Diaspora Engagement in Development

Abstract

With a tenfold increase in remittance flows over the last 25 years, the diaspora’s role in the development efforts of the countries of the global South has gained broader interest from both researchers and receiving countries. Besides financial remittances, flows of skills, knowledge, and social remittances have also gained more attention, particularly the relevance of diaspora associations as drivers of development processes. In this article, we explore the role of Ethiopian diaspora associations in Germany for their home country, the changing Ethiopian diaspora policy, and the support programs for diaspora engagement from the German side. By looking more closely at two Ethiopian diaspora associations, we investigate their impact under the current political framework conditions.