How are people’s identities configured in the diaspora? How are they linked to the actions and commitments of diasporic communities with the construction of peace and democracy? What role do individual and collective memories play in constructing identities and obligations? These questions were discussed at the Diasporic Heritage and Identity Conference, which took place at the University of Amsterdam from 20-23 June. The conference in which ICIP participated made clear the need to continue exploring the agency of migrants and refugees in building peace and social and political transformations, both in their countries of origin and in their host societies.
Including the voices of those who have had to leave their countries and who still maintain a bond and commitment with them gives greater legitimacy to peace processes as it makes them more inclusive and participatory.
The diasporas
Some reflections and lessons from the Amsterdam conference focus on what we mean by diasporas and their relationship to peacebuilding. The first challenge arises when defining the concept. ICIP defines diasporas as “expatriate minority communities that have been dispersed from their homeland, have a collective memory, […] are committed to maintaining or restoring their homeland through transnational activities, and have a collective identity, group consciousness and solidarity.” (1) This global perspective includes migrants, exiles and those who have availed themselves of international protection mechanisms and have refugee status. At the same, given the importance of identifying different realities, it is pertinent to highlight the term “exile,” a violation of human rights in and of itself. According to the Final Report of the Truth Commission of Colombia, in the chapter “Colombia outside Colombia“,: “Although departure [from the country] helped to save lives, it also caused enormous individual and family harm and, due to its dimensions and persistence over time, entails a profound social and collective impact.”
However, not all exiles forced to leave a country are recognized as such or choose not to apply for international protection measures, which means that they are added to the numbers of the migrant population. What is clear, though, is that exiles change the texture of the community in the diaspora because of their traumatic experience, and they come to form part of this community from different circumstances.
Therefore, diasporas are as diverse and heterogeneous as their societies of origin. And so is their contribution to peacebuilding. A leading academic, Hazel Smith, observes that people in the diaspora can be peace-makers and peace-wreckers. This means that some people can be committed and take action to promote dialogue, peace negotiations, or the implementation of agreements. In contrast, others can contribute to perpetuating or exacerbating conflicts, financing armed attacks or promoting warmongering rhetoric.
However, this dichotomous view leaves out large groups of the population who don’t have the will or the capacity to play an active role or have limited potential to influence and generate change. This is the case of a less-visible majority that chooses not to participate actively in associations or organizations. Although there are cases of people who, at a given moment, become engaged in a peacebuilding process or transnational actions from the diaspora, they often abandon the initiative after a short period due to exhaustion, emotional overload, frustration or fear.
Identity and Commitment
The very notion of diaspora as a group with a collective commitment and solidarity is blurred and reconfigured. When we speak of diasporas and peace, we need a constant analysis of contexts, interests, needs and emotions; we need to identify where the individual is within the collective to put people at the centre.
The shaping of identities plays a key role for people in the diaspora: in the social and community fabric of the group, in their active commitment to transformations in their country of origin as well as in their host societies. Many diasporic identities are linked to displacement, trauma and violence, to forced departure. Especially in the case of the first generation, emotions and nostalgia are a central part of this identity. In the case of their children, it denotes dual identity – recognition of being from both the country of origin and the host country – and the feeling of not quite fitting into either of the two societies.
Why do some people decide to mobilize and others do not? Diasporic identity does not necessarily translate into an active role in social and political transformation processes, but it can be an element of resistance and commitment. We can find experiences against racism and discrimination, and of decolonial struggle, among the new generations in the countries of reception. And we cannot forget how food, music, literature, smells, and textures are key elements for constructing and maintaining these identities. At the same time, they become forms of resistance that often go unnoticed in contexts where it is necessary to constantly defend the recognition of existence in the face of another dominant identity.
Memory
Memory plays an essential role in this process through initiatives of narrative and storytelling, art, culture and communication. The unprecedented example of the Truth Commission of Colombia with the Colombian exile community and diaspora highlights the importance of building plural narratives and truths, including the experiences of those who have had to leave the country. At the same time, for people in the diaspora, participating in a truth process can become a transformative and even a healing experience if done through active listening, care and putting people at the centre. And again, rituals play a crucial role in reconnecting, for example, through food and objects or the arts, such as theatre, painting and literature.
Including the voices of diasporic communities in the construction of narratives and memory also prevents the hegemonic narratives from overshadowing or prevailing over people’s experiences. And that is why citizen-led processes that promote broad and active participation are essential for peacebuilding and, above all, for recognizing individual experiences beyond institutional frameworks.
Including the diasporas in these processes and encouraging their recognition must be a commitment of all those actors who work for peace.
- According to the Diasporas for Peace – DISPEACE program of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
Sílvia Plana, Memory, “Memory, Coexistence and Reconciliation” program