There is growing international recognition of the importance of linkages between diaspora and diplomacy. Some governments view diaspora as a soft power resource that extends nation-state capacities. At the same time, there is discordance about the value and impact of such engagement and little shared knowledge about the diverse ways in which diaspora are actively shaping arenas of social, economic and political development.
UCD Clinton Institute will host an international conference in Dublin that will bring together diplomatic actors, NGO representatives, scholars and a diverse range of diaspora agents to address global examples of diaspora diplomacy.
Call for Papers
Topics may include (but are not confined to):
- How do we theorise state-diaspora relations? How do they relate to broader changes in the global political economy? How do they impact on ideas and practices of citizenship and sovereignty?
- What are the policy discourses that drive diaspora engagement? Are some policies becoming global models?
- What is the role of diaspora in dealing with challenges of migration? How do diasporas influence our understanding of migration and borders?
- Who are the key actors in diaspora diplomacy? What impact are they having on the meaning and nature of diplomacy?
- What is the diplomatic role of diaspora in economic development, investment and entrepreneurship, knowledge and skills transfer, and philanthropy?
- What is the diplomatic role of diaspora in cultural development, tourism, the promotion of national culture, and sport?
- How do diaspora contribute to conflict transformation, humanitarian intervention, and post-crisis recovery?
- How are (trans)national political concerns shaped by diasporas, via activism, voting and lobbying?
- How can the impact and sustainability of diaspora engagement be measured?
- How do diaspora communications, including digital platforms and tools, mediate diplomatic activity?
Plenary speakers include: Corneliu Bjola (Oxford University), Nicholas Cull (University of Southern California), Laura Hammond (SOAS, London), Elaine Ho (National University of Singapore).