Diaspora
Diaspora – a word of Greek origin meaning “dispersion” – is one of the oldest forms of human networking, long predating the invention of nation states. Today, in a time of radically diffused global power and disruptive technologies, diasporas have been reenergised and retooled as agents of diplomacy and development. Some governments view diaspora as a soft power resource that extends nation-state capacities – ministries, institutions, and programmes have been created to engage diaspora as agents of diplomatic and development goals. At the same time, diasporas are actively engaging arenas of transnational commerce, communications and politics in ways that disrupt normative ideas and practices of global governance.
UCD Clinton Institute is initiating fresh research and collaborations that aim to combine policy, academia and practice by sharing knowledge and experience about diaspora matters. Our activities include research, policy analysis, consultancy, teaching, training and capacity-building in the fields of diaspora engagement, networking and innovation. We are currently building local and global partnerships in these fields and working to realise Ireland’s potential as a global hub and driver of research and innovation in the diaspora space.
Key areas of research and analysis include:
Diaspora and Development: the role of diasporas in contributing to home country economic development; the significance of local, regional and urban diasporas; the role of remittances, investment and entrepreneurship.
Diaspora Engagement: state-led policy and diplomacy; policy models and strategies; the role of Public Private Partnerships.
Digital Diasporas: social-media and mobile communications and commerce in migrant networks; technological solutions for development and migration challenges.
Diasporas and Conflict: the role of diaspora in peace-building, humanitarian aid, and post-crisis recovery.
Diasporas and Culture: how diasporas contribute to home region heritage, tourism, and nation-branding.
Ireland is an optimal, symbolic site for generating and bringing together insights about diaspora. Its history as an emigrant nation means it currently has one of the largest state/diaspora population ratios in the world. That history has not been without tension and trauma but it has also shaped the nation’s global interactions and the maintenance of bonds and networks across the world.
