The Many Faces of Diaspora

I was excited to further learn about the many facets and faces of diaspora during our recent class discussion. I am particularly interested in diaspora and it's impact on development. Diaspora can be very effective and powerful if organized correctly. Diaspora heavily rests on the strength of the community. Most of these groups are small and lack the resources to adequately give back to their homeland. I am interested in finding out how the United States plans to engage diaspora to provide development assistance.
I think USAID could greatly benefit from engaging Diaspora. The diaspora can provide significant primary information that cannot be gathered from many sources. There is a great deal of mistrust amongt the United States and foreigners. I know that the U.S. seeks to form a more harmonious relationship with foreign governments and the populations they serve. Although they are extremely effective, there are always better ways to strengthen engagement. In addition to our many missions abroad, I think even more emphasis can be placed on interacting with the many diaspora's that reside in America.
By utilizing this untapped resource, the U.S.can strengthen bi-lateral communication,increase trade and provide direct assistance to foreign nations. The U.S. would then be able to harness the power to implement sustainable cooperation and create a better environment for promoting U.S foreign interests in a creative and more convenient way.