The rising number of displaced people across the world represents one of the major global challenges for political leadership and international development. The panel seeks to explore evidence-based policy suggestions for dignified resolutions for displaced people and communities.
Long Abstract:
Put simply, the recent statistics on global displacement are shocking. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2019 report, nearly 70.8 million people were displaced at the end of 2018. The number of globally displaced people has been doubled in the last 20 years from its previous peak at 3.7 per 1000 people in 1992 to 9.3 per 1000 people in 2018 resulting in an alarming trend of around 37000 people are becoming newly displaced every day. Displaced people (as refugees; asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs)) are fleeing war, persecution, violent conflicts, and human rights violations and thereby represent one of the major global political and development challenges of the current time.
While it is overwhelmingly the developing countries that are most affected, displacement often takes away the dignity of the displaced people who are already likely to have experienced torture, trauma, and worst forms of violence and crime. There is a paucity of literature suggesting whether humanitarian interventions uphold/further or detract the dignity of vulnerable displaced communities (ODI, 2019).
In this context, this panel aims to explore what roles state/political leadership, market, and civil society can play in finding dignified resolutions for displaced people and communities? What roles are there for the development researchers, academics, and policymakers - because 'no one becomes a refugee by choice; but the rest of us can have a choice about how we help' (UNHCR, 2019).
What the forcibly displaced people themselves perceive as dignity? Based on empirical evidence collected from displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan, this paper aims to reveal how dignity is perceived in the context of displacements.
Paper long abstract:
This paper focuses on understanding how displaced people perceive dignity. In doing so, empirical evidence from the displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar now living in Bangladesh and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan are contrasted with how dignity is being conceptualised in existing social science literature. Rohingyas in Bangladesh and IDPs in Afghanistan represent two of the largest groups of displaced people in the current world. The sheer volume of these groups along with their needs for support, coordination of humanitarian activities and regional/global politics clearly manifest that they pose one of the critical development challenges of the current time. We have observed these groups in their present living conditions, heard their stories and seen how different social and political actors can treat them as a 'burden'. We argue that, for effective and sustainable resolutions for these vulnerable groups, it is important for academic researchers as well as policy practitioners to discern what they perceive as dignity and a dignified solution for the crisis they are now living in.
This paper presents a little-known successful campaign which quickly mobilised different actors to meet IDPs' needs with dignity and efficacy in Adama, Ethiopia. It offers an evidence-based case study of assistance led by national and local actors in the Global South.
Paper long abstract:
This paper presents a little-known successful campaign which quickly mobilised different actors to meet the needs of IDP arrival with dignity and efficacy in Adama, Ethiopia. It offers a case study of emergency relief and development assistance led by national and local actors in the Global South without international involvement. The collective response led to the construction of 2,000 houses in which 1,340 IDP households were settled, and support for education and healthcare. This may be a unique instance of an entirely Ethiopian and largely local effort successful at this scale and in such a short period of time.
Several significant policy lessons can be learned from this response. Success came in part through 'cascading' coordination between federal, regional, and local government: A single message was shared widely. Various sectors of society were purposively targeted for donations, with free media coverage in exchange for donations playing a key role in successfully mobilizing private sector funds. The focus on both in-kind and cash donations meant that actors could contribute in myriad ways: hiring IDPs, offering training, and more. Assistance also came from IDPs themselves, as community-based practices such as Idir associations offered both financial and psychological support. This evidence-based case study demonstrates a whole-of-society approach in action, as contributors with and without funds, on group and individual levels, for both altruistic and self-interested purposes, were mobilized to assist.
In Nigeria, the number of forced migrants and the displaced people continues to increase exponentially due to conflicts and insurgency in various parts of the country with the North- Eastern part of the country being the most affected.
Paper long abstract:
The Displacement Tracking Matrix Round 29 Report revealed that internal displacement in Nigeria is caused by insurgency (91.0%), communal clash (8.0%) and natural disaster (1.0%). Insurgency in Nigeria remains persistent with attacks on civilians by the terrorist group 'Boko Haram'. Over the past six years, these attacks led to loss of lives and properties, human and material insecurity, loss of livelihood and outright displacement. Displacement has many consequences: erodes human capital, increases poverty amongst people who would have been productive; radicalises displaced people, supports regional and global security threats emergence and destabilises host governments or communities. This situation has led to high dependence on humanitarian assistance from Government and Non-governmental Organisations. This study sought to increase understanding on how potentials from 'displacement' can be harnessed to drive development through livelihood improvement by answering the following questions: what efforts are being made towards restoring or accessing new livelihoods to support the internally displaced in host communities? What livelihood strategies advance the rights and well-being of internally displaced persons? What are the potential contributions of innovative livelihood initiatives to peace building and the pursuit of durable solutions to displacement? Findings from this paper has identified that development and humanitarian actors can reinforce humanitarian precepts such as restoring dignity, improving protection, reducing dependency and vulnerability and increasing empowerment with development instruments which promote economic well-being, self-reliance and resilience. Also, host communities are crucial in improving the lives of displaced persons by allowing them to use lands temporarily for livelihood purposes.
The central theme across the study was the centrality of university-led partnership with government to restore dignity to refugees. The findings suggest that members of institutes of higher learning can inspire actions to restore dignity to refugees through teaching, publication and advocacy.
Paper long abstract:
The torture, trauma and worst forms of violence/ crime that refugees often go through take away their dignity. There is the need for the host countries to go beyond humanitarian interventions in order to restore the dignity of refugees. The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in ensuring a dignified life for refugees in Ghana. Universities as Higher Education Institutions have a critical and unique role in helping to restore dignity for refugees through teaching, research and advocacy. Using a qualitative approach, this paper provides a synthesis of interdisciplinary perspectives on the contribution of the HEIs to ensure a dignified life for refugees in Ghana. A central theme across the interviews was the centrality of university-led partnership with government and local communities to achieve a dignified life for the refugees. The paper employed thematic analysis for the qualitative data gathered from the respondents. The consultations imply divergence of respondents' opinions, and the conclusion drawn from the study is that HEIs have not given much attention to the refugee issues as part of their social responsibility. The study recommends that HEIs should prioritise research, advocacy and support services to refugee issues as part of their social responsibility and community engagement strategy. Also, governments and the donor community should provide funding to universities for the development of policy-relevant evidence, co-produced with relevant stakeholders, for policy makers to address this human development challenge in Ghana.
has 1 download
1