The diaspora: A driver of development in Tunisia
The considerable potential of the Tunisian diaspora to assist development in their country of origin is still largely untapped. To this end the SDC has launched a project to support the efforts of the Tunisian community in Switzerland.
The signing of a migration partnership in 2012 heralded the start of close cooperation between Switzerland and Tunisia. This agreement adds to the efforts already undertaken by Switzerland to strengthen international cooperation in the field of migration. These are based on a comprehensive approach that considers the opportunities that migration offers while addressing the challenges it presents.
Migration and protection, SDC (fr)
These opportunities include the skills and expertise of the diaspora. In response, the SDC launched 'Communauté tunisienne résidente en Suisse pour le développement' (CTRS), which aims to leverage the development potential of the Tunisian community in Switzerland. The project assists the Tunisian government in strengthening the institutions that support Tunisians abroad. Through micro-projects and support for entrepreneurship, CTRS facilitates the transfer of knowledge from Tunisian nationals in Switzerland to their fellow citizens living in Tunisia.
The inspiration behind many of the micro-projects comes from associations or individual members of the public. The support of CTRS greatly helps to get these ideas off the ground. For example, at a meeting in Zurich last September, a retired Tunisian declared that he would be willing to share his cheese-making expertise and skills. In early 2016, he travelled to the disadvantaged region of Kasserine to train some of the people living there. An association of Tunisian university students in Switzerland also received help from CTRS to organise a course for IT students in Tunisia on the innovation potential of the internet. By the end of 2015, eight similar projects had benefited from CTRS support.
SDC project: Tunisian community residing in Switzerland (CTRS) for development (fr)
