Introduction: Disaggregating Diasporas

The introduction provides a background to the issues that were discussed at the conference on Diasporas, Development and Governance which was convened by the book editors at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in May 2013. The conference sought to identify knowledge gaps, conceptual challenges and governance dilemmas of diaspora engagement. The fifteen essays in this book highlight important themes to inform future research and policy perspectives on the relationship between diasporas, development and governance. These include diaspora engagement by governments at different scales, the divisions that often exist within diaspora groups, diaspora transnationalism and return migration, diaspora knowledge networks and higher education capacity building, and the neglected issues of South-South and North-South migration and diasporas. Overall, this book presents fresh insights into how and why migrant-sending countries are increasingly turning to the diaspora option to attempt to benefit from the transfer of knowledge, skills and financial and social capital. It provides policy makers, researchers, and students with new perspectives on governance and the means by which states are attempting to utilize their diaspora resources.