Abstract:
International migration is attracting increasing attention among governments and
hometown associations in particular because of the positive implications it can generate
on the development of both sending and receiving countries. Continuous communication
between the migrant and their hometown is a crucial factor for strengthening national
belonging and supporting this mutually beneficial relationship. Today, communication
is dependent on time-and-space compressing mediums; the fastest of which being the
Internet, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and the emerging
social media platforms. Hence, the use of online tools has become increasingly popular
among migrant communities and their hometowns for the purpose of reinforcing these
links. Lebanon has a long history of migration, and the Lebanese diaspora is widely dispersed
across the globe. Migration flows from Lebanon have differed in reasons and periods,
however, the homeland’s attachment to its migrant community has led numerous
hometown associations to spare no effort in reaching out to the Lebanese diaspora and
tapping into new forms of media to stay in constant coordination with members of the
diaspora. How is the connection being made from Lebanon and in what spatial context? In my thesis, I will be introducing the concepts of a Third Virtual Space and Virtual
Diaspora, and how it has been utilized as a platform for Hometown Associations to
communicate with the Lebanese diasporic communities in order to foster the
development of Lebanese towns and villages.
