Mobilising 'the diaspora': Somali transnational political engagement

Abstract

Recently, the development initiatives of so-called 'diasporas' have gained the attention of policy-makers, scholars, NGOs, and migrants themselves. Migrants and 'diasporas' are seen as agents of development, who not only remit money to their countries of origin, but also transfer ideas of political, social, and cultural change. This article examines linkages between identity, transnational politics and development. Logics of transnational mobilisation and loyalties are analysed through a case study of a Somali transnational conference, paying particular attention to tensions between lineage affiliation and regional identification. At the conference, the establishment of trust between different transnational actors was seen as an important step towards reconciliation and development. Framing the event as 'a meeting between intellectuals' and as 'the diaspora', conference participants were positioned as agents of development and change. The article argues that 'diaspora position' is thereby linked to questions of identity, the recognition of status, and the enactment of proper and respectable masculinity.