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Humanitarian ecosystems: Can diasporas act as effective humanitarians?

Humanitarian interventions are not traditionally associated with diasporas, yet the roles diasporic communities perform during crises often transcend conventional boundaries. Focusing on the war in Ukraine, this paper aims to investigate less-visible humanitarian ecosystems and how diasporic actors coalesced transnationally, the effectiveness and lifespan of such ad hoc responses, as well as implications for the wider humanitarian international community. Drawing upon extensive semi-structured interviews, focus groups and embedded participation, the authors’ proposition is simple: yes, diasporas can perform humanitarian functions, but the effectiveness of such interventions depends on multiple factors, which the research – conducted over eight months (February to September 2022) in Romania, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom – aims to highlight. Furthermore, the article examines the networked component of diaspora humanitarian initiatives, zooming in on three sets of interrelated transnational responses (Romanian, Ukrainian and/or stemming from other diasporas) in Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, Wales and Greater London).

Date of Publication
Type of Resource
Target Audience
All
Author
Andra-Lucia Martinescu & Catalina Maria Moisescu
Source / Publisher
Migration Policy Practice (MPP)
Language
English
Geographic Scope
Regional
Region
Europe
Workstream Output
No
Regional Review Process
No
GCM Objectives
Cross Cutting Theme
International cooperation
Whole-of-society approach
Keywords
Diasporas
Status
Published

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).