EDITOR’S NOTE: The international development community has traditionally looked at diasporas through the lens of remittances and financial flows. Although important, these are only part of the story, Diaspora Matters’ Kingsley Aikins writes in this guest commentary.
Development professionals may be missing a trick. Migration is — quite rightly — a huge contemporary topic attracting much attention. It is also highly emotive, politically toxic and emotionally draining.
At the same time, the fact that the area of diaspora gets a much easier ride and more positive press is seen as generally a good thing and is attracting a lot of attention from dozens of governments.
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About the author
Kingsley Aikins
Kingsley Aikins is founder and CEO of Diaspora Matters, a consultancy firm that gives advice on diaspora issues to governments, companies and individuals. A former Irish trade representative in Australia and director of the worldwide Ireland Funds, Aikins produced in 2011 a Global Diaspora Strategies Toolkit and two years later chaired the Global Diaspora Forum held in Dublin.
