Paper details
| Paper authors | Akif Emre Aktas |
| In panel on | ‘Real’ Humanitarian Governance: Accountability, Advocacy, and Alternatives |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
Although the Turkish diaspora in Germany has reached its third generation, donation behaviors and institutional affiliations reveal a persistent orientation toward diaspora-led humanitarian organizations rather than mainstream German NGOs. While officially registered as German civil society actors, these organizations—such as WEFA e.V.—differ significantly in structure, community engagement, and operational ethos from long-established native German NGOs. Their growth is largely driven by continued trust and financial support from diaspora communities, leading to increasingly professionalized and internationally active institutions.
This paper argues that while conventional humanitarian discourse distinguishes between ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ actors, the definition of the “North” itself must be revisited. Diaspora-led organizations, despite their migrant roots, are firmly situated within the Global North—both geographically and institutionally. Yet they represent a distinct category that is neither fully mainstream Western nor Global South. Their rising visibility, operational capacity, and transnational reach demand a more nuanced understanding of humanitarian leadership and power dynamics.
Focusing on the case of WEFA e.V., this study sheds light on how migrant-origin organizations reshape humanitarian practice in Europe, and why any contemporary discussion of “Northern” leadership in aid must critically engage with the role of diaspora institutions as influential and legitimate actors in the global humanitarian ecosystem.
