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172. ‘We’re Here For an Indefinite Period’ Prospects for local integration of internally displaced people in North Kivu, DRC
- Author:
- Aurore Mathieu
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Internally displaced people in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are struggling to find long-term solutions to improve their resilience to shocks in a region that has been beset by armed conflict for more than 20 years. In 2016 Oxfam partners undertook a survey among host communities and displaced people in Masisi and Lubero, North Kivu, to gain a picture of the formal and informal mechanisms developed by displaced people to integrate into host communities. It revealed that although the majority of displaced people wish to return eventually to their place of origin, the least vulnerable displaced people are those who manage to integrate into their host communities. This paper reports the views of displaced people and host communities. It aims to influence the debate underway on solutions to displacement in the province of North Kivu and provides concrete suggestions for ways to strengthen those mechanisms; in particular by redefining the interventions of humanitarian and development actors and authorities to consider the needs of host communities
- Topic:
- Displacement, Local, Humanitarian Crisis, and Internal Displacement
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo
173. ‘We’re Not There Yet…’ Voices of Refugees from Syria in Lebanon
- Author:
- Francesca El Asmar and Nour Shawaf
- Publication Date:
- 05-2017
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- As the Syrian crisis enters its sixth year, the world is witness to what has been characterized as the largest humanitarian emergency of our time. More than 11 million people have fled their homes, of whom around five million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Lebanon is hosting 1.5 million refugees from Syria, and 31,500 registered Palestinian refugees from Syria as of December 2016. This report presents the results of Oxfam’s research project which looked at the perceptions and expectations of refugees in Lebanon in relation to their future, their present situation and their past experiences. It aims to open up discussion on lasting solutions that will allow refugees to influence the decisions being made and to define concepts of safe and dignified living. The report argues that the perceptions, lived experiences and expectations of the refugees themselves should be the building blocks of their future, whereby freedom to make choices is a fundamental component of dignity.
- Topic:
- Migration, Refugee Crisis, Displacement, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria
174. Dear Family: How European migration policies are keeping families apart
- Author:
- Angeliki Nika
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- In 2015, nearly a million people crossed the Aegean fleeing persecution or seeking a better life. Many of these people made perilous journeys to reunite with family members. The lack of accessible, safe and regular routes for family reunification has resulted in thousands of people taking dangerous journeys, making them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation at the hands of smugglers and traffickers. European migration policies put in place to prevent irregular migration into Europe make it likely that families will be separated and make it difficult for them to reunite. Many people in Greece that remain separated from loved ones in another EU member state are increasingly desperate to reunite with them. Most have been stranded in Greece for over a year, trying to navigate the asylum system and family reunification procedures. This report identifies the impact of European migration policies on family unity and the wellbeing of people stranded in Greece. It is based on a series of focus group discussions and key informant interviews conducted in Greece between February and May 2017. The report calls on the governments of Greece and other EU member states to protect the right to family life of refugees and anyone who applies for international protection.
- Topic:
- Migration, Regional Cooperation, European Union, Refugee Crisis, and Displacement
- Political Geography:
- Europe
175. Still Looking for Safety: Voices of Refugees from Syria on Solutions for the Present and Future
- Author:
- Amy Keith and Nour Shawaf
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Syrian refugees and Palestine refugees from Syria have fled their homes in search of safety. But Oxfam’s 2017 research revealed that most people interviewed do not consider that they have found complete safety and protection in Lebanon. Refugees’ views on what constitutes ‘safety’ are individual and subjective. This paper argues that the international community and host governments should not make decisions for refugees about what or where is ‘safe’, but instead should support refugees to find safety in the present, and determine their futures for themselves.
- Topic:
- Migration, Refugees, Displacement, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria
176. We Have Forgotten What Happiness Is: Youth perspectives on displacement and return in Qayyarah sub-district, Mosul
- Author:
- Antonio Massella
- Publication Date:
- 10-2017
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- The current internal conflict in Iraq, its ensuing displacement and emerging returns, coupled with political and economic crises facing the country, are just the latest in a series of ongoing upheavals that Iraq’s youth are experiencing. This is a grim set of circumstances for any young person, and is particularly troubling in Iraq where pre-crisis figures indicate that 61% of the population is below the age 24 and 20% between the ages of 15 and 24. With the support of ECHO, Oxfam conducted an in-depth qualitative study of youth perspectives on experiences of displacement and return in newly retaken areas around Mosul. The main objective of this study is to investigate how circumstances for youth in Iraq may spur further conflict and shape displacement and return experiences; inform current policies around stabilization; influence the development of a durable solutions framework for displacement in Iraq; and support further development of conflict-sensitive programming as Oxfam moves its response from humanitarian to early recovery.
- Topic:
- Education, Displacement, Youth, and Conflict
- Political Geography:
- Iraq and Middle East
177. Not Without Dignity: Views of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon on Displacement, Conditions of Return, and Coexistence
- Author:
- Rim El Gantri and Karim El Mufti
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
- Abstract:
- Armed conflict in Syria has displaced millions of people inside and outside of the country. When a political settlement to the conflict is eventually reached, the process of refugees returning to Syria and rebuilding their lives, relationships, and communities will be long and complex. However, discussions with displaced persons about return and coexistence can begin now, even in the face of ongoing violence and displacement. This research report is based on interviews with refugees living in Lebanon and representatives of local and international organizations in both Lebanon and Turkey working on issues related to Syrian displacement. The report provides an important window into the experiences of refugees in Lebanon as well as their concerns, expectations, and priorities regarding conditions of return and coexistence. The research findings highlight the harms experienced by Syrian refugees at both the individual and collective levels, including the loss of loved ones, houses, property, and businesses in Syria and difficult economic situations and discrimination in Lebanon. Displacement has had devastating impacts on families and led to broad social fragmentation, including sectarian and political divisions and rifts between those who left Syria and those who remained. The effects of conflict and displacement will be generational, as refugee children have been traumatized by their exposure to violence and largely deprived of education. The findings also capture common priorities among Syrian refugees in Lebanon for return. Most do want to return, not just to Syria but to the regions and communities where they previously lived. Common preconditions for return include safety and security; shelter, livelihoods, and the physical reconstruction of homes and infrastructure; compensation or restitution for the loss of property and housing; the provision of education for children and youth; psychosocial support; and family reunification. One positive development among refugees in Lebanon is that many youth engaged with local and international civil society organizations have acquired new skills and an openness to people with different religious and political beliefs that one day may contribute to rebuilding relationships in Syria. Views about the potential for coexistence and justice vary widely. Some refugees believe that Syrians will be ready to rebuild ties once the conflict ends, while others are less optimistic. Some believe that justice is necessary for return, while others think it unlikely to occur. The research makes it clear that the restoration of dignity will play an important role in establishing the necessary conditions for refugee return and coexistence. While return will ultimately depend on a political resolution to the Syrian conflict, several steps can be taken now that are likely to have implications for return and coexistence in the future.
- Topic:
- Refugees, Displacement, Criminal Justice, Syrian War, Truth and Reconciliation, and Youth Engagement
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria
178. Forced Urbanization as a Counter-Insurgency Policy. Everyday Life inside Strategic Villages Built in Argentina (1976-1978) | L’urbanisation forcée comme politique contre-insurrectionnelle La vie au sein des villages stratégiques construits en Argentine (1976-1978)
- Author:
- Pamela Colombo
- Publication Date:
- 09-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Cultures & Conflits
- Institution:
- Cultures & Conflits
- Abstract:
- The military program for building “strategic villages”, which emerged at the beginning of the Cold War, sought to develop ex nihilo urban spaces to displace rural populations living in zones influenced by guerrilla groups. This article analyses the Rural Relocation Plan implemented in the Argentinian province of Tucumán between 1976 and 1978 that led to the construction of four strategic villages. In doing so, it seeks to establish whether or not space has the power to transform a community’s political and social life in the long term. This article equally addresses the following three questions: What is everyday life like in spaces where military and civil worlds cohabit and hybridize? What are the characteristics of urban spaces designed to dissuade populations from rising up in support of the guerrillas? The analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with the inhabitants of strategic villages in Tucumán allows for an examination of the social and political effects of forced urbanization as a counter-insurgency technique.
- Topic:
- Counterinsurgency, Displacement, Space, and Violence
- Political Geography:
- Argentina and South America
179. Ending Statelessness Through Belonging: A Transformative Agenda?
- Author:
- Kristy A. Belton
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Abstract:
- Belonging. The subject conjures up a realm of emotions. In today's world, where increasing numbers of people are on the move, whether voluntarily or forced, it captures the nostalgia one feels for a home left behind or the yearning one has for acceptance in a new community. It can produce feelings of joy or loss even from a distance, as when one follows political, sporting, or family events from afar. It encompasses sentiments of anguish, fear, and resentment when those who wish to belong are rejected or when those within a group feel threatened by those from without. For all the talk today of an interconnected, globalizing world where borders are “not just permeable, but . . . shot through with large holes,” most of us still expect our national borders—the borders of the state where we belong—to be impenetrable, except through the preapproved legal channels.
- Topic:
- Globalization, Displacement, Borders, and Belonging
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
180. Uneven Humanitarianism: Abandoned Refugees along the Thai-Myanmar Border
- Author:
- Tani Sebro
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Review of Human Rights
- Institution:
- Society of Social Science Academics (SSSA)
- Abstract:
- This essay considers the case of uneven humanitarian aid distribution along the Thai-Myanmar border, where forcibly displaced migrants from Myanmar have been abandoned by the UNHCR and international humanitarian organizations. Based upon long-term ethnographic fieldwork along the Thai-Myanmar border amongst Tai migrants from the Shan State in Myanmar, I attend to the effects of the inequitable distribution of rights and privileges in an international humanitarian system that is predicated on the neoliberal logic of uneven development. After two centuries of British colonial occupation and later Burman authoritarian rule, the ethnic minority groups along the Thai-Myanmar border are now facing another crisis – that of abandonment as NGOs search for new and more pressing humanitarian disasters elsewhere. The essay addresses a concept I call uneven humanitarianism as a neocolonial condition for peoples living in the Thai-Myanmar borderlands by specifically focusing on Tai peoples who are living in unofficial refugee camps that lost foreign funding in 2017. I argue that the ad hoc treatment and eventual abandonment of these vulnerable groups – that are currently in the midst of the world’s most protracted civil war and displacement situation – constitutes a failure of the “responsibility to protect” humanitarian project.
- Topic:
- Refugees, Displacement, NGOs, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Asia, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and Myanmar