June 18, 2010
Joel Charny
About RI
Sunday, June 20 is World Refugee Day, the annual date on which we celebrate the courage and tenacity of refugees worldwide, and reflect on the massive gaps that remain in responding fully to their needs. This year, more than ever perhaps, is a good opportunity to reflect on whether the iconic image of the refugee – an African woman with several children at her feet posing in front of a tent with her meager belongings – conveys refugee reality adequately.
February 23, 2010
Joel Charny
South Sudan, Sudan
The Financial Times headline sounds the alarm: “Fury at unspent funds for Sudan.” It seems that donor governments are furious at the World Bank for spending only $181 million out of the $524 million in donated funds from the fund it manages to support the recovery and development of local communities in south Sudan.
February 16, 2010
Joel Charny
Climate Displacement, Senegal
When standing on the shore line at Rufisque L’est, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Dakar, Senegal, it’s hard not to buy into apocalyptic climate change scenarios. The beach is gone. Wharves built by the French colonists, once linked to the shore, have been completely swept away, with just a few wooden pillars rising from the water as evidence of their existence. In one stretch, three city blocks, which included homes, warehouses, and a mosque, were pulled into the ocean.
January 29, 2010
Joel Charny
President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address on Wednesday night at a time of disappointment and concern for the American people, largely centered on the slow pace of economic recovery and partisan gridlock in Congress. Thus, the bulk of the President's speech was devoted to domestic matters.
January 06, 2010
Joel Charny
Climate Displacement, Colombia, DR Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Statelessness
It’s now standard to wrap up the year with lists of ten: best films; greatest sporting moments; most influential people. In the spirit of a hopeful start to the New Year and decade, I propose a different sort of list: ten events we’d like to see in the world of humanitarian action in 2010. None of the mock headlines below herald an era of global peace and harmony. But each of these headlines could plausibly appear in the coming year, and Refugees International will be doing everything in its power to make them happen.
Blog Posts by Joel Charny
