Cross border migration, especially during times of strife is a global reality. However the ability to harness these people in development provides an opportunity to research how best the phenomena can be managed to benefit both the host and supply economies while addressing concerns for reconciliation and peacebuilding. This thematic focuses on the diasporic community, its engagement with local development needs, their expectations in engaging back with Sri Lanka and reconciliation in the post-war context. In keeping with CEPA’s overall organisational mandate, the thematic will have three components: research, policy and practice. Given CEPA’s interest in understanding post-war development, and the increasing expectations on the part of the government towards diaspora for investment in development and rebuilding efforts, it is imperative to reflect critically on the nature of diasporic engagement in terms of expectations and motivations of different actors as well as the outcomes of such engagements on wider society. Therefore, the overall aim of the thematic is to explore the ‘the role of diaspora in sustainable development, peace and reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka?’
