Voices across borders: exploring transnational activism and repression through diaspora perspectives

This Special Issue brings together scholars working on transnational diaspora activism and transnational repression. As diasporas have increasingly become powerful political actors and transnational agents of intervention and change, authoritarian states have continued to expand their mechanism of control and repression across borders. Centring the voices and experiences of those engaged in – and subjected to – these dynamics, the Special Issue focuses on different aspects of the diaspora experience to better understand (1) how diasporas operate as transnational agents of change; (2) the transnational constraints and mechanisms of repression affecting their members. The significance of the Special Issue comes from its global approach – showcasing a variety of experiences, voices and theoretical contributions – ranging from Myanmar to China through Turkey, Sweden, and the UK. It therefore offers an interdisciplinary dialogue and combines perspectives from senior and early career researchers, charting new directions in the research on diaspora activism and transnational repression [The conversations and contributions at the core of this Special Issue started at BISA 2024, where the Editors brought contributors together in a panel titled “Re-focusing transnational connectivities: new conversations on diasporas, activism, and repression”. https://indico.bisa.ac.uk/event/347/contributions/1036/contribution.pdf].