Introduction

Diaspora diplomacy is a growing field of practice and research, reflecting the broader refashioning of the world system in which forces of globalisation have led to an increasingly complex interdependence and accelerated movements of people, capital and information. There have emerged new geographies of connectivity, which are remaking the relationship between states and citizens. In this context, diaspora is revitalised as a living transnational network that extends nation-state capacities and is now widely viewed by governments as a soft power resource – ministries, institutions, and programmes have been created to engage diaspora as agents of diplomatic and development goals. At the same time, diasporas are actively engaging arenas of transnational commerce, communications and politics in ways that disrupt normative ideas and practices of global governance, reflecting the polylateral relationships of power in an increasingly networked world.