Business Diplomat: Mobility as Development

Note: The views expressed in this article are Abdallahi Bouké’s personal views and do not represent the official position of the National Assembly of Mauritania or any other institution.

Moving abroad is often discussed as a loss. In this part of its series, Business Diplomat presents the opposite reading, suggested by Abdallahi Bouké’s work on diaspora issues.

First observation: a reminder for young people
His approach reminds young people of the role that international mobility, economic cooperation and strong ties between countries play in development. These three elements work together. People move, they cooperate, and the ties they build outlast any one journey.

Second observation: a large, working diaspora as proof
The fact that roughly a tenth of Mauritanians live abroad, most of them productive workers, shows the point in practice. Mobility has produced a population with economic weight, and that population sustains links between countries.

The logic of the assessment
Mobility becomes a development tool when it is organised. States that support their citizens abroad with proper services and recognition keep a connection with them. That connection turns mobility into cooperation instead of departure.

The role of Business Diplomat
Young people thinking about an international career can take from this that experience abroad is valuable when it stays connected to home. That is the idea behind the platform’s mission: to give young people experience, bring a diplomatic order to the business world, and benefit states by revitalising the economy.

Conclusion
Mobility, cooperation and strong ties together support development. Bouké’s work offers young people a reason to see international experience as a resource for their countries.