Diplomacy Of The Diaspora: Harnessing The Diaspora In Post conflict

Abstract

This study investigated diplomacy of the diaspora: harnessing the diaspora in a post conflict society in Rwanda. The study identified various initiatives by the government of Rwanda to reach out to the diaspora population, it also looked at the impact of the Rwanda diaspora community on public diplomacy and finally the challenges and opportunities that exist in harnessing the diplomacy of diaspora in post conflict Rwanda. From the literature reviewed it is quite evident that there has been effort to by the government to integrate the diaspora in the development agenda of the country. The target population of the study consisted of diaspora living in Kenya, stratified sampling was used to ensure good representation .The study used survey design, data was collected using three instruments: questionnaire, interview guides and document analysis, data were analyzed based on the research questions. Qualitative data was analyzed by organizing, editing and coding the data into related themes. It was then presented in narratives and interpretive assertion. The finding of the study established that the diaspora community is contributing to development of Rwanda through Foreign Direct Investments, remittances, promotion of trade, public diplomacy and culture, technology and skills transfer, philanthropic activities, peace building and national reconciliation. The need for a multi-stakeholder partnership and shared responsibility between all parties involved in international migration i.e. migrants, host country and origin country cannot be over emphasized. Recommendations were made to the government on the need to take the lead in consultation with other stakeholders in designing appropriate policies to ensure that the benefits from international migration are shared by all.