Conditions and timing of moderate and radical diaspora mobilization: evidence from conflict-generated diasporas

Based on extensive research among conflict-generated diasporas — Albanians, Armenians, Lebanese, Serbians, Ukrainians, and Chechens predominantly living in the U.S. — I argue here that academics and policy-makers alike need to revisit the notion that diasporas are not likely agents of moderate transnational politics. Radical and moderate diaspora activities depend on the stages of conflict, on the timing of events relative to developments in the homeland, and on the diaspora initiatives and actions of host-land governments. This paper advances three major arguments: Firstly, large diaspora mobilization in support of homeland conflicts usually takes place after secessionist goals are declared by local authorities, not prior to them. Secondly, diasporas exert radical influences on two major occasions: when moderate actors loose so much of their legitimacy domestically that they are unable to achieve secessionism, and when grave violations of human rights take place in the homeland. And thirdly, when the acute stage of violence in the homeland is over, but the goal of sovereignty has not been achieved, diasporas can still act moderately if they find that the international community could be instrumental in the achievement of their sovereignty goal.