Community
Shared identities that balance adaptation to host societies with boundary maintenance, allowing for dynamic expressions of belonging rather than fixed ones.
T.C. DIŞİŞLERİBAKANLIĞI
T.C. KÜLTÜR VE TURİZMBAKANLIĞI
Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB)
SESRIC
51st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers
From Roots to Routes
1st Muslim Diaspora Forum of the OIC Member States
A high-level platform for the national institutions responsible for diaspora affairs to exchange views, experiences and good practices and to build the lasting cooperation that reaches beyond remittances.
8–9 September 2026
Ankara, Türkiye
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The portal
Diaspora as a bridge between homelands and host societies
A shared reference point on diaspora affairs for the OIC Member States. The portal brings together the conceptual groundwork, comparative research and institutional cooperation that help national institutions serve their communities abroad and learn from one another.
The concept
More than a population of emigrants
Originally meaning “to scatter” or “to sow across”, diaspora today describes a dynamic cross-boundary force that reaches far beyond migration. A diaspora is a community living outside its ancestral homeland that keeps a strong social, economic, cultural and political connection to its country of origin, a connection that turns scattered individuals into a collective entity with a shared identity and a vested interest in the welfare of their homeland.
Multi-locality
Life lived across more than one place, where countries of origin and residence mutually influence and change communities through knowledge and cultural exchange.
Networks
Social organizations with varying degrees of institutionalization that enable collective action, interaction and the flow of capital, labour, knowledge and culture.
Research
Global Muslim Diaspora
Launched by SESRIC in line with the resolution on “Safeguarding the Rights of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Non-OIC Member States”, the GMD project builds an evidence base on Muslim minority and diasporic communities worldwide: their demographic profiles, socioeconomic position, representation and everyday concerns.
48
countries covered by desk research and country factsheets
10
countries with primary field research
1
GMD Atlas mapping communities worldwide
Thematic areas
Where cooperation makes a difference
Diaspora policy is often fragmented and finance-centric. These are the areas where the OIC Member States are working towards a collaborative framework that strengthens institutional capacity and moves beyond remittances.
Public services abroad
Delivering consular, social security, legal and educational services to communities living outside the homeland, and the institutional models that make them work.
Social cohesion and rights
Family welfare, labour rights and protective frameworks against discrimination, including Islamophobia, in countries of residence.
Heritage and generations
Safeguarding cultural heritage, fostering intergenerational connection and supporting community structures, associations and media initiatives.
Contribution to development
Knowledge transfer, ideational exchange and community-building as inputs to national development agendas, aligned with SDG 8, SDG 10 and SDG 17.
The Forum
Everything about the 2026 Forum
Jointly organised by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye and SESRIC.
Venue
Where the Capital Hosts the Forum
The Forum is held in Ankara, the capital of the Republic of Türkiye. Sessions take place at the Meyra Palace Hotel; travel and accommodation details are sent to delegations by the Organisation Committee.
- Dates
- 8–9 September 2026s
- Venue
- Meyra Palace Hotel, Ankara
- Languages
- Arabic, English, French and Türkçe
- Enquiries
- diaspora@sesric.org