Migration, mobility, and war: A transnational analysis of diaspora volunteering in civil conflicts

Abstract

This article argues for a shift in the paradigm when analysingtransnational war volunteering, commonly known as foreign fight-ing. Instead of overemphasizing the roles of criminal and securityaspects or individual motivational factors, this new analyticalapproach will transform the debate from actor to action. This articleintroduces the theoretical discussion of transnationalism withincivil wars and ethnic conflicts. By comparatively analysing conflictsin Kosovo (1999), Karabakh (1988–1994), and Abkhazia (1992–-1993), this article answers the questions of how transnational dia-spora volunteers mobilize, travel, and adapt to the war zones. Thepaper concludes that communities in the diaspora use sendingvolunteers as a tool to show solidarity with their relatives in thehomeland. Diaspora’s already established interest and connectionswith the motherland in the pre-conflict stage before the crisisturned into a fully-fledged war is an essential element in the rapid-ity of the mobilization process. Even if the means of reaching theconflict zones are not without challenges, they still try multiplemethods of travel such as air, sea, and road. Finally, this solidarityhas its complications, often ignored, such as linguistic, dialectical,and cultural differences.