Panel Description
The panel will explore different aspects of the homeland-diaspora engagement and how this has been affected by the recent multiple crises in Greece – economic, social and political. It will ask whether and how these crises have affected the nature of the Greek diaspora’s identity, their impact on Greek politics and society, by looking at the areas of brain drain (and the crisis led latest migration wave), the interactions with a radically changing party system in Greece, the issue of the diaspora’s political participation and vote, and the diaspora philanthropic impact.
Questions to be addressed in the panel are: How is the interrelationship between Greece and its diasporic communities shaping up in the current context and conjunction of the crisis? To what extent are Greeks abroad willing and able to contribute to the crisis resolution and, more importantly, to Greece's long-term transformation? What is the stance of the political elites towards the diaspora and how is this shaping the diaspora politics? How has the subject of political participation evolved during the last couple of years and what is the position of the Greek parties on the particular issue? How does the homeland handle the issue of voting rights of Greeks abroad and how does this position stand in comparison to other European states? The panel will also tackle the issue of the current large-scale emigration of young Greeks. It will shed light on different aspects of the new crisis driven emigration, the reasons for migrating, and the importance of social networks. Additionally, the panel will explore the dynamic role of diaspora philanthropy in Greece and the challenges posed by certain choices by the Greek state. Aiming to answer these questions and address the above themes the proposed panel will explore the impact of Greek diaspora communities on the trajectory of their homeland through interactions in the domains of the politics, philanthropy and in the socio-cultural field.