Mobilising the Diaspora
How Refugees Challenge Authoritarianism

This book shows how diasporas are mobilised to challenge authoritarian governments - by whom, for what purposes, and with what consequences.

Alexander Betts (Author), Will Jones (Author)

9781107159921, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 November 2016

278 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.54 kg

'Alexander Betts and Will Jones have made a major contribution to our understanding of how diaspora mobilisation works. Their analysis of the role of 'animators' and their detailed case studies of Rwandan and Zimbabwean diaspora politics significantly extend and enrich existing theories of diaspora engagement, refugee politics and transnationalism.' Fiona Adamson, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Over half the world lives under authoritarian regimes. For these people, the opportunity to engage in politics moves outside the state's territory. Mobilising across borders, diasporas emerge to challenge such governments. This book offers an in-depth examination of the internal politics of transnational mobilisation. Studying Rwandan and Zimbabwean exiles, it exposes the power, interests, and unexpected agendas behind mobilisation, revealing the surprising and ambivalent role played by outsiders. Far from being passive victims waiting for humanitarian assistance, refugees engage actively in political struggle. From Rwandans resisting their repatriation, to Zimbabweans preventing arms shipments, political exiles have diverse aims and tactics. Conversely, the governments they face also deploy a range of transnational strategies, and those that purport to help them often do so with hidden agendas. This shifting political landscape reveals the centrality of transnationalism within global politics, the historical and political contingency of diasporas, and the precarious agency of refugees.

1. The politics of animation
Part I. Zimbabwe: 2. The birth of the Zimbabwean diaspora
3. Briefcase activists: death, afterlife, and performance
4. Heroic humanitarians: a neglected contribution
Part II. Rwanda: 5. Opposing the RPF from abroad
6. Constructing the statist diaspora
7. Hijacked humanitarians: the campaign against cessation.

Subject Areas: Human geography [RGC], Demonstrations & protest movements [JPWF], Political activism [JPW], Political oppression & persecution [JPVR], International relations [JPS]