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Appendix:
Transnational Knowledge-Sharing - Opportunities in the Field of Salvadoran Migration
Summary
Consultant: Katharine Andrade-Eekhoff
The study, which was conducted in support of the Migration learning circle of Conectándonos al Futuro, identified mechanisms to strengthen knowledge-sharing among Salvadorans inside and outside the country, taking as a starting-point several best practices uncovered in other countries, as well as existing examples of successful interchanges among Salvadorans. The fundamental premise of the study is that the current excessive emphasis on migrant family remittances makes it difficult to adequately assess the immense value of the knowledge, contacts, and talents acquired by Salvadorans abroad.
In terms of international experiences, three principal types of exchanges are identified:
The Salvadoran experiences described include a general and demographic overview of the emigrant community, highlighting the fact that the average educational level of emigrants is higher than the local average. The study also presents concrete cases of transnational knowledge exchanges among Salvadorans in terms of business creation, community networks, temporary return programs to provide services and share knowledge and skills, knowledge-sharing among professional associations and their individual members, and the use of the Internet in creating Salvadoran networks, among others. One of the most interesting cases is the creation of the Unidad Salvadoreña network (UNISAL) based in the United States, which was set up through a chatroom and is dedicated to campaigns of support for a number of development efforts in El Salvador.
The study concludes that it is essential to promote initiatives of all types to leverage the sharing of talents, culture, and knowledge among Salvadorans locally and abroad, while at the same time finding ways for emigrants to participate in national development. These efforts must take into account existing initiatives, both among Salvadorans and on the basis of best practices in other countries. There is a need for designing and disseminating a broad range of information relevant for Salvadorans abroad, to enhance their possibilities of establishing links with local opportunities and initiatives, and to facilitate their temporary or permanent return. Among other things, the study recommends promoting transnational networks among Salvadorans to promote research and professional training; business networks for potential Salvadoran investors abroad as well as for improving local businesses; and networks to enhance technical knowledge among microentrepreneurs, workers, and artisans. One necessary step towards these goals would be an extensive "mapping" of the talents and social organization of the Salvadoran community abroad.
[full text of study on-line in Spanish]
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce all or part of this publication as long as the complete source is cited: Conectándonos al Futuro de El Salvador, "Strategy for Building a Learning Society", San Salvador, 1999, http://www.conectando.org.sv/English/Strategy/
