Diaspora
is the “scattering of a people away from an established
or ancestral homeland.” Implied in “scattering”
is the notion of “sowing” and “sprouting.”
Hence, the Kenyan Diaspora is about migration, transplantation,
and developing new roots. It is also about staying connected
to the ancestral homeland. Who are members of the Kenyan
Diaspora? Where are they? What is the size of the population?
What are their demographic features: by ethnic categories,
professional activities and affiliations, income levels,
religion, etc.? What roles do the Kenyan Diaspora, scattered
in various parts of the world, play in the development
of Kenya? Given that “development” is a
loaded term, what aspects of development in Kenya are
members of the Kenyan Diaspora most involved in and
with what degree of success? What makes certain groups
successful and others not? What is significant and unique
about the Kenyan Diaspora when compared with other African
Diasporas? How can investors and business owners abroad
tap into the contacts and networks of the Kenyan Diaspora
to build mutually advantageous international businesses?
What other resources and expertise, especially in medicine,
science, technology, etc. do members of the Kenyan Diaspora
possess that can be exported back to Kenya? How best
can the potential within the Diaspora be fully harnessed
for Kenya’s national development? In other words,
what is the way forward?
The
conference will bring together scholars, practitioners,
activists, and the general public to examine the role
of the Kenyan Diaspora in Kenya’s development
and to address how best to harness the potential within
the Diaspora for Kenya’s national development.
Participants are expected to deliver scholarly papers,
workshops, short presentations, poster presentations,
and oral communications.
The
conference is organized as part of Kennesaw State University’s
academic year-long study, the “Year of Kenya.”
It is interdisciplinary. The conference will adopt many
strategies to engage participants in the various themes.
Reading of academic papers and engagement in scholarly
discourses will be combined with presentation of models
via poster sessions, working groups, and training sessions.
Accepted
papers will be considered for publication in the Journal
of Global Initiatives.
