Diaspora and development aid:The Case of Las Qoray Port Project

Diaspora and Development: The Case of Las Qoray Port project Paper for the Second Nordic Horn of Africa Conference, Oslo (31. Oct.- 1. November 2008)Introduction As a Diaspora Somalis are not yet an established Diaspora like the Chinese but could be described as a significantly emerging Diaspora. Somalis are found almost any place in the world, including Greenland according to BBC programme from 2003. The debate on Diaspora re-emerged in the social sciences following an increased migration from South to North (due to the probably the end of the cold war). In addition there is an increased globalisation/travel & telecommunication/flow of resources and mobility. It is also possible to argue that the two major emerging global powers China and India together with their relatively successful Diaspora contributed to this development. With the current economic and deteriorating conditions and disappointment with western mainly American hegemony, there is an increased understanding that global power might shift from the west to east. With regard to the developments in Somalia, some will insist that Somalia/Somalis would have confronted serious challenges if there was no a vibrant Diaspora communities in many parts of the world. Let us briefly examine the term of Diaspora before we connect it to development. Diaspora according to Safran donates to dispersal from a single original homeland, collective memory, a myth of return, and active participation of real and imagined homeland, similar physical and cultural attributes. That means the term Diaspora is complex/multidimensional, no broad theoretical/empirical consensus. Some Diasporas are obviously more competent and qualified than others in terms of political and economic maturity. The process of process of migration, context (integration in host nation), and possibilities to link home country/region are all important when looking the Diaspora issue. In connection with the link between Diaspora and Development, four interrelated models are worth considering. The extended family network (remittance) with private particularistic end, the citizenship model (channelling development through the state- e.g. China & India, the associational model ( organisational social capital generation) and finally the transnational partnership model (multidiaspora).