New FMR Issue on Humanitarian Reform

The theme of the 29th issue of Forced Migration Review (FMR) is "Humanitarian Reform: Fulfilling its Promise?" Some 25 articles from a range of contributors address the myriad facets of this issue, while another 10 discuss other non-theme issues, including Iraq, Darfur, Colombia, Bulgaria, Bhutanese refugees, accountability, protection, profiling IDP populations, and the role of the private sector.

Previous issues of FMR are available at http://www.fmreview.org/mags1.htm; other language editions - Arabic, French and Spanish - can be accessed at http://www.fmreview.org/OtherLanguageEditions.html.

Posted in Periodicals.

New Pubs. on Climate Change, Durable Solutions, EXCOM, Iraqi Refugees, Refugee Diet

Climate Alarm: Disasters Increase as Climate Change Bites (Oxfam, Nov. 2007) [text]

Human Development Report 2007/2008 (UNDP, Nov. 2007) [access]
- Focus is on the development impact of climate change.

Iraqi Refugees: A Lot of Talk, Little Action (Refugees International, Nov. 2007) [text]

Papers presented to UNHCR EXCOM 2007 (Australian Refugee Rights Alliance, Centre for Refugee Research, Oct. 2007) [access]

Refugee Diet in a context of Urban Displacement (Forced Migration & Refugee Studies Program, AUC, Oct. 2007) [Part one] [Part two]

Refugee Protection and Durable Solutions in the Context of International Migration (UNHCR, Nov. 2007) [text]

Réfugiés Climatiques (Collectif Argos, Nov. 2007) [access]

Study of Iraqis in Jordan (Fafo, Nov. 2007) [access]

Posted in Publications.

Writing about Refugees: A Competition for Student Journalists

Yet another opportunity for university students to write about refugee and asylum issues is on offer, this time from the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe. Aspiring journalists are invited to compose an article on the theme of "Access to Asylum." Participants must be enrolled in an institute of higher education based in a Council of Europe member state. The deadline for submissions is 22 February 2008. For more information, visit the competition web site. The competition is sponsored by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and MediaWise.


Posted in Events & Opportunities.

New Issues of AJDTS, Asylons, CSD, Disasters, HRQ, Intl. Rev. of the RC, Intervention, JEMS, Yrbk. of IHL

Asylon(s), no. 2 (nov. 2007) [full-text]
- Theme of this issue is "Terrains d'ASILES."

Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, no. 2007-2 (Nov. 2007) [full-text]
- Mix of articles, with several on psychosocial aspects of disasters.

Conflict, Security & Development, vol. 7, no. 4 (2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including one on conflict-generated diasporas.

Disasters, vol. 31, no. 4 (Dec. 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including one on "Information technologies and the sharing of disaster knowledge."

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 4 (Nov. 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 89, no. 866 (June 2007) [contents]
- Focus is on "catastrophic events."

Intervention: International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict, vol. 5, no. 3 (Nov. 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles, with two focusing on DDR in Colombia, two looking at programmes for conflict-affected youth, one on psychological support for Iraqi refugees, and one on giving evidence in the Dutch asylum process. Also included is a review of Internet resources relating to "Mental Health and Psychosocial Care for Children and Adolescents."

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 34, no. 1 (2008) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, vol. 8 (Dec. 2005) [contents]
- The year is not a typo! It's just a bit behind schedule, due to the scope of its coverage.

Posted in Periodicals.

Forced Migration Student Conference

The 5th Annual Forced Migration Student Conference will be held 1 March 2008 at the University of Oxford. The theme is "Rethinking Solutions for Forced Migrants." It's organized by postgraduates for postgraduates and practitioners. "The aim of this conference is to give postgraduates the opportunity to present their research in a supportive environment, to meet others researching similar topics, and to engender debate on research in this field."

See the Call for Papers at http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/PDFs/StudConf08.pdf.

Previous student conferences were held in/at:

2003 Oxford Univ.
2004 Warwick Univ.
2005 Oxford Brookes Univ.
2006 Univ. of East London

Posted in Events/Opportunities.

New Pubs. on Civilian Protection, COI Research, Humanitarian Aid, Refugee Children/Scotland, Refugees/Britain, Sri Lanka

Comparative Study on Country of Origin Information Systems: Study on COI Systems in Ten European Countries and the Potential for Further Improvement of COI Co-operation (ICMPD, April 2006) [text]

Country of Origin Information and Women: Researching gender and persecution in the context of asylum and human rights claims (Asylum Aid, Nov. 2007) [text]

Education and Schooling for Asylum-Seeking Refugee Students in Scotland: An Exploratory Study (Scottish Government Social Research, Nov. 2007) [text] [summary version]

From Refugee to Citizen: "Standing On My Own Two Feet" (Institute for Public Policy Research, Oct. 2007) [text]

Humanitarian Agenda 2015: Sri Lanka Country Study (Feinstein International Center, Oct. 2007) [text]

Learning to Read a New Culture: How Immigrant and Asylum Seeking Children Experience Scottish Identity through Classroom Books (Scottish Government Social Research, Nov. 2007) [text]

No Room for Humanitarianism in 3D Policies: Have Forcible Humanitarian Interventions and Integrated Approaches Lost Their Way? (Peacebuilding Development and Security Program, Nov. 2007) [access via ReliefWeb]

Report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, S/2007/643 (UN Security Council, Oct. 2007) [access via UN Pulse]

Posted in Publications.

Archival Collections: Human Rights, Peace Studies, Refugees

The Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research (CHRDR) at Columbia University formally opened its human rights archives to the public in early October. It serves as the official repository for Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations.

Learn more about the human rights archive collection.

The Plowshares Digital Archive for Peace Studies is a repository of primary materials that document the peace and social justice efforts of the Quakers, Mennonites and the Church of the Brethren and of the three colleges that they founded: Earlham, Goshen and Manchester.

Learn more about the peace studies archive collection.

The Refugee Council Archive at UEL comprises four main collections: materials from the Refugee Council UK; photographs, slides and videos in the UNHCR Audio-Visual Collection; grey literature from the Northern Refugee Centre in Sheffield; and documents from Charter 87. Smaller archival collections include the East London Theatre Archive, the Diversity Art Forum Archive, and the Gender, Sexualities and Ethnic Studies Collection.

Learn more about the refugee archives.

Posted in Web Sites/Tools.

Health-related Resources

Several recently produced and/or newly updated health-related manuals include:

Clinical Guidelines: Diagnosis and Treatment Manual, 7th ed. (Médecins Sans Frontières, updated Sept. 2007) [access to English, French and Spanish versions]

Find the Help You Need: A Guide to Services for Disabled Refugees and Asylum Seekers (National Information Forum, 2007) [text]

Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations: An Inter-Agency Field Manual (Inter-Agency Working Group for Reproductive Health in Crises, Aug. 2007) [text]
- List of corrections to the Inter-agency Field Manual.

Resource Guide for Serving Refugees with Disabilities (U.S. Committee for Refugees, July 2007) [text]

WHO Ethical and safety recommendations for researching, documenting and monitoring sexual violence in emergencies (Aug. 2007) [text]

In addition, the most recent issue of the Coping with Crisis newsletter includes a brief literature review focusing on "Children and Trauma in Areas of Disaster," pp. 16-17.

Posted in Publications.

Measuring and Monitoring Conflicts

Behind the Numbers: Assessing Indices of Peace, Conflict and Instability, USIPeace Briefing (U.S. Institute of Peace, Nov. 2007) [text]
- This briefing summarizes the panel discussions that took place during a USIP event that looked at the utility of conflict indices.

Several other resources can help you monitor new and unfolding conflicts and determine whether existing conflicts are improving or deteriorating.

Barómetro (Escola de Cultura de Pau) [access]
- Quarterly; brief analyses provided of events which occurred during the past quarter in nine sectors: armed conflicts, tensions, peace processes, post-war rehabilitation, humanitarian crises, militarisation and disarmament, human rights, development and gender. More complete report provided in Spanish.

Boletin (Escola de Cultura de Pau) [access]
- Monthly; each issue also includes analysis of an issue which received only limited media coverage.

CrisisWatch (International Crisis Group) [access]
- Monthly, in PDF or Word; subscribe to an email alert to be notified of new issues.

Major Episodes of Political Violence, 1946-2006 (Center for Systemic Peace) [access]
- Updated Sept. 2007; while not a regularly produced publication like the resources above, this site provides perspective on the enduring nature of many of the conflicts that are continuing today.

Posted in Periodicals and Publications.

New Pubs. on ACHPR, Asylum, IDPs/Colombia, IDPs/Ethiopia, Legal Research, Refugees/Thailand, Stateless/Kuwait, Zimbabweans

About Being Without: Stories of Stateless in Kuwait (Refugees International, Oct. 2007) [text]

Asylum Rights Watch: Summary of responses June – September 2007 (Asylum Aid, Oct. 2007) [text]

Ethiopia: Addressing the rights and needs of people displaced by conflict (IDMC, Oct. 2007) [text]

A guide to the African Commission on human and peoples’ rights (Amnesty International, Nov. 2007) [text]

Researching the Legal Aspects of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom (GlobaLex, Nov. 2007) [text]

Resisting displacement by combatants and developers: Humanitarian Zones in north-west Colombia (IDMC, Nov. 2007) [text]

The Situation of the Lao Hmong Refugees in Petchabun, Thailand (Doctors without Borders, Oct. 2007) [text]

Zimbabwe Exodus: Too Little, but Not Too Late (Refugees International, Nov. 2007) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal

The plight of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal may soon be resolved. UNHCR announced yesterday that an agreement had been reached to resettle as many as 60,000 Bhutanese refugees to the United States. Over 100,000 refugees have been living in camps in eastern Nepal for an extended period of time, some for as long as 17 years. Those who wish to leave and who are accepted for resettlement may be slated to travel beginning in January 2008.

Some background on this protracted refugee situation is provided in the following resources:

"Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal," State of the World's Refugees 2006 (UNHCR) [text]

Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India (Human Rights Watch, May 2007) [text]

Nepal: Time for Bhutanese Refugees to Choose Their Future Path (Refugees International, Oct. 2007) [text]

"Unending Limbo: Warehousing Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal," World Refugee Survey 2004 (U.S. Committee for Refugees) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New Issues of ASR, Dev. in Practice, Disasters, NICS, Women's Asylum News

African Security Review, vol. 16, no. 3 (Sept. 2007) [full-text]
- Theme of this issue is "Conflict Prevention and the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ in Africa."

Development in Practice, vol. 17, no. 6 (2007) [contents]
- Focus is on violence and development in Central and South America. Includes article on "Violence in development: the logic of forced displacement on Colombia's Pacific coast."

Disasters, online early articles (Nov. 2007) [contents]
- Includes article on "The sexual and reproductive rights of internally displaced women: the embodiment of Colombia's crisis."

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations, no. 14 (Sept. 2007) [full-text]

Women's Asylum News, no. 70 (Nov./Dec. 2007) [full-text]
- Includes feature article on "FGM in Kenya."

Posted in Periodicals.

New Pubs. on Asylum/EU, Disaster Law, Persecution of Women, Refugees/China, Refugees/Greece, UNHCR

Asylum in the European Union: A Study of the Implementation of the Qualification Directive (UNHCR, Nov. 2007) [text]

Law and legal issues in international disaster response: a desk study (IFRC, Nov. 2007) [text]

Persécutions des femmes: Savoirs, mobilisations et protections (Editions Du Croquant, Nov. 2007) [access contents, summary, preface and full-text of the introduction]

Refugee Issues relating to China, Statement by Roberta Cohen (Oct. 2007) [text]

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNGA 62nd Session, Supplement No. 12, A/62/12 (UN, 2007) [access via UN Pulse]

"The Truth May be Bitter, but It Must be Told": The Situation of Refugees in the Aegean and the Practices of the Greek Coast Guard (Pro Asyl & Greek Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants, Oct. 2007) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New Issues of AJCR, APMJ, JHA, IJMS, IJRL, IMR, RSQ

African Journal on Conflict Resolution, vol. 7, no. 1 (2007) [full-text]
- Mix of articles, including "The Case against Taylor’s Asylum: A Review of Nigeria’s Domestic and International Legal Obligations."

Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, vol. 16, no. 3 (2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Journal of Humanitarian Assistance (28 Oct. 2007) [full-text]
- Two new articles posted: "Local and Regional Procurement of Food Aid in Africa: Impact and Policy Issues" and "Reversing food insecurity: Linking global commitments to local recovery needs."

International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 19, no. 3 (Oct. 2007) [contents]
- Includes articles on international refugee protection, separated children, Eritrean asylum seekers in Norway, and refugee legislation in Belarus.

International Journal on Multicultural Societies, vol. 9, no. 1 (2007) [full-text]
- The focus of this issue is on migrant integration in rural versus urban areas in new settlement countries; includes an article entitled "Changing Places: Voluntary Sector Work with Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Core and Peripheral Regions of the UK."

International Migration Review, vol. 41, no. 4 (Dec. 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles, including "Darfurian Livelihoods and Libya: Trade, Migration, and Remittance Flows in Times of Conflict and Crisis."

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 3 (2007) [contents]
- Theme of this issue is "Researching Refugees: Lessons, Challenges and Way Forward."

Posted in Periodicals.

New RSQ Issue and Blog

A new issue of Refugee Survey Quarterly is out. The theme is "researching refugees." I contributed the article entitled "Keeping up with refugee research" as well as the bibliography of refugee research resources.

I also created a companion blog for my article which I plan to use to report on new services and tools that are available to help researchers keep up with information developments in their field. Hope you find it useful!

Posted in Web Sites/Tools and Periodicals.