AFRICA ABROAD
African soft power Contrary to the argument that the African brain drain is a loss to the continent, Nigerians in the US and South Africans in Australia, for example, highlight how members of the African diaspora are becoming foreign policy actors for both their home and host countries, writes Christopher Isike
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EMBERS of the African diaspora are connectors between Africa and the world, given the third space they occupy between both geographical spaces. They also add value through several brainsharing initiatives they engage in, which benefit Africa in ways that make a case for brain gain. Through their multiple affiliations, they give back to Africa, beyond their home countries. The African diaspora refers to the dispersion of people of African descent throughout the world starting with the transatlantic slave trade, which forced the movement of millions of Africans to the Americas, Europe and other parts of the
world. It also encompasses the voluntary migration and the more recent movement of people of African descent within and between different regions induced by conflict and economic hardship on the continent.
and traditions in music, art, literature, food, dress and other forms of cultural expression which attract admiration and goodwill from their host countries in ways that make them diaspora diplomats for their home countries.
Although disparate, the African diaspora has grown to become a significant global force, with people of African descent living in nearly every corner of the world. Overall, they have had a profound impact on the cultural and social history of the world, as well as on the economic and political development of their host countries.
In simple terms, Diaspora Diplomacy (DD) is the use of diaspora communities to promote a country's interests in the international arena. This involves engaging with members of a country's diaspora in a host country or country of residence to leverage their networks, skills and resources to achieve political, economic and social objectives to pursue the advancement of the home country or country of origin.
African diaspora communities have also formed distinctive cultural identities
making their mark: Nigerians in the US
AFRICA BRIEFING JULY - AUGUST 2023
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