Diaspora in India’s Foreign Policy and National Security: A Comparative Perspective

Corresponding to the need to examine emigration phenomena and diaspora-home state relations from the viewpoint of international relations (IR) theory, this conference will explore under what conditions diasporic populations can be integrated into a foreign policy framework, when they are perceived to be liabilities and how the Indian policy system attempted to harness the positive aspects, while minimizing the liability aspects.

The following issues will be explored during the conference:

~ Bane or boon? India’s and other Countries’ Diaspora as a Strategic Asset for Foreign Policy
o Influence of diasporic actors on bilateral relations with countries of their settlement;
o Diasporic lobbying, ethnic interest groups and foreign policy;
o Diasporic actions and India’s soft power.

~ Linkages of Foreign Policy and Diaspora Policy in India and other countries
o Alignment and misalignment of policy objectives;
o Institutional and ideational changes in state institutions and the Foreign Service.

~ Exploring the links between Diaspora Populations and National Security
o Linkages between diaspora & terrorism;
o Security concerns in diaspora policies.

This conference is part of a series on ‘Diasporas, States and the Role of Policies—Locating Migration and Diaspora Studies in International Relations’ that brings together international scholarship and practioners to further our understanding of migrants and diaspora communities in international relations. The conferences encourage dialogue between a wide range of academic traditions in the area of diaspora studies, migration research, foreign policy, public diplomacy, political transnationalism, ethnic interest groups, global and regional migration governance, post-colonial theory, and democracy theory.

Paper abstracts should be submitted to office@diasporastudies.in and

odiseminar@gmail.com by 5 August 2013. For more detailed information, please see the

Call for Papers, which is available at www.odi.in/announcement.