31 January 2014

New Book Titles and Boards on Pinterest

Here's my monthly post announcing new books that are due out in February 2014!  See also a few new titles added to the Jan. 2014 and New Legal Texts boards.  I've also created two new boards, one called "Photo Collection," which features pictures of refugee/IDP kids interacting with books, and the other called "Library Displays," which highlights photos of library exhibits.

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Africa

Humanitarian Crises, Emergency Preparedness and Response: The Role of Business and the Private Sector - Kenya Case Study (Humanitarian Policy Group, Jan. 2014) [text]

Kakuma Refugee Influx: Multi Agency Multi Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (UNHCR et al., Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

South Sudan: Donor Response to the Crisis (Development Initiatives, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

South-Sudan Crisis: Impact on Northern Uganda - A Rapid Assessment Report (Refugee Law Project, Jan. 2014) [text]

A Sudanese Refugee Crisis, Photographed from the Ground Up (NYT Lens Blog, Jan. 2014) [access]

"Towards the Evolution of Legal and Institutional Framework for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria," OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, vol. 6, no. 5 (2013) [open access]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Africa (23 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Syria

The EU and Turkey's Asylum Policy in Light of the Syrian Crisis, Global Turkey in Europe Policy Brief, no. 10 (Istituto Affari Internazionali, Jan. 2014) [text]

How Europe is "Helping" Two Million Syrian Refugees (The Greens/European Free Alliance in the European Parliament, 2014) [access]

The Impact of Oxfam's Cash Distributions on Syrian Refugee Households in Host Communities and Informal Settlements in Jordan (Oxfam, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Life after War: How Syrian Refugees Turned a Camp into a City They Call Home," CNN, 28 Jan. 2014 [access]
- Interactive map.

Palestinian Refugees in Syria: A Primer For Advocacy (Oxford Human Rights Hub, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Syria’s Polio Epidemic: The Suppressed Truth," New York Review of Books, vol. 61, no. 3 (Feb. 2014) [free full-text]

Where Are the Syrian Refugees Going? (The Guardian's DataBlog, Jan. 2014) [access]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Syria (23 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Disabled Persons

Building Capacity for Disability-inclusion in Gender-based Violence Programs in Humanitarian Settings (Women's Refugee Commission, Jan. 2014) [access]
- Summary reports are available for Burundi (English & French), Ethiopia, Jordan and Northern Caucasus.  See also related Trust.org news story.

Causes and Types of Injuries Encountered by Handicap International while Working with Internally Displaced Persons in Syria: A Focus on the Impact of Explosive Weapons (Handicap International, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Guidelines for Assisting People with Disabilities during Emergencies, Crises and Disasters (Council of Europe, Jan. 2014) [text]

Landmines and Refugees: The Risks and the Responsibilities to Protect and Assist Victims (Cluster Munition Coalition & International Campaign to Ban Landmines, June 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Mainstreaming and Accountability: (Really) Including Persons with Disabilities in Development Aid and Humanitarian Relief Programming," Nordic Journal of Human Rights, no. 3/2013 (2013) [info]
- From the introduction: "Despite the closely linked relationship between disability and poverty, persons with disabilities have by and large been excluded from development aid and humanitarian relief. Prospects for change, however, have come to the fore through adoption by the General Assembly of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which entered into force in May 2008. Unique for a core United Nations human rights treaty, CRPD Article 32(a) requires that all international assistance, including development aid, ‘be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities’. Many States Parties – including the European Union which ratified the CRPD as a regional entity and is the world’s largest development donor – are beginning to heed this mandate by developing disability-inclusive aid initiatives. At the same time, little enough practically useful information has been gathered from the field to enable States to transform their guidelines by reflecting field-based best practices."

Mainstreaming Disability in Humanitarian and Development Practice, Nairobi, 19-20 Aug. 2013 [workshop report]

Rapid Needs Assessment: Situation of Children, Youth and Adults with Disabilities, within and around Domiz, Northern Iraq (Handicap International & UNICEF, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

Syrian Refugees with Disabilities Living in Camps in Northern Iraq (UNHCR & REACH, Jan. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Children/Disabled Persons (30 May 2013)

Tagged Publications.



30 January 2014

Tip of the Week! JournalTOCs

JournalTOCs is a very useful current awareness service for learning about journals and recently published journal articles.  You can use it in two ways:

First, to identify journals of interest, either by browsing through titles listed by publisher or subject, or by searching on title keywords.  Once you've located a journal, you can take a look at its contents (articles will either be from the most recent issue OR advance access).  You can also register with the service for free, and have the TOCs of up to 30 journals sent to you when they become available. Or you can subscribe to a journal's RSS feed.

Second, to search for articles by keyword.  Keep in mind that just the most recent contents are retained so search results are by definition current.  This is not the place to go to locate older journal articles or for historical research!


Tagged Tips.

Events & Opportunities: Even More February 2014


The Predicaments of Syrian Refugees in Navigating Cairo's Urban Spaces and the Complexities of Governance in Turbulent Times, Cairo, 9 February 2014 [info]

Borders and Bordering Seminar Series: Affect, Borders and Bordering, London, 10 February 2014 [info]
- Includes lecture on "Along the Border(s) of Asylum: Voices, Practices and Paradoxes from Everyday Life." UPDATE: Postponed until further notice.

*Consultancy: Evaluation of Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Project [info]
- Apply by 10 February 2014.

The State and the Stateless: The Legacy of Hannah Arendt Reconsidered, London, 13 February 2014 [info]
- Free event, but ticket required.

Gender-based Violence in Emergencies, London, 18 February 2014 [info]
- Will also be livestreamed.

Free Legal Training on New Immigration Rules on Statelessness, Leeds, UK, 19 February 2014 [info]
- Registration is on a first come-first served basis and places are limited.

CFP: Clandestine Migration Routes and Human Insecurity, Providence, Rhode Island, 17-18 May 2014 [info]
- Submit abstract by 28 February 2014.

Related post:
Events & Opportunities: More February 2014

*updated

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

Regional Focus: United Kingdom

Amendment to Immigration Bill Allows Home Secretary to Make People Stateless (Free Movement, Jan. 2014) [text]

Detained: Women Asylum Seekers Locked up in the UK (Women for Refugee Women, Jan. 2014) [text]

An Inspection into the Handling of Asylum Applications Made by Unaccompanied Children: Feburary-June 2013 (Independent Chief Inspector, Oct. 2013) [text]
 - See also the Home Office's response to the report.

Poverty, Sexual Orientation and Refugees in the UK (Micro Rainbow International, Oct. 2013) [text]

Submission to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into the Human Rights of People Trafficked into the UK (Asylum Aid, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Suspect Technologies: Forensic Testing of Asylum Seekers at the UK Border," Ethnic and Racial Studies (Forthcoming 2014) [preprint via Lancaster Univ.]

"UK Agrees to Take up to 500 of the Most Traumatised Syrian Refugees: Britain Will Not Participate in 'Quota' Programme after Government Reaches Compromise with UNHCR Following Weeks of Resistance," The Guardian, 28 Jan. 2014 [text]

Related post: 
- Regional Focus: Europe (15 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.



29 January 2014

Thematic Focus: ICTs

5 Apps for Humanitarian Aid Workers (Socialbrite, Jan. 2014) [text]

The Central African Republic: Media in a Complex Emergency (International Media Support, Jan. 2014) [text]

Knowledge is Power: Unlocking the Potential for Science and Technology to Enhance Community Resilience through Knowledge Exchange, Network Paper, no. 76 (ODI, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Medellín’s Biblioteca España: Progress in Unlikely Places," Stability: International Journal of Security & Development, vol. 3, no. 1 (Jan. 2014) [open access]

Social Media in Emergencies: 101 Seminar Report (CDAC Network, Dec. 2013) [text]

Verification Handbook: A Definitive Guide to Verifying Digital Content for Emergency Coverage (European Journalism Centre, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Will the Revolution be Tweeted or Facebooked? Using Digital Communication Tools in Immigrant Activism," Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Early View, 10 Jan. 2014 [free full-text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: ICTs (13 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

New Issues of Africa Today, Coping w/ Crisis, EASO News, New Intl., Urban Good Pract. News

Africa Today, vol. 60, no. 2 (Winter 2013) [contents]
- Special issue on "Postliberation Eritrea." Includes "Globalization, Imitation Behavior, and Refugees from Eritrea" and "Ransoms, Remittances, and Refugees: The Gatekeeper State in Eritrea."

Coping with Crisis, no. 2/2013 (Dec. 2013) [full-text via ALNAP]
- Includes focus section on "Psychosocial Support in Syria."

EASO Newsletter (Nov./Dec. 2013) [full-text]
- News and information from the European Asylum Support Office.

Journal of International Migration and Integration, vol. 15, no. 1 (Feb. 2014) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

New Internationalist, no. 469 (Jan. 2014) [contents]
- Special focus on migrant detention, with one article provided in full-text.

Urban Good Practices Newsletter (Jan. 2014) [full-text]
- Theme is "Helping Refugees Help Themselves: Livelihoods and Building Self-Reliance in Urban Refugee Settings."

New journal title:

Journal on Education in Emergencies (INEE)
- Established to meet the "growing need for rigorous Education in Emergencies (EiE) research to strengthen the evidence base, support EiE policy and practice, and improve learning in and across organizations, policy institutes and academic institutions." A CFP will be issued in the spring.

Tagged Periodicals.

Thematic Focus: Climate Change & Displacement

Climate-induced Migration Creates Perils, Possibilities (IRIN, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Escaping a Rising Tide: Sea Level Rise and Migration in Kiribati," Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, vol. 1, no. 1 (Jan. 2014) [open access]

"Manage the Impact of Climate Change," Chapter in Big Bets & Black Swans: A Presidential Briefing Book (Brookings Institution, Jan. 2014) [text]

Moving Stories: The Voices of People Who Move in the Context of Environmental Change (Climate Outreach and Information Network, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Navigating Climate Change: Extenuating Strategies to Combat Climate Migration Threats," OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, vol. 6, no. 4 (2013) [open access]

Policy Analysis: Climate Change and Migration in Bangladesh (RMMRU & SCMR, 2013) [text via PreventionWeb]

Will Fleeing Home Be the Last Resort as the Climate Changes? (IRIN, Jan. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Climate Change & Displacement (13 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

28 January 2014

Thematic Focus: Gender Issues

At the End of the Rainbow: Where Next for the LGBTI Refugee?, Oxford, 22 Jan. 2014 [access]

"Expanding Asylum Law’s Pattern-or-Practice-of-Persecution Framework to Better Protect LGBT Refugees," University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change, vol. 16, no. 2 (2013) [full-text]

SOGI Resources (Univ. of Toronto) [access]
- Follow link for country-specific reports (latest one focuses on Chile); in 2013/14 the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Working Group will update old reports and take new research requests from lawyers. 

Suspension of Disbelief? The Challenges of Disclosing and Evaluating Women’s Claims of Sexual Violence in the Asylum and Criminal Justice Contexts (Border Criminologies Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

Violence against Women and Girls in Humanitarian Emergencies (DFID, Oct. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

XYZ or HJ: How do EU and UK Refugee Law Stack Up on Identity Issues? (Oxford Human Rights Hub, Dec. 2013) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Gender Issues (10 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking/Smuggling

Opportunity:

e-Learning Course: Human Trafficking and Smuggling, 30 April-10 June 2014 [info]
- Maximum number of participants is 25.

Publications:

EMN Ireland Conference on Challenges and Responses to Identifying Victims of Trafficking, Dublin, 29 Nov. 2013 [info]
- Session I focused on "Identification within the International Protection and Forced Return Procedures" and included the two following presentations: "The Identification of Victims of Trafficking in the Asylum System" and "The Role and Activities of EASO with Regard to Trafficking in Human Beings."

"Exploring the Interaction between Statelessness, Legal Empowerment and Human Trafficking," Tilburg Law Review, vol. 19, no. 1-2 (2014) [full-text]

"Human Rights–based Approach to Trafficking: The Work of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights," The Judge's Journal, vol. 52, no. 1 (Winter 2013) [full-text]

"Human Trafficking: The Complexities of a Global Definition," Behavioural Sciences Undergraduate Journal, vol. 1, no. 1 (2013) [open access]

"Legal Strategies in the Fight to End Human Trafficking," HLRe: Off the Record, no. 3 (Spring 2013) [full-text]

On the Trail of Migrant Smugglers (IRIN, Jan. 2014) [text]

Research on the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, Abuse and Trafficking Unfolding in Southeast Asia since 2012 (ADM Capital Foundation, 2014) [text]

"Smugglers and Samaritans: Defences to People Smuggling in Australia," University of New South Wales Law Journal, vol. 36, no. 3 (Dec. 2013) [full-text]

Submission to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into the Human Rights of People Trafficked into the UK (Asylum Aid, Jan. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Human Trafficking (16 Dec. 2013)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Education

Opportunities:

Survey: Global Mapping of EiE Teaching and Learning at the University Level (INEE) [access]
- What courses are being offered in universities that focus on Education in Emergencies? The survey will run until 10 February 2014.

UNHCR Ideas Challenge: "How can better opportunities be provided for refugees to learn and use a new language, both in school and in their daily lives?" [info]
- Seven-week challenge; to participate, first register an account with UNHCR Ideas.  More information available from the UNHCR Innovation Facebook page.


Publications:

Children Still Battling to Go to School (UNESCO, July 2013) [text]
- Background paper for forthcoming 2013/14 Education For All Global Monitoring Report.

LEGO Foundation Donates US$3 Million to Build a Future for Refugee Children (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]

Pop-up Schools Move with Refugees, so They Can Keep Learning (Fast Company, Nov. 2013) [text]

Teaching about Refugees: The Refugee Experience in Amman, Jordan - A Participatory Video Project (ISIM, Dec. 2013) [text via Internet Archive]
- Teaching materials related to this project are available here.

Watch for: 

Journal on Education in Emergencies (INEE) [info]
- A call for papers will be issued in Spring 2014.

Web sites:

Supporting Refugees Access to Higher Education (European Resettlement Network) [access]
- "Refugees can face many barriers to accessing higher education, including a lack of information, advice and individual guidance sensitive to their specific needs, inadequate provision of intensive language courses for academic purposes, and restricted access to government student finance schemes."

Teaching Refugees with Limited Formal Schooling (Calgary Board of Education) [access]
- "[P]rovides access to information – publications, educational materials, exemplars from the field – that promote effective programming for...English Language Learners who face additional challenges as a result of the circumstances of their migration and their lack of opportunity for prior schooling."

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Children, Education (16 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Events & Opportunities, Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance

Opportunity:

Survey to Identify Priorities for Impact Evaluations (Evidence Aid) [access]
- Responses are being sought "from a wide range of actors in the humanitarian emergency sector and related areas, to identify areas of humanitarian assistance that most need evidence to inform policy and practice."

Publications:

The Centrality of Protection in Humanitarian Action: Statement by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Principals (IASC, Dec. 2013) [text via Refworld]

"The Challenges of Delivering International Humanitarian Aid in a Post-9/11 Global Framework," Maryland Journal of International Law, vol. 28, no. 1 (2013) [full-text]

Gender-Age Marker Toolkit (ECHO, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

General NGO Guidelines for Overseas Assistance (U.S. Dept. of State, updated Jan. 2014) [text]

Humanitarian Interventions in Settings of Urban Violence (ALNAP, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Playtesting the Humanitarian Crisis Game (PAXsims, Dec. 2013) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Humanitarian Assistance (9 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

27 January 2014

Thematic Focus: Migrants in the Media

Upcoming event:

CFP: Uncovering the Humanitarian Discourse: Media, Migration, and International Organizations, Izmir, Turkey, 21-22 May 2014 [info]
- Abstract submission deadline is 1 March 2014.

Reports:

Dividing Lines: Asylum, the Media and Some Reasons for (Cautious) Optimism (Asylum Aid, Jan. 2014) [text]
- See also related news story.

Media between Freedom and Dependence: Media and Political Elites in Context of Refugees and IDPs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia (University of Sarajevo, Nov. 2013) [text]
- Outcome of a research project funded by the Regional Research Promotion Programme: Western Balkans.

Portrayals of Immigrants, Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees in National British Newspapers, 2010 to 2012 (Migration Observatory, Aug. 2013) [text]

Journal articles:

"Migrants and the Media in the 21st Century: Obstacles and Opportunities for the Media to Reflect Diversity and Promote Integration," Journalism Practice, vol. 7, no. 3 (2013) [contents]
- Special thematic section.

"The Role of the Press in the War on Asylum," Race & Class, vol. 55, no. 2 (Oct.-Dec. 2013) [abstract]

"Uncertainty, Threat, and the Role of the Media in Promoting the Dehumanization of Immigrants and Refugees," Journal of Social Issues, vol. 69, no. 3 (Sept. 2013) [abstract]
- See also related Wired Magazine article.

Blog posts:

Clumsy, Crude, Divisive; the Media and their Portrayal of the Marginalized (Minorities in Focus, Oct. 2013) [text]

"Erasing Refugees": Hot Topic at Politics and Journalism Election Forum (Border Crossing Observatory, Sept. 2013) [text]

Media, Public Opinion, Migration Policy: Multi- and Inter-Disciplinary Notes (COMPAS Blog, Nov. 2013) [text]

What We Talk about When We Talk about Immigration (COMPAS Blog, Dec. 2013) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Thematic Focus: Statelessness

News:

I included a reference to the Tilburg Law Review's Special Issue on Statelessness in my last post on statelessness.  However, since then, it was announced that free access to the full-texts of all articles would be granted for one year!

UNHCR's Statelessness Unit announced on its Facebook page that Peru just acceded to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons - the first country to do so in 2014.

Events:

The State and the Stateless: The Legacy of Hannah Arendt Reconsidered, London, 13 February 2014 [info]
- Free event, but ticket required.

Free Legal Training on New Immigration Rules on Statelessness, Leeds, UK, 19 February 2014 [info]
- Registration is on a first come-first served basis and places are limited.

Publications:

Citizenship, Statelessness, and Structural Vulnerability to HIV, Presentation at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, Boston, 1-3 May 2014 [extended abstract]

ENS Submission to the European Commission Consultation on the Future of Home Affairs Policies: An Open and Safe Europe – What Next? (European Network on Statelessness, Jan. 2014) [text]

Is Citizenship the Answer? Constructions of Belonging and Exclusion for the Stateless Rohingya of Burma, Working Paper, no. 107 (COMPAS, 2013) [text]

The Problem of Statelessness in Ukraine and the Ways of Addressing It (UNHCR, 2014) [text]
- See also related ENS blog post.

Statelessness Matters 10 Years on from Al-Kateb: Statelessness in the Australian Context, Presentation at the Asian Conference on Politics, Economics and Law, Osaka, 21-24 November 2013 [info]
- Follow this link for the virtual presentation.  See also earlier related journal article.

Taking Suffering Seriously: A Robust Approach to Enforcing the Right to Nationality of Stateless People, Thesis (University of Saskatchewan, Dec. 2013) [text]

Related post:
- Thematic Focus: Statelessness (17 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 


26 January 2014

Regional Focus: Australia

Event:

National Boat Day, 27 January 2014 [info]
- "National Boat Day is a response to the Australian Government’s inhumane treatment of asylum seeker boat arrivals and the rhetoric of 'boat fear' in Australian politics and the media."  See also the day's Facebook page and follow #notscaredanymore on Twitter.

Publications:

"Advocates Mark 60th Anniversary of Refugee Convention," SBS News, 22 Jan. 2014 [text]

Boat Arrivals in Australia: A Quick Guide to the Statistics (Parliamentary Library of Australia, Jan. 2014) [text]

Children in Immigration Detention (Australian Human Rights Commission, Jan. 2014) [text]

Complementary Protection in Australia: A Review of the Jurisprudence (Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Dec. 2013) [text]

Explainer: The Legal Implications of 'Tow-backs' (The Conversation, Jan. 2014) [text]

*"A Sometimes Dangerous Convergence: Refugee Law, Human Rights Law and the Meaning of 'Effective Protection'," Macquarie Law Journal, vol. 12 (2013) [full-text]

Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights: Complementary Protection (Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Dec. 2013) [text]

*updated

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Asia Pacific (17 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

25 January 2014

Regional Focus: MENA

"Ambiguities of Space and Control: When Refugee Camp and Nomadic Encampment Meet," Nomadic Peoples, Forthcoming [full-text]

"Examining and Contextualizing Human Right Violations against Palestine Refugees Living in Lebanon," World Outlook: An Undergraduate Journal of International Affairs, no. 44 (Fall 2013) [full-text]
- Scroll to p. 47.

No Place Like Home: An Assessment of the Housing, Land and Property Rights of Palestinian Refugee Women in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon (Norwegian Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

Occupied Country, Displaced People (Norwegian Refugee Council, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
- This is an "updated version of a report with the same title released in 2008."

Supporting Human Rights-based Migration Management and Asylum System in Libya (European Union, Jan. 2014) [text]

The Tindouf Refugee Camps: A Moroccan’s Reflections (Jadaliyya, Jan. 2014) [text]

Turkey’s New Humanitarian Approach in Somalia (Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: MENA (3 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

Regional Focus: Europe

Events:

EU Migration and Asylum Law and Policies, HREA Distance Learning Course, 30 April-10 June 2014 [info]
- Registration is ongoing for this course.

Summer School: European Law and Policy on Immigration and Asylum, Brussels, 30 June-11 July 2014 [info]
- The closing date for applications is 13 June 2014.

Publications:

Asylum Applicants and First Instance Decisions on Asylum Applications: Third Quarter 2013 (EUROSTAT, Dec. 2013) [text via EMN Belgium]

Current Challenges for International Refugee Law, with a Focus on EU Policies and EU Co-operation with the UNHCR (European Parliament, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Note: This briefing paper was originally issued as a CEPS Working Paper.

ECRE Submission to the European Commission Consultation on the Future of Home Affairs Policies:  An Open and Safe Europe – What Next? (ECRE, Jan. 2014) [text]

The European Union Explained: Migration and Asylum (European Commission, 2013) [text]

Dublin 3 Comes into Effect (Free Movement, Jan. 2014) [text]

Refugee Situation in Bulgaria: External Update (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]

Relationships between Research and Policy on Migration in the European Union: A Practice-Based Analysis, EUI Working Paper RSCAS 2014/06 (Migration Policy Centre, Jan. 2014) [text]

UNHCR Observations on the Proposal (Dok. 950117) to Amend the Criteria for the Selection of Quota Refugees for Resettlement to Denmark (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Europe (15 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 


24 January 2014

Opportunities/News: Awards & Prizes

Nansen Refugee Award:

The deadline for Nansen Refugee Award nominations is fast approaching: 3 February 2014.  Visit the relevant UNHCR page for the nomination form and information about the process.

Global Development Network Awards and Medals Competition:

"GDN invites researchers and NGOs from developing countries and transition economies to submit new research proposals, completed research papers and proposals for scaling up development projects." Information on how to apply is available here. Deadline: For research paper abstracts = 31 January 2014; for proposals for research and development projects = 6 March 2014.

News:

2014 Ockenden Prize [info]
- The second annual Ockenden International Prize for refugee projects will be presented 18 February 2014 at Oxford University.  This year's finalists are NRC Zimbabwe, ADRA India and ActionAid India.

Watch for:

Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize [info]
- Nominations for 2015 will start to be accepted in August 2014.  The 2014 prize will be bestowed some time in the fall.

Global Migration Centre Thesis Award [info]
- "[D]elivered each year on a competitive basis for rewarding an outstanding master thesis of the Graduate Institute."

Lisa Gilad Prize [info]
- "At each biennial meeting of the IASFM, a prize shall be awarded to the author of an article published in one of the two immediately preceding volumes of the Journal of Refugee Studies. The prize shall be awarded to the author of the article adjudged to have made the most innovative and thoughtful contribution to the advancement of refugee studies."

UNHCR Award for Statelessness Research [info]
- Recognizes "excellent research at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels in the field of statelessness."

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

23 January 2014

Regional Focus: Syria

Opportunity:

CFP: Field Exchange [info]
- Contributions sought for special issue on Syria; deadline is 31 January 2014.

Publications:

Causes and Types of Injuries Encountered by Handicap International while Working with Internally Displaced Persons in Syria: A Focus on the Impact of Explosive Weapons (Handicap International, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Geneva Conference on Syria (UNOG) [access]
- Follow the link for statements, photos and video.

Into the Eleventh Hour: R2P, Syria and Humanitarianism in Crisis (E-International Relations, Jan. 2014) [text via ReliefWeb]

Second Ministerial Meeting of Countries Neighboring Syria, Şanlıurfa, Turkey, 17 Jan. 2014 [info]
- Follow link for Urfa Statement issued by participants; see also related UNHCR press release and news story.

Stories of Refuge: Oral Histories of Syrian Asylum Seekers in Germany (Jadaliyya, Jan. 2014) [access]

Syrian Refugees: How to Organise and Support International Assistance? (COE Parliamentary Assembly, Dec. 2013) [text via ALNAP]

Resettlement update:

Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior Outlines Criteria for the Admission of an Additional 5,000 Syrians (European Resettlement Network, Dec. 2013) [text]

Resettlement, Humanitarian Admission, or Other Forms of Admission for Syrian Refugees: 2013/2014 Pledges (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]

"Swiss Spring for Syrian Refugees Passes," IPS, 23 Jan. 2014 [text]

"UK Will Not Join UN Resettlement Plan for Syrian Refugees," BBC News, 20 Jan. 2014 [text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Syria (17 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Regional Focus: Africa

6 Things You Need to Know about the Humanitarian Tragedy in Central Africa (OCHA, Jan. 2014) [text]

Forced Displacement of and Potential Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees in the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger (World Bank, Oct. 2013) [access]
- Follow link for summary in French and full report in English. Note: An updated version (Aug. 2014) of the report is available here.

International Protection Considerations with Regard to People fleeing Southern and Central Somalia (UNHCR, Jan. 2014) [text]
- See also related briefing note.

Journalist Reporting on Refugee Issues Detained in the Gambia (Justice Matters in Africa Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

UNHCR Liberia: 2013 in Review (UNHCR, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Without Precedent or Prejudice? UNSC Resolution 2098 and its Potential Implications for Humanitarian Space in Eastern Congo and Beyond," Journal of Humanitarian Assistance, 21 Jan. 2014 [full-text]

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Central African Republic & South Sudan (16 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

22 January 2014

Tip of the Week! More on Finding Images

An addendum to this earlier tip:  Check out this blog post, "No More Bullet Points: Finding the 'Right' Creative Commons Images for Presentations" for some good suggestions on how to come up with keywords to locate images when searching user-generated sites like Flickr.

I wanted to find some photos of refugees reading.  Using Flickr's advanced search page, I searched variously for the following terms paired with "refugees": books, reading, school, literacy, learning, and limiting each search to "Creative Commons-licensed content" (i.e., free to reuse).

Here are some of the results (note the non-standard formats for descriptions and tags):

"refugees and books"
  • Children at the Soba Refugee Camp (Book Aid International) [access]
  • Darfurian Refugees in Eastern Chad (ECHO) [access]
  • EU Nobel Peace Prize in Ethiopia (ECHO) [access]
  • The Long Shadow of the War in Iraq... (ECHO) [access]
  • Laos_DSC3827 (Rusty Stewart) [access]

"refugees and library"
  • This search turned up some photos of library displays on refugee issues in Australia; see one from the Brisbane campus, one from the Canberra campus, and one from the Strathfield campus of Australian Catholic University.

"refugees and school"
  • UNRWA School Graffiti (Silvio Arcangeli) [access]

Once you find one photo, it's worth browsing the other images in the same collection.  So, for example, Book Aid International and ECHO above have a number of relevant pictures that I was able to identify just through serendipity.

Tagged Tips.

Regional Focus: Americas

"Emerging Leaders Project: Connecting University Resources to Community-Based Organizations Supporting Refugee Resettlement," Advances in Social Work, vol. 14, no. 2 (2013) [open access]

Four Years after the Haiti Earthquake, the Search for Solutions to Displacement Continues (UpFront Blog, Jan. 2014) [text]

How Not to Fail Queer Refugees (Hazlitt Blog, Oct. 2013) [text]

Humanitarian Crises, Emergency Preparedness and Response: The Role of Business and the Private Sector - A Strategy and Options Analysis of Haiti (Humanitarian Policy Group, Jan. 2014) [text]

Invisible Newcomers: Refugees from Burma/Myanmar and Bhutan in the United States (Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, 2014) [text]

Receiving Haitian Migrants in the Context of the 2010 Earthquake (Nansen Initiative, Dec. 2013) [text]

See also recent ETDs post, which highlights several theses that focus on refugees in Canada.

Related post:
- Regional Focus: Americas (9 Jan. 2014)

Tagged Publications.

New ETDs

These ETDs all happen to have been written by students based at Canadian institutions!

Cross-Cultural Adaptation among Young Afghan Refugees Returning from Iran to Afghanistan, Thesis (University of Ottawa, Jan. 2014) [text]

Immigrants, Refugees and the Risk of Homelessness: Analyzing the Barriers to Adequate and Affordable Housing, Thesis (Ryerson University, Jan. 2013) [text]

"It’s like there’s a string between us": Transnationalism and the (Re)Creation of Home among Southern Sudanese Canadians, Dissertation (University of Toronto, Jan. 2014) [text]

Psycho-Social, Work, and Marital Adjustment of Older Middle-aged Refugees from the Former Yugoslavia, Dissertation (University of Ottawa, Jan. 2014) [text]

When Borders Cross People: Bill C-31 and the Securitization of Boundaries across Bodies and History, Thesis (University of Toronto, Nov. 2013) [text]

Note: To locate other ETDs referenced on this blog, browse the subject label "theses."

Tagged Publications.  

21 January 2014

Events & Opportunities: More February 2014

Registration now open for the following events:

Implementing the Common European Asylum System: Towards Better Protection and Fairer Procedures, Brussels, 19 February 2014 [info]

"Engagement of Crisis-affected People in Humanitarian Action," 29th Annual Meeting of ALNAP, Addis Ababa, 11-13 March 2014 [info]

IDC Europe Regional Workshop, Brussels, 27-28 March 2014 [info]

"Forced Migration and Peace," 15th Conference of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration, Bogotá, Colombia, 15-18 July 2014 [info]

Global Forum on Statelessness, The Hague, 15-17 September 2014 [info]

See also recent posts on Courses and Summer Schools.

February:

Internships: UNHCR's Policy Development & Evaluation Service (PDES) [info]
- For internships from May-August 2014, applications will be accepted from 1-15 February 2014.

CFP: "Changing Global Realities: Migration, Movements and Social Transformation," Second Annual Migration Studies Conference, Oxford, 16-17 May 2014 [info]
- Submit abstract by 7 February 2014.

Job: Human Development Researcher, UNRWA [info via PRRN Blog]
- Apply by 7 February 2014.

The Deprivation of Citizenship in the United Kingdom: History, Practice, Law and Ethics, London, 14 February 2014 [info]
- Seminar will address "Legal Remedies: Statelessness, Human Rights and European Law," among other things.

CFP: "Forced Migration and Peace," 15th Conference of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration, Bogotá, Colombia [info]
- Note: The deadline for submissions has been extended to 15 February 2014.

See also recent post on Seminar Series to locate seminars scheduled in February.

Related post:
- Events & Opportunities: February 2014

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

Events & Opportunities: Courses in 2014

Short courses:

Note: Registration is now open for all of these short courses; some have deadlines, others do not, so the following are arranged chronologically by the dates they will take place.

Palestine Refugees and International Law, Amman, 14-15 March 2014 [info]
- 25 spaces are available.

Management of Refugee & Displaced Populations: From Emergency Relief to Sustainable Development, Liverpool, UK, 17-28 March 2014 [info]

Public Health in Humanitarian Emergencies, Liverpool, UK, 31 March-11 April 2014 [info]

Technical Support in Humanitarian Emergencies, Liverpool, UK, 31 March-11 April 2014 [info]

Health and Humanitarian Responses in Complex Emergencies, Oxford, 17-18 May 2014 [info]
- 30 spaces are available.

Statelessness and International Law, Oxford, 17-18 May 2014 [info]
- 30 spaces are available.

The International Protection of Refugees and Other Displaced Persons, London, 24-27 June 2014 [info]
- Early bird registration deadline is 10 March 2014; apply for a subsidized place by 31 March 2014; final application deadline is 2 May 2014.

European Law and Asylum Policy, London, 30 June-4 July 2014 [info]
- Early bird registration deadline is 10 March 2014; apply for a subsidized place by 31 March 2014; final application deadline is 2 May 2014.

Distance study:

Psychosocial Interventions for Displaced Populations, 24 February-4 April 2014 [info]
- Offered by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

HREA Distance Learning Programme [info]
- Offers courses on a variety of topics; follow the link for information on upcoming courses through the first half of 2014.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.  

News: Human Rights Watch World Report 2014

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published the 24th edition of its "annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events through November 2013."  Read the press release for a brief overview.

Visit the report's web site for a review of "Rights Struggles of 2013" and access to country chapters, thematic essays, and photos and videos (including the launch of the report in Berlin).

Previous editions of the World Report are available here.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

20 January 2014

Thematic Focus: Statistical Data

Publications:

Behind the Numbers (IOM, Dec. 2013) [text]
- Highlights the difficulty of calculating migrant deaths.

Counting Internal Displacement in Africa (Thomson Reuters Foundation, Jan. 2014) [text]
- Points to challenge of compiling accurate statistics on IDPs in Africa.

From the Archives: Troublesome Refugee Statistics & and the Case of Sudanese in Egypt (RSDWatch, Jan. 2014) [text]
- Inspired by Jeff Crisp's recent reference to his 1999 working paper on ""Who Has Counted the Refugees? UNHCR and the Politics of Numbers," Michael Kagan revisits one of his older notes on how many Sudanese live in Egypt.

People Affected by Conflict 2013: Humanitarian Needs in Numbers (CRED, Dec. 2013) [text via ReliefWeb]
- Represents "the first systematic attempt to produce objective and comparable figures for all people affected by conflict (PAC)."

"Tools for the Validation and Utilization of EU Statistics on Human Trafficking (TRAFSTAT)," INTERVICT Newsletter (Fall 2013) [text]
- This project aims to improve the recording of EU statistics and strengthen their comparability.


Resource:

UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset, v.4-2013, 1946–2012 [access]
- "A conflict-year dataset with information on armed conflict where at least one party is the government of a state in the time period 1946-2012. The most recent is version 4-2013."

Note: For other related statistical references on this blog, browse posts with the subject label "statistical data."

Tagged Publications.