Politics from Afar ─ Transnational Diasporas and Networks

More than ever, diasporas have a direct impact on the politics of their homelands. Today's diasporic activists-empowered by new media and the ease of travel afforded by globalization-engage directly to shape elections and conflicts in distant settings: politics from afar. Drawing on a global range of cases, this groundbreaking volume explores the impact of transnational diaspora politics on development, democratization, conflict, and the changing nature of citizenship. The contributors to this collection, representing a variety of disciplinary perspectives and area studies expertise, reveal the diasporic politics shaping the governance of development in Mexico, conflict in Sri Lanka, and elections in Ethiopia among other timely cases. While some predicted that globalization would usher in a new era of cosmopolitanism, Politics from Afar demonstrates that ethno-nationalism and patron-client relationships are alive and thriving in transnational spaces. Cognizant of the political capital residing in diasporas, homeland governments, opposition political parties, and insurgent groups seek to tap their co-nationals abroad to advance development strategies and broader geopolitical agendas. Politics from Afar maps an ambitious theoretical and empirical agenda for the analysis of contemporary diaspora politics.

Terrence Lyons is Assistant Professor in Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Among his publications are Demilitarizing Politics: Elections on the Uncertain Road to Peace.

Peter Mandaville is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs and Co-Director of George Mason University's Center for Global Studies. He is most recently the author of Global Political Islam. His current research interests include Islam and globalization, theories of cosmopolitanism, and global development.