The virtual diaspora. (c2018)

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.