In November 2017, the city of Barcelona (Spain) has awarded the Gold Medal of Civic Merit to Mr. Amadou Bocar Sam, President of the "Coordination des Associations Sénégalaises de la Catalogne" (CASC), member of ADEPT, in recognition of his commitment to migrant human rights respect, promotion and protection.
We met him to discuss the role and the engagement of the African diaspora organisations for the development of its homeland and the promotion of peaceful and respectful coexistence between diverse and multicultural communities.
1. Tell us about your personal journey and what led you to Spain.
My journey as a migrant started in the early 1990s, when I arrived in France to pursue my studies. Having applied for the wrong visa, I found myself immediately confronted with the realities of undocumented migrants.
In 1992, while I was looking for a way to regularise my situation, Spain announced the launch of a mass regularisation campaign. This is what pushed me to relocate to Barcelona.
My integration process began when I arrived in Spain. I learnt the language and adapted to this new environment that quickly became mine.
Over time, I specialised in the field of development and migration. In 2006, following the massive influx of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, I decided to focus on migrant support.
Today, I am still providing my support to help solve issues related to integration and migration. I also actively contribute to developing the capacities of the Senegalese population living in Catalonia.
2. How was the CASC born? What are its main objectives? What are its major actions and how does it help diaspora on a daily basis?
The CASC was born out of the idea that a participative space, bringing together Senegalese migrants and Spanish people, needed to be created in order to foster coexistence between these two communities.
Through the creation of our organisation, we wanted to provide adapted solutions to the new realities of this increasing and more diverse African migration in Spain.
Over time, the CASC has become a major institution, centralising information about African organisations and migration-related topics, making them available to civil society actors and those willing to know more about these topics. We serve as a bridge between Catalonia and the Senegalese living here and in Senegal.
Since 2004, we have organised many activities on various migration-related topics. These events constitute an opportunity to bring together the representatives of migrant organisations and civil society. Together, we discuss the diaspora's involvement in development, as well as its role as an expert in migration.
At the community level, we work to address local challenges, such as the integration support, the living together between communities, the access to health care and education.
Migrant organisations have the duty to inform and educate anyone who is interested in migration-related topics. They also have to be a trusted space, providing support to migrants by facilitating their integration and adaptation to their new environment.
3. What do diaspora organisations need today to maximize their impact on Africa's development and on the activities done in Europe?
The first thing diaspora organisations need to sustain their projects is more capacity development support.
Indeed, capacity development is highly required to ensure the growth and the sustainability of an organisation. The lack of structure and stability is often what disqualifies these organisations from funding opportunities.
After capacity building, funding comes second in the list. Due to the lack of funding, organisations do not have the possibility to hire permanent staff, thus relying on volunteers who are not always present and often lack the necessary management skills to sustain the structure. Regular management training, for instance, could make diaspora organisations stronger and more credible.
4. Mr. President, you have been rewarded with the gold medal of the city of Barcelona. Tell us what this recognition means to you?
As migrants, we are the permanent managers of migration issues.
This medal is the recognition of our collective work. If the Senegalese diaspora had not come together to support the inclusion of its migrants, I would have never received this recognition.
It is a collective medal that highlights the work of a whole community coming together to create an integration process, mutual acceptance and peaceful cohabitation between different communities living in Spain.
Based on the founding values of human rights, we are fighting for a positive coexistence between communities, so that diversity is not perceived as an obstacle, but rather as a positive aspect of multicultural societies.
The merit is not mine, but the one of a whole community. I am nothing without the community, but the community can live without me: 'UBUNTU' ('I am because we are').
The merit is not mine, but the one of a whole community. I am nothing without the community, but the community can live without me: 'UBUNTU' ('I am because we are').
