How does diffusion spread ethnic conflict from one country to another?

In the context of ethnic conflict, diffusion is a process by which an existing conflict in one state stimulates similar unrest in another state that shares comparable economic and political conditions.1

Rather than spreading through direct physical movement across borders, diffusion functions through the power of example. When an ethnic movement achieves success or visibility, it provides images and moral incentives that motivate and mobilize other ethnic groups facing similar circumstances. By observing these movements, groups in different countries may feel encouraged to pursue their own political, economic, or territorial goals, effectively "diffusing" the conflict dynamic across international boundaries.1

This process is distinct from "contagion" or "spillover" effects, which typically involve the physical movement of refugees, foreign fighters, or violence across borders into neighboring territories. While diffusion relies on the psychological and political inspiration drawn from successful movements elsewhere, all these external mass-level factors contribute to the creation of unstable "bad neighborhoods" where regional tensions can rapidly escalate.12