Capacity-building and diasporic civil society

Diasporic civil society stakeholders are increasingly incorporated into development programming in order to maximise the potential of their variegated roles in shaping development processes, outcomes, and trajectories. This viewpoint considers capacity-building in the context of diasporic civil society by providing an overview of the varying ways in which diasporic civil society capacity-building is operationalised within the Northern global development sector. We then proffer some notes of caution regarding this turn to capacity-building by discussing the implications of such interventions for wider development. We conclude that understanding the extent to which the capacity-building agenda further entrenches exclusionary practices and knowledges in diaspora-centred development approaches requires further research.

Automated summary

Diasporic civil society stakeholders are increasingly being involved in development programming to maximize their potential in shaping development processes. This article provides an overview of how capacity-building is implemented within the Northern global development sector, and raises concerns about its implications for wider development. Further research is needed to understand how the capacity-building agenda in diaspora-centered development approaches may reinforce exclusionary practices and knowledge.