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| Posted By: November 11, 2003 Posted On: Nov 11, 2003 Views: 538 | From brain drain to brain gain Ethiopia needs to provide such incentives as reduced import duties, foreign exchange accounts and stronger private ownership laws to promote investment, encourage professionals to stay in the country, and attract those abroad to return, invest and share their expertise. These are among the recommendations made by a recent workshop in Addis Ababa organized by the Ministry of Capacity Building in partnership with UNDP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The aim is to propose steps to reverse the country's brain drain - more than one-third of Ethiopia's doctors have left the country in recent decades, for example - and promote development led by Ethiopians with vital technical and professional skills. With half of its 66 million people living in severe poverty, mainly in rural areas, Ethiopia is trying to build the capacity of the public sector and grow its private sector. These steps are essential for progress towards halving extreme poverty by 2015 and meeting the other Millennium Development Goals. Participants from the public and private sector and civil society urged the Government to foster a middle class, expand technical knowledge and generate resources to spur economic growth, including having Ethiopian embassies reach out to Ethiopians abroad and creating a database of professionals outside the country, matched with other databases detailing the needs of government agencies. "Ethiopians in diaspora offer potentially transferable expertise that can fill the human resource gaps of the nation," said Ato Fikru Dessalgne, Minister of Capacity Building. In addition to their varied skills, Ethiopians abroad have accumulated financial resources that can be invested, thus creating more job opportunities and promoting more trade and investment, he pointed out. UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Nileema Noble agreed that that skilled Ethiopians abroad represent an enormous capacity, offering skills critical to economic, social and political development. "But for this to happen, a conducive environment, coordination arrangements and incentive structures have to be put in place, perhaps similar to what has been done in India and China," she noted. These are large countries with highly qualified, influential and enterprising diaspora valued by their respective countries of origin, Ms. Noble pointed out. Teshhome Yizengaw, Vice Minister for Higher Education said that universities need over 600 teaching staff in business and economics, engineering and technology, medicine and health science, law, veterinary medicine and agriculture and other fields. The Ministry is expanding graduate training at Addis Ababa University and abroad, mainly in India, seeking incentives to encourage the return of many Ethiopians, more than half according to some estimates, who remain abroad after study in Western Europe and the U.S. "Now is the time to harness this potential and make full use of it," said the Minister. The workshop recommended setting up information networks among Ethiopian universities, diaspora communities and development organizations, and holding conferences to generate plans to draw on their expertise. It suggested that best practices from efforts to retain professionals from within the country and around the world be disseminated to appropriate government agencies, and a bridging organization offer additional support for Ethiopians who return, especially during their first year back. For further information please contact Morten Olesen or Asrat Tilahun, UNDP Ethiopia, or Cassandra Waldon, UNDP Communications Office. |
| Posted By: Click here Posted On: Nov 11, 2003 Views: 532 | RE: From brain drain to brain gain The current hot issue for the government in Ethiopia is Ethiopians in diaspora. They are thought to have money, profession and experience that can be used by the country. In ernest, the most required from them is their money. In light of the government's track record, it is doubtful that it needs their profession and experience. Whatever the motive may be, the effort is not bad. In one way or another Ethiopians living abroad can help their country. To facilitate such a help to come to the country, it may be fair to do the following. (a) Take the issue seriously and work tirelessly to accomplish it. In Ethiopia, we identify important issues and talk about it for some time and then forget it. Not long ago, the foreign ministry was active in the diaspora issue both in the country and abroad. Now it seems to have withdrawn and others have taken. Ministry of Capacity Building and Misinstry of economic development are now talking the way the foreign ministry did. As usual they will forget it in weeks until a foreign NGO speaks about the issue or the National Bank says this year Ethiopians sent $ 500, 000, 000 to the country. The solution to all this neglect of Ethiopian diaspora is to create a small focal institution in Ethiopia. Bring the resources (money, material, human, etc) dispersed in the different ministries if there is scarcity. That way Ethiopians in diaspora can know who is responsible for their affairs. (b) Brain drain is a "wave trend" that requires a fundamental attitude change in the "sending" and "receiving" countries for its reversal. Whatever is done in the "sending" country is only partial. The "receiveing" countries must also help to reverse the trend. Receiveing countries that grant living and work permit to professionals from countries like Ethiopia must be asked to revise their policies. They must also be asked to encourage and facilitate the return of professionals to their country of origin in a temporary or permanent basis and serve their country. (c) to be continued... |
| Posted By: Click here Posted On: Nov 12, 2003 Views: 529 | RE: From brain drain to brain gain Continued (c) Plan something realistic. Efforts to "reverse" brain drain to brain gain is unrealistic under Ethiopian situation. This is not only true for Ethiopia but for almost all underdeveloped countries. Setting such unattainable objectives could only result in wasting limited resources. The trend in Ethiopia is an increase in the number of people leaving the country and not returning. First the number has to leve-off before it decreases. Let alone decrease, leveling-off has not been achieved. Explore several existing mid-way realistic alternatives before trying reversal. Study such mid-way efforts made by certain countries that had the problem. (d) The partners to Ethiopians in diaspora are their relatives and friends in Ethiopia. It is not the government, its ministries or NGOs. It is doubtful that Ethiopia (the land and the people) as such create overwhelming emotion that can result in the return of Ethiopians. It is worth noting that whatever they do is for their familes and friends. This includes sending money and visits. Reversal or other, brain drain cannot be cahanged in Ethiopia's favour unless families and friends of Ethiopians in diaspora are involved. Look for an inventive method to istitutionalise the contacts between these actors. (e) The return of professionals to the country (on a temporary or permanent) basis depends upon several factors. First, the government must show that it has abandoned its bad practices like arbitrary dismissal from job for political reasons, arbitrary detentions and arrests and force professionals into exile. Second, it should respect freedom of expression and association of as specified in the Constitution. The respect of human and democratic rights is vital. Third, unlike what it is doing right now, it should be ready and able to realise these rights in good faith. Professionals in the diaspora know what is happening in the country and should not be treated as children. (f) To be continued ... |