The concept of diaspora goes back in human history; it was initially used by the ancient Greeks to describe their spreading all over the then known-world. For the ancient Greeks diaspora signified migration and colonisation. For the Jews, the Armenians and the Africans who later adopted the term, the concept implied more painful meanings of loss of a Homeland, violent deterritorialisation and longing for return (Cohen, 1997). As much as the history of migration and settlement for these populations and for other populations that have moved across the globe has changed, so did the concept of diaspora

This article engages with the theoretical premise of diasporicity - the local/regional specificities and workings of a given diaspora. Diasporicity is an attempt to extend the vocabulary of the concept of diaspora as an intervention against fixed ideas of race and nation.

Peoples who at some stage in their history migrated from an original homeland and settled in a European country – that is, diasporic groups – is estimated to be between ten and 30 million across a total population in the European Union (EU) of about 380 million. In addition to that millions of members of the older diasporas – for instance, Jewish, Roma, Armenians – have been integral components of the European past and present. Almost five million out of the world’s 20 million refugees are hosted in Europe for longer or shorter periods.

Taking its inspiration from the thought and action of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, this essay proposes a comparative analysis of "articulated sites of indigeneity." It explores the advantages and limitations of translating North Atlantic cultural studies approaches into island Pacific contexts. Stuart Hall's articulation theory is proposed as a partial way beyond the stand-offs created by recent debates around the "invention of tradition." The dialectic of indigenous and diasporic histories, roots and routes, is explored with regard to experiences of post- and neocolonial interdependence and pragmatic sovereignty.

The continuing difficulty of finding a solution to the physical return of the Palestinian Diaspora to the homeland is increasingly being addressed in the digital realm by the rise of virtual communities. PALESTA (Palestinian Scientists and Technologists Aboard) established at the end of 1997 in order to “harness the scientific and technological knowledge of expatriate professionals for the benefit of development efforts in Palestine”, has been one of the most important internet-based networks that have been developed to assist this process.