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Kuwait: Less than Bidoon
Fri, 05/28/2010 - 17:06
The Arabic word “bidoon,” meaning “without” and short for “bidoon jinsiya” (without citizenship), is used to denote longtime residents of Kuwait who are stateless and, according to government figures, presently number about 93,000. Lack of legal status impacts all areas of life for bidoon: their identity, family life, mental and physical health, residence, education, livelihood, political participation and freedom of movement.
DRC: Survivors of Sexual Violence Supporting Each Other
Wed, 05/26/2010 - 09:29
My colleague, Camilla Olson and I are currently on mission in Goma, researching the implementation of a new comprehensive strategy on gender-based violence (GBV) in Democratic Republic of Congo. During this trip we have met with many local women’s groups that support victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence, many started by women who are survivors themselves.
One woman explained to us how she was motivated to start a support group to help others who had gone through what she had. She told us, “I was a victim, but I am not a victim now.”
One woman explained to us how she was motivated to start a support group to help others who had gone through what she had. She told us, “I was a victim, but I am not a victim now.”
President’s Corner: Inspiration and Opportunities to Advocate for the World’s Most Vulnerable
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 09:28It’s been nearly two months since I joined Refugees International. I am still learning about the many complex challenges we face in addressing the world’s displacement crises and I’ve been inspired by my many teachers, including RI’s staff and board members who have traveled to the most war-torn regions of the world to meet with people whose lives have been upended. I look forward with great anticipation to being a witness myself as I join missions to Pakistan, Haiti and the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya in the coming weeks.
Refugees International Testifies in Support of the Refugee Protection Act of 2010
Thu, 05/20/2010 - 16:23Refugees International is often called on to bring the struggles of displaced people into the halls of power where laws and policies are created that influence the conditions under which they live. Yesterday, RI’s president, Dan Glickman testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on proposed changes to U.S. asylum law.
The Wall of Women: Hearing Stories of Statelessness in Kuwait
Tue, 05/18/2010 - 15:56
At an open-air rally in Kuwait, Refugees International’s Maureen Lynch and I were escorted to the front of the seated gathering as honored guests. We were there in the country for an eight-day visit to assess the current circumstances under which Kuwait’s approximately 90,000 stateless persons, the Bidoon, are living. We also met with government officials, private-sector experts and advocacy groups to identify concrete actions to secure the Bidoon’s right to nationality in their own country.
The PEP Launches New and Improved Web Resource for Peacekeeping Advocates
Thu, 05/13/2010 - 15:45A few years ago, in 2001, some Washington DC-based advocacy groups thought the time was right to ask Congress to support a standing United Nations peace support force. That force, widely known as the UN Emergency Peace Service, hasn't come to pass and likely won't. But the mechanism the advocates set up to support their cause, the Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping (PEP), does exist and will for the foreseeable future.
Celebrating our 31st Anniversary
Tue, 05/11/2010 - 16:43
On an incredible evening at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, Refugees International celebrated our 31st anniversary and our first-ever ‘green’ gala. Sam Waterston, our favorite emcee and newly-appointed vice-chair of our Board of Directors, welcomed over 500 guests who gathered to recognize humanitarians for the passion they have shown and the change they have achieved in tackling the world’s humanitarian needs.
Tanzania: Protracted Refugee Situation Addressed in Part by Strategic Use of Resettlement
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 16:14Last month the Government of Tanzania announced it would grant citizenship to 162,000 refugees, completing a naturalization process that began two years ago. Up to 500,000 Burundian refugees sought asylum in Tanzania following the 1972 civil war. The local integration of some of these refugees helped to address one of the world's most protracted refugee situations.
Congress Shouldn’t Shortchange the Victims of Conflict, Oppression and Natural Disasters
Fri, 05/07/2010 - 10:55The Senate Budget Committee recently refused to support increases requested by President Obama for next year’s Foreign Aid account. The Committee cut $4 billion from the $58.5 billion proposed . These cuts happened despite increasing recognition that the civilian agencies responsible for diplomacy, development and humanitarian aid are grossly underfunded.
Pakistan: Supporting a War Without Laws?
Tue, 05/04/2010 - 13:35Two weeks ago there was a devastating attack in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Pakistan. A suicide bomber blew himself up as displaced families lined up to receive assistance. A few minutes later another bomber detonated his explosives in the middle of the crowd that had gathered. More than 40 people were killed and approximately 70 injured.
