whose key goal is to develop a sustainable and comprehensible framework of cooperation between the state institutions and the diaspora. 

- You mentioned the draft national strategy “Diaspora - 2025”. At what stage is it?

- The internal endorsement procedures have been completed, the proposals formulated by the colleagues from the institutions in charge being included in the text. The draft strategy was submitted to the Government for approval and we hope it will be endorsed at one of the forthcoming meetings. It is for the first time since migration started that such a complex national strategy for dealing with the given issues was drafted. There were earlier elements in different sector strategies, but these could not ensure generalized approaches. The big advantage of the given strategy resides not only in the new conceptual level. It is very important that there is sufficient financing. A comprehensive plan of action for 2016-2018 was worked out based on the strategy, most of its measures being financed by the international development partners.

- The discussions on the problems faced by the diaspora have lately intensified at political level. How do you comment on these discussions?

- Positively of course. As long as the politicians make the national interest a priority, when the care for the people (in our case those who live abroad) is a real and rather constant preoccupation, another approach is not possible. The problems faced by the diaspora are complex and the state institutions, the political class and the NGO sector have sufficient possibilities of asserting themselves. It would be ideal if these efforts are united for achieving common objectives. That’s why we approve of the fact that the plans announced in the debates to which we referred include many of the concrete projects that the Bureau for Diaspora Relations implemented and continues to keep on the list of priorities. It is a sincere recognition of the fact that what we do is good and, I want to believe, it is equally a good grade for my colleagues whom I praise a lot.

- What is the BDR’s slogan?

- “WE DO!”