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The Role of Glocal Celebrities and Diaspora Organizations in Environmental Change in Tenerife and Morocco

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International Migration

Published online on

Abstract

["International Migration, Volume 64, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nRecently, growing attention has been paid to the importance of intangible remittances for climate adaptation, including the exchange of knowledge, cultural practices, and normative frameworks within transnational networks. Most studies assume these concerns mainly involve knowledge exchange, but less is known about how such exchanges are embedded in normative structures. This latter concept is crucial to understand how remittances reflect and even contribute to shaping social inequalities both in the region of origin and in the destination area. To further conceptualize intangible remittances in the fields of climate adaptation and environmental mobility, this paper studies the role of so‐called glocal celebrities and translocal organizations as transformative agents in transnational societies facing environmental change. Fieldwork is conducted with mobile and immobile groups in Morocco and Tenerife; including both mobile and immobile groups is needed to further assess how remittances relate to social inequalities. Findings indicate first that ‘place’ is very relevant for both mobile and immobile groups, and precisely attachment to place is crucial for understanding how people approach environmental change and want to stay informed about changes in their region of origin. Results show that knowledge exchange often occurs through glocal celebrities who can translate their ideas and knowledge sets, considering local values, social structures, and practices in the region of origin, in this case Morocco. Looking at intangible remittances from the perspective of mobile individuals and communities, the nature of the local migrant community matters for the organization of diaspora activities. Given the importance of religion in arrival structures and as a binding factor, religious organizations and key actors are found to play a crucial role in how mobile individuals approach environmental change in the region of origin.\n"]