Off the back of recent events, meetings and holiday-time conversations with family, Charlotte, our Public Partnerships Lead, takes a step back from the nitty gritty of project implementation to reflect on the challenges and opportunities in defining the concept at the core of our work: diaspora.

What’s in a word?

Words have power. They are a core unit of how we exchange ideas and information, share stories and build communities. We use them in abundance for poetry as for legislation. Yet, while the former sings through double meaning, metaphor and sound, the latter demands precision above all.

Diaspora engagement centres on identities and feelings for which words are personal and in flux. At the same time, it is a realm of policy and programming which require distinct labels and categories.

How do we reconcile the two? Why should we need to, or – more precisely – when do we have no choice?

Identity vs Policy

When it comes to identity building and forging a sense of belonging. the argument for fixed definitions is weak. The richness of individual and community identities which evolve over time and through experience risk being constrained by arbitrary definitions. More than constraint, imposed definitions can even sow division, remove autonomy and flatten the sense of self.

In the political sphere, definitions facilitate legislation and policymaking. The need for universal understanding of a concept is to prevent misreading and develop targeted programming using designated resources. In theory, precise language enables accurate implementation. And yet…

The vast number of definitions of “diaspora” shows achieving precision is no mean feat.

Whilst policymakers strive for definitions which facilitate understanding, the very act of doing so can put some members of the community off engaging, or even rule them out entirely.

Not only do we observe negative reactions to supposedly shared definitions, but differences between national definitions affect local, regional and global efforts to engage diasporas. Defining diaspora is inherently exclusionary, preventing some from being identified as diaspora, be that for reasons of citizenship, generation, location…

Some argue that a fixed, universal definition can serve a purpose when it comes to allocating limited resources. I would argue, however, that in diaspora engagement for development, definitions should celebrate the fluidity of language in diaspora identity building. Feeling diaspora must supersede factual elements often used as units for definition.

Feeling connected is the starting point for the policy aspiration: meaningful engagement. A definition that denies said feeling will prevent meaningful engagement – or at least meaningful engagement with the ones imposing said definition. Take the growing field of diaspora investment: an open definition means more potential investors, a restrictive one makes an investment product inaccessible. As Nicha, our newest addition to the team recently paraphrased: When you put a definition on something, you also put an end to it – not something any policymaker should aspire to.

Although some sectors may heighten desirability through exclusivity, for governments seeking to connect with their diaspora a warm inclusive welcome is key. 

Keep questioning

It is always worth questioning the use of language, especially when we use a word so frequently that it can almost lose its meaning. It is even more valuable to do so when the word has as great an emotional, evocative and historic weight as does “diaspora”.  

Indeed, we should never assume a common understanding of a concept but share different interpretations before entering into discussion. This is a direct recommendation to anyone hosting a diaspora-themed discussion and comes with the call for those with different definitions to attempt the mental gymnastics of holding multiple things to be true at the same time.

And when it comes to writing legislation and policy on diaspora engagement, I believe we would be wise to listen to the poets and feel our way forward together. We could even use their creativity to create new words for new realities…

More on that another time.

Cover image generated using Bing AI Image Creator.