Exiled populations hold a strong stake in the fate of their countries of origin. In an increasingly interconnected world, these diasporic groups engage in 'long-distance politics' towards their homelands, send financial remittances and support social development in their communities of origin. Transnational networks have thus become global forces shaping the relationship between countries, regions and continents. The DIASPEACE project explores the role diaspora groups can play in peacebuilding in their countries of origin, focusing on populations from the Horn of Africa.
During this seminar, Cindy Horst will present findings from the project, describing factors of importance for diaspora engagement both in country of origin as well as settlement. The main focus of the seminar will be on policies and practices of Norwegian governmental and non-governmental actors for cooperation with diasporas in development/peacebuilding. These will also be compared with the situation in other European countries.
