Diasporas in Development
Faculty Coordinator: Jennifer Brinkerhoff
email: jbrink@gwu.edu

Associated Faculty Members:

• Lisa M. Benton-Short, lbenton@gwu.edu
  Assistant Professor and Director, Center for Urban and Environmental Research, Geography Department
• Elizabeth Chacko, echacko@gwu.edu
  Associate Professor Geography and International Affairs, Geography
• Stephen Lubkemann
  Assistant Professor, Anthropology
• Manuel Orozco, morozco@thedialogue.org
  Senior Associate, and Director, Remittances and Development program, Inter-American Dialogue, Washington, DC
• Marie D. Price, mprice@gwu.edu
  Associate Professor of Geography and International Affairs, Geography
• Liesl Riddle, lriddle@gwu.edu
  Associate Professor of International Business and International Affairs, School of Business
• Donald E. Hawkins, dhawk@gwu.edu
  Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of Tourism Policy, and Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University
• David Rain, drain@gwu.edu
  Assistant Professor of Geography

Diasporas are “ethnic minority groups of migrant origins residing and acting in host countries but maintaining strong sentimental and material links with their countries of origin – their homelands” (Sheffer, 1986, 3). They represent an enormous fund of and for human capital, economic remittances—money sent back to the homeland (approximately $90 billion in 2004), transnational entrepreneurship, and foreign direct investment. Recent perspectives on remittances promote attention to a broader perspective that includes social remittances: skills transfer, and cultural and civic awareness/experience. These diaspora contributions hold enormous promise for private sector development in the homeland, both directly and in support of an enabling environment for private sector development, with important repercussions for U.S. businesses competitiveness. Transnational enterprises founded by Americans who consider themselves part of a diaspora are of central concern, as are those U.S. businesses who seek to harness the financial and human resources of diasporas for profitable enterprises in the home country, either through direct investments in the homelands or through partnerships with diaspora transnational enterprises and local (homeland) firms. As a matter of opportunity, competitiveness and survival, there are increasing calls to multinational corporations to seize opportunities at the base of the economic pyramid (BOP). But such business development is, at best, in its infancy. Diaspora resources may be a key strategy for U.S. firms to overcome common challenges to BOP market development. Diaspora resources, networks and expertise contribute to homeland development, enhancing the environment for U.S. competitiveness in these markets.

Up to now, few scholars have explored diasporas’ implications for U.S. competitiveness throughout the world. This proposed research, education, and outreach program seeks to fill that gap by conducting research, teaching and outreach activities in this area including:

• diaspora roles in private sector development: U.S.-based transnational entrepreneurs, individual and associational remittances, foreign direct investment and base of the pyramid market development
• using diasporas to promote stable business environments for U.S. firms, including post-conflict reconstruction and development