Diaspora 'leadership' in post conflict societies: Understanding diaspora influence through remittances in Liberia

Abstract

While they are often considered as ‘outsiders’ or ‘far removed’ from their contexts, the reality is diaspora populations are, in fact, often intertwined in and significant to what happens in their home countries – this is especially true in many post-conflict contexts. Existing studies of the diaspora often narrowly puts them as playing two distinct roles in their homelands, either as: promoters of peace; or contributors to the perpetration of conflict. Meanwhile studies (and practice) of peacebuilding and the traditional liberal approach all but exclude them in the narrative. There is, therefore, a gap between these narratives. Additionally, thinking in terms of leadership and leadership studies, the role of the diaspora is usually not automatically thought of as that of a ‘leader’, as leadership in the traditional sense has often focused on those occupying positions of hierarchal power or indeed the individual themselves (this approach and understanding of their (lack of leadership) role is again also seen in the study of practice of peacebuilding). However, taking leadership from a relational theory perspective and adopting a leadership as process approach to leadership offers a fuller understanding of how diaspora interact with, build and sustain (or not) relationships with their homeland contexts in the quest for peace. This commentary adopts a leadership as process approach. It looks at the relationship between the Liberian diaspora and their homeland context to highlight how the diaspora attempt to influence local developmental and peacebuilding processes through the use of remittances, and the dynamics of this relationship therei