It is human nature that we care more about our immediate community and the country where we are from, rather than people whom we have never met and countries where we have little knowledge about, located thousand of miles away. That's why, when faced with the financial crisis, job losses and budget deficits, public interest of rich countries on poverty reduction in Africa and Asia wane, in sharp contrast to the enthusiasm witnessed in the 2005 Make Poverty History campaign, when times were good. It is a painful but realistic fact.

This is how the research by Laura Hammond, Senior Lecturer of Development Studies at SOAS, becomes interesting. Her research (Public Service Review: International Development, Issue 16) points to one potentially powerful driver of change for developing countries: the diaspora. She has been carrying out research on the influence of the Somaliland diaspora on electoral politics. The Somalilander is one of the oldest African diaspora groups living in the UK, going back to the 1890s. By now, many Somalilanders are established in London's East End and other major UK cities. In 1988, Somalilanders in London launched the Somali National Movement (SNM), which led the armed struggle against dictator Siad Barre. Since independence in 1991, the Somaliland community in the UK has been influential on the politics and economics of Somaliland.

How does the dispora, being physically absent from their home country, asset influence on politics back home? Laura learned that of the three officially recognised parties in Somaliland, the Peace, Unity and Development party, led by UK citizen Ahmed Mohamed, is the most successful at raising funds for campaigns and other activities, particularly among the dispora. They fund the only opposition-radio station, run out of Belgium, which is broadcast in Somaliland.

Some members of the dispora return to Somaliland regularly, going with funds collected from their contacts in the UK, to run political campaigns. They said that their experience of living in liberal democracies gives them advantages in discussing the future development of Somaliland. Because they have experience of free speech, fair elections, economic management, planning and development, they are often called on to provide advice for policy makers in the parties.

Diaspora of different countries have different characteristics and degrees of maintaining ties with their motherland. Nevertheless, the research provides a new avenue of finding supports, including finance and advice, to keep the momentum of development campaigns going. There are no doubt many successful Africans, Asians and Latin Americans studying in universities or engaging in various professions in Western countries. If it is human nature that Westerners now care less about poverty reduction in places far away, it is also human nature that the diasporas would care more, because these places are their roots. Now is the time for development organisations to engage more and partner with this community.