AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME

Introduction

Mauritians of the World™ (abbreviated as “MotW”) is an international charitable organisation, completely independent of government, incorporated under the laws of England and Wales on 17 September 2009. Our primary objective is to promote the general welfare and legitimate interests of all Mauritians resident outside Mauritius; beyond any political or confessional concerns.

Today the world is more globalised, interconnected and interdependent than ever before and we firmly believe that the time has come to make full use of the advantages of interdependence. We are looking at creating, developing and engaging networks of people of Mauritian ancestry around the world to generate social, cultural and economic benefits for all.

We strongly believe that the Mauritian Diaspora can serve as an important conduit, facilitating a two-way flow of human, social, intellectual, political, cultural and financial capital and in our minds, the Diaspora is a strategic and valuable national asset in today’s globalised world.

Ambassador Programme

The Mauritian Diaspora is a global family united by history, culture and shared experiences. In this highly competitive world, looking through the lens of the Diaspora offers many advantages of which Mauritius have yet to take full advantage of. However, if we are not in a constant dialogue with individuals in the Diaspora, we would not know what to go out and lobby for.

The Mauritian Diaspora, although diverse and diffuse, is enormous and there is no “one size fits all” Diaspora strategy and we are aware that successfully engaging the Diaspora is a long-term hearts and minds business that requires perseverance and patience.

We also believe that Diasporan interaction contributes to the creation of a “bonding social capital” that helps to foster empathy, understanding and pride among our fellow Diasporans, thereby creating a social safety net.

We wish to bring renewed focus on to the Diaspora, exploring various means by which the traditional relationship between Mauritius and its Diaspora can be redefined, reinvigorated and enhanced to derive even greater mutual benefit than we have experienced in the past.

In that context, MotW is recruiting volunteers around the world to take on the role of citizen Ambassadors and have their contact details listed on the relevant page of our website. An Ambassador’s role would be to participate in the elaboration and implementation of our strategies to bring about mutual social, cultural and economic benefits, as well as contribute to the building of relationships between MotW and the other Mauritian expatriate organisations in their area.

This programme requires smart people who shares the philosophy and objectives of MotW and seeks to participate. It is an opportunity for using your talents and ingenuity to help fashion our own brand of service and diplomacy.

It is your chance to translate your beliefs and ideals into service and action, whilst maintaining and developing the Mauritian tradition of citizen service.

What is Public Diplomacy?

Traditional diplomacy actively engages one government with another government primarily maintaining relations and conducting official governmental business with the officials of the host government, whereas Public Diplomacy primarily engages many diverse non-governmental individuals and organisations of a society.

Central to the principle of Pubilc Diplomacy is the transnational flow of information and ideas, which we believe will assist us to promote and reinforce Mauritian values and culture and broadening dialogue between Mauritians around the world.

Strategic objective

MotW wishes to become the forum for expressing your transnational identities and engendering cooperation through shared values. It is an opportunity for you to be citizen diplomats and help to promote and reinforce Mauritian values, tradition and culture.

Our aim is to develop an effective Public Diplomacy strategy. It is about going out and discovering what Mauritians abroad actually think and feel. The emphasis will be on relationship-building, which will also enable us to develop local Public Diplomacy strategies and not a “one size fits all” strategy.

There is a requirement to work in as a collaborative a way as possible. Your role is not to take over the work of others, but to ensure that your work complements the work that others are doing in your area.

Conclusion

All our Ambassadors will be required to adopt a Code of Ethics, which will serve as a guide as well as a point of reference for the general public, providing the openness and accountability necessary to promote the relationship of trust between the Mauritian Diaspora community and MotW.

In the time that we face we know that we don’t have a person to waste, we don’t have an idea to overlook. Today’s global crisis reminds us that we need each other more than ever before.

You may apply to join us as an Ambassador by downloading and returning an official Application Form

For more information on our Ambassador Programme, please contact Mr. Eric Bahloo, our Director of Ambassadors on secretariat@mauritiansoftheworld.org