In the 1970s, international organisations began to implement short-term diaspora return programmes to formalise and promote diaspora knowledge transfer for development. The first of these programmes was the Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals (TOKTEN), established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1977. In the early 2000s, however, this type of programmes really took flight and by 2009 close to 10 different diaspora return programmes were operating in Afghanist...
Tunisia, 2010: The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi leads to protests and uprisings across the Arab world. Grassroots movements overthrow dictators, both peacefully and violently, but also pave the way for an Islamist-secular divide, conflicts and civil wars, and economic and political uncertainty. Yet the fires of the Arab Spring not only touch communities in the region: they also reach national communities living abroad – creating a new ‘diaspora consciousness’, writes PhD fello...
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 August 2015, 12:00 PM EST / 18:00 CET Duration: Around 1 hour (45 minutes presentation, 15 minutes discussion). The ‘Arab Spring’ in Tunisia and ongoing conflict in Syria have caused global waves — in terms of geopolitics, security and of course migration. As diasporas settle around the world, how do they develop and express a group ‘consciousness’? Going further, what factors enable or constrain engagement of diasporas in politically f...