Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Post

🌍✍️ Call for Entries: Samuel Hall Stories Essay Competition 📢 Hello Africa! Samuel Hall is thrilled to announce the Samuel Hall Stories Essay Competition, inviting displaced persons and refugees and living in refugee camps across Africa to share their stories on 'Between Borders: Everyday Life in Refugee Camps.' Through our storytelling platform, Samuel Hall Stories; we have been amplifying the voices and the initiatives of refugees and other migrants. https://lnkd.in/dFu56hfe With this essay competition; we want to go a step further and highlight diverse narratives from refugee camps across Africa – fostering understanding, empathy and durable solutions through shared experiences. Our goal is to provide a platform for refugees to express themselves authentically and connect with a broader audience. 🎯 Eligibility: Open to refugees aged 18-30 living in refugee camps in Africa. We will cap entries at the first 35 submissions we receive.  Entries may consist of  ➡ Features (Original Reportage) of up to 1500 words,  ➡Thematic Essays and Commentaries of up to 1800 words ➡Personal Essays limited to 1500 words ➡Photo Essays comprising 8-10 photos accompanied by a narrative of up to 800 words.  All submissions should be clearly formatted in English or French and must adhere to the specified word or photo count for each category. 🔍 Judging Criteria: Be yourself! We value originality and unique perspectives. Keep it relevant to the theme. Write clearly, and let your emotions shine through. ✨ We understand that intended participants may not have adequate support and resources to tell their stories. Our judging criteria will consider these challenges to ensure fairness. Samuel Hall is committed to offering support where possible, to enable participants to share their experiences effectively. Tell us your story. Submit your entry in a word doc at media@samuelhall.org by 22nd March, 2024! 

On World Refugee Day, I have written a review of Rob Sharp's insightful new book. "Refugee Voices" provides a powerful and incisive argument for examining and, most importantly, understanding refugees as complex and nuanced people – the book makes a plea for us to acknowledge their humanity. You can purchase it on Amazon or on the website of Routledge.

Here are five essential books for teaching children about the plight of asylum seekers and refugees: "The Journey" by Francesca Sanna A beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the story of a family's escape from a war-torn country. It captures the fear, uncertainty, and hope experienced by refugees. "Refugee" by Alan Gratz This novel intertwines the stories of three children from different historical periods—Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, and modern-day Syria—showing the universal struggles of those seeking asylum. "Lubna and Pebble" by Wendy Meddour and Daniel Egnéus A tender story about a young girl in a refugee camp who finds comfort in a small pebble, illustrating the resilience and hope that children in difficult situations often possess. "The Day War Came" by Nicola Davies and Rebecca Cobb This poignant picture book highlights the devastating impact of war on children and the importance of welcoming those who have lost everything. "Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey" by Margriet Ruurs and Nizar Ali Badr A bilingual (English and Arabic) picture book that tells the story of a Syrian family's flight to safety, with illustrations made from stone art, reflecting the harsh and hopeful realities of their journey. These books provide valuable insights into the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees, fostering empathy and understanding in young readers. All of these books are available from all good booksellers. #CIAC #ImmigrationSupport #ImmigrationAdvice #AsylumAdvice #Refugees #AsylumSeekers #RefusedAsylumSeekers #EEAMigrants #Migrants #Immigration #Asylum #UKCitizenship

In 2023, over 117 million people were living forcibly displaced from their home due to war, persecution or violence. That’s one of every 68 people on the planet — more than at any other time in recorded history. That number has climbed each of the last 12 years. Nine years ago, Hyperakt collaborated with the brilliant Ekene Ijeoma on The Refugee Project. This project is especially meaningful to me. I emigrated from Cuba as a refugee with my family at the age of 5. My identity was forged around a nebulous relationship to the idea of a homeland—an upbringing of rapid assimilation built on distant memories I wasn't sure I really lived. This experience is not unique. This project was born out of a curiosity for learning about the plight of others around the world who's connection to the place they were born had been suddenly, often violently, severed. The Refugee Project allows anyone to explore the global scale of refugee crises over time and space. Hundreds of thousands of rows of data collected over the last half century by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency are layered on an interactive map-based learning experience that lets readers discover where, when, and why refugees have emigrated as turmoil has left them no choice. Explore for yourself here: https://lnkd.in/etPWEe8W All refugee data is sourced from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and updated on an annual basis. Population data is sourced from the United Nations. Not reflected in this data, but equally important, is the plight of 6 million Palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. These are people who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, as well as their descendants. #Refugees #HumanRights #StandWithRefugees #GlobalRefugeeCrisis

Have you ever considered if Jesus was a refugee? Myal Greene explores this question and offers a unique perspective on the story of Jesus, and how his story should shape the way we respond to refugees and immigrants. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dP4462E4 #refugeeawareness #worldrefugeeday #jesuswasarefugee

The Australian Research on Refugee Integration Database (ARRID) is a free searchable database developed to facilitate greater access to research for anyone who is interested in understanding more about refugee settlement in Australia. This includes students, academics, people with refugee backgrounds, policymakers and practitioners. It was developed by Melbourne Social Equity Institute in partnership with the Refugee Education Special Interest Group. ARRID provides a comprehensive view of refugee research in Australia, which can be searched by topic, author/s, dates of publication and more. It has also mapped over 20 years of Australian research on refugee settlement onto an adapted conceptual framework for understanding refugee integration that was originally developed by Ager and Strang and utilised by the UK Home Office. ARRID has recently been updated with 322 new items, of which over 80% are peer-reviewed journal articles. Of these, there continues to be a continuing focus on COVID-19 related research, as well as research on gender-based violence impacting refugee and asylum-seeking communities. Visit ARRID → https://lnkd.in/g8Z3h6BA The ARRID Project Team are Sally Baker, Karen Block, Charlene Edwards, Louise Olliff and John Tran. Thank you to Olivia Allwood and Calvin Truong, students from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne, who supported the latest updates to ARRID. #SocialEquity #RefugeeResearch #MigrationResearch

Refugees, the Lived Experience Series In this series of 'down to earth', online conversations, researchers present findings from their research work and discuss the relevance of these findings to the life and wellbeing of refugees. This episode The concept of belonging is significant in current debates about refugee settlement in host countries, as it is associated with the ability to 'feel at home' in a specific place and is considered a precondition for quality of life. This talk is based on qualitative research conducted by the speaker to understand the settlement experience of Syrian refugee women in Milan through a gendered lens. By examining the everyday spatial practices of Syrian refugee women post-displacement, the research aims to identify the challenges they face in establishing a sense of belonging within new and unfamiliar environments.

Dear all,  I am happy to share that an entry of mine has been published in the "Encyclopedia of New Populism in the 21st Century" on the topic "National Populism and Refugee Crisis: The Case of Rohingya Refugees in India" by Springer. Below is the link. https://lnkd.in/gtj_GN7y

Excited to share my latest publication — an academic contribution to refugee scholarship, from someone with lived experience of refugee. For years, refugees, particularly across continental Europe and Australia have been living in destitution, their protection claims either rejected or left in limbo for decades. Forced deportations to dangerous regions are an all-too-common reality. This paper is a step towards addressing these urgent issues. I believe it can serve as a powerful tool for refugee advocates, helping to bring the attention of resettling states and host countries to the plight of refugees and push for meaningful, structural change. I had the privilege of co-authoring this journal article with the brilliant, Dr Maria O’Sullivan. Our focus was on the controversial principle of internal relocation, often applied without fully considering the lived realities of refugees. In our article, we re-write an Australian Refugee Review Tribunal decision regarding a Hazara applicant from Afghanistan, to more accurately reflect the refugee experience. We emphasise the need to look beyond legal theory and understand the socio-economic conditions, cultural context, and ethnic complexities that shape a refugee’s (in)ability to relocate. In particular, we highlight the deep connection between land, ethnicity, family support, and employment opportunities when evaluating the potential of internal relocation, by using Hazaras in Afghanistan, as an example. Read the open-access paper here: https://lnkd.in/dngC5zzH

🌎 Today on World Refugee Day, let's celebrate resilience! #WithRefugees At CAMBA, we've witnessed firsthand the strength and determination of refugees who have fled war, persecution, and disaster. They arrive with a wealth of skills and experiences, but often face challenges starting anew. That's where CAMBA comes in. We provide essential services like job training, English language classes, and legal aid to empower refugees to build a new life in the United States. Here's some inspiring news: * Over the past 40 years, CAMBA has resettled 10,000 refugees! * We've connected 25,000 refugees and asylum seekers with jobs. This World Refugee Day, let's stand together #WithRefugees. You can help in a few ways: 💥 Donate to CAMBA: Your contribution allows us to continue providing vital support services. 💥 Raise awareness: Share this post and let your friends and family know that you stand with refugees. 💥 Learn more: Visit our website to see how CAMBA empowers refugees. Together, we can build a more welcoming and inclusive future for all. #WorldRefugeeDay #RefugeesWelcome #CAMBAwhereyoucan Need assistance today? Click here: https://lnkd.in/eM8Ywbnk