Statelessness

As the authors write in this Forced Migration Review article, "Stateless persons do not register on the international community’s radar screen." Here are several recent publications that provide more information about the millions of people around the world who lack a nationality and who suffer discrimination and human rights violations as a result.

Publications/reports:

"Betwixt and Between: Refugees and Stateless Persons in Limbo," Refuge, vol. 22, no. 2 (Sept. 2005) [text]

"Holes in the Rights Framework: Racial Discrimination, Citizenship, and the Rights of Noncitizens," Ethics & International Affairs, vol. 20, no. 3 (2006) [text]

Lives on Hold: The Human Cost of Statelessness (Refugees International, 2005) [text]

"Nationality and Reduction of Statelessness: International, Regional and National Perspectives," Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 3 (2006) [contents]

"Statelessness: A Forgotten Human Rights Crisis," Forced Migration Review, no. 24 (Nov. 2005) [text]

Web pages:

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "Documents on Nationality and Statelessness" [access]
- Note: The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Non-citizens, David Weissbrodt, was not renewed when it expired April 2004.

Refugees International, "Stateless People" [access]

UNHCR, "Who Is Stateless?" [access]

Posted in Publications and Web Sites.

New Periodical Issues: APMJ, Disasters, Geo. Immig. LJ, HR Tribune, Mig. Lett., RSQ,

Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, vol. 15, no. 4 (2006) [contents]
- Special issue focusing on "Sex Trafficking in Asia and Australia."

Disasters, vol. 31, no. 1 (March 2007) [FREE full-text]
- Special issue reproducing papers from June 2006 forum "on the use of food aid and the potential roles and activities of WFP in Sudan."

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 21, no. 1 (Fall 2006) [contents]
- Mix of articles including one on detaining asylum-seekers in Australia and another on U.S. asylum and foreign policy considerations.

Human Rights Tribune, vol. 12, no. 2 (Feb. 2007) [text]
- Special issue on good governance.

Migration Letters, vol. 4, no. 1 (2007) [text]
- Mix of articles including several on women migrants.

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 1 (2007) [contents]
- EXCOM 2006 issue that reproduces statements and documents from UNHCR's Executive Committee meeting in Oct. 2006.

Posted in Periodicals.

New Publications: Asylum in the Media, Detention, IDPs, Mental Health, North Korea, Peacekeeping, Women

IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC, Feb. 2007) [text]

Locking Up Family Values: The Detention of Immigrant Families (LIRS and Women's Commission, Feb. 2007) [text]

North Korea: Harsher Policies against Border-Crossers (Human Rights Watch, March 2007) [text]

The Protection of Internally Displaced Persons and the Role of UNHCR, Informal Consultative Meeting (UNHCR, Feb. 2007) [text]

Reporting asylum: The UK Press and the Effectiveness of PCC Guidelines (ICAR, Jan. 2007) [text]

United Nations Peace Operations Year in Review 2006 (UN, 2007) [text]

Women and Conflict: An Introductory Guide to Programming (USAID, Dec. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

International Women's Day

International Women's Day is commemorated on March 8th. This year's theme is "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls." Below is a selection of links to web pages of forced migration organizations who are marking this day.

- Amnesty International, "Flight and Violence" [access]
- Forced Migration Review, no. 27, "Sexual violence: weapon of war, impediment to peace" [access]; companion FMO resource summary [access]
- ICRC, "Women Displaced by War" [access]
- InterAction, "International Women's Day: March 8" [access]
- Refugees International, "International Women's Day 2007" [access]
- UNHCR, "Refugee Women" [access]
- Women's Commission for Refugee Women & Children, "Stop Sexual Violence against Women and Girls" [access]

Posted in Events and Web Sites.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

The first of the year's annual reports was Human Rights Watch's World Report. In the introduction, Ken Roth laments the "challenged credibility" of the U.S. as a promoter of human rights: "Quite apart from the fallout of its ill-fated Iraq invasion, its credibility as a proponent of human rights has been tarnished by the abuses it practices in the name of fighting terrorism. Few US ambassadors dare to protest another government’s harsh interrogations, detention without trial, or even 'disappearances,' knowing how easily an interlocutor could turn the tables and cite US misconduct as an excuse for his government’s own abuses."

On March 6th, the U.S. State Department announced the release of its own human rights survey, the 2006 edition of the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. See reactions from Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First and the U.S. Human Rights Network to both past and present editions of these reports.

The Country Reports are regularly consulted for country of origin information during the refugee status determination process, and they have long been considered to be reliable and credible. The recent criticism highlights the importance of evaluating information sources in any research exercise, and particularly when undertaking country of origin research. See this manual and this report for questions to ask and criteria to consider when selecting reliable COI sources. A general rule of thumb is to consult multiple sources, rather than rely on just one, and corroborate information across those sources. And as UNHCR advises, "information sources should be regularly re-evaluated as changing circumstances can affect the accuracy and reliability of information."

Posted in Publications.

Research News: Displacement/Burma, Environment, Human Trafficking/UK, Iraqi Ref./Jordan, Protracted Ref. Situations, Resettlement/US, Security

New research publications:

Burma: The Changing Nature of Displacement Crises, RSC Working Paper No. 39, by A. South (Feb. 2007) [text]

Contemporary slavery in the UK, by G. Craig et al, Joseph Roundtree Foundation (Feb. 2007) [site]

Human Security Research (22 Feb. 2007) [access]
- Current issue focuses on the security realities confronting humanitarian aid workers.

"Refugee Resettlement in Metropolitan America," by A. Singer and J.H. Wilson, in Migration Information Source (March 2007) [text]

New research projects:

Environmental Change and Forced Migration Scenarios [web site]
- Two-year project that will look into environmental changes/degradation that cause forced migration. Unlike other research, this study will consider "multiple environmental problems and socio-political and demographical aspects of a large number of regions and countries."

Globalization of Protracted Refugee Situations [web site]
- This project will attempt to "detect patterns across camps that have existed for a decade or more to determine why such chronic conditions persist." The focus will be on Somali refugees in Kenya and Afghans in Iran.

Iraqi Refugees in Jordan [web site]
- Fafo is expecting to finalize an arrangement with the Jordanian government to survey Iraqi refugees in Jordan in order to calculate a more accurate total number. Currently, 400,000 Iraqi refugees are registered, but an estimated 700,000 are believed to be in the country. See Fafo's Middle East project page for descriptions and reports of other surveys conducted in the region.

Posted in Publications and Web Sites.

New Periodical Issues: Dev. in Practice, Disaster Prev., H&M, HRQ, Intl. Mig., IMR, JEMS, JIRS

Development in Practice, vol. 17, no. 1 (2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles including several on poverty.

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 16, no. 1 (2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles including one on coordinating humanitarian operations.

Hommes & Migrations, no. 1264 (Nov./Dec. 2006) [contents]
- Focus is on immigrant housing in France.

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 1 (Feb. 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

International Migration, vol. 45, no. 1 (March 2007) [contents]
- Mix of articles including two focusing on Australia: newly arrived refugees and asylum policies, respectively.

International Migration Review, vol. 41, no. 1 (March 2007) [contents]
- Includes mix of articles on migration policy and immigrant experiences.

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 33, no. 2 (2007) [contents]
- Focus is on transnationalism. Includes an article by K. Koser entitled "Refugees, Transnationalism and the State."

Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, vol. 5, no. 2 (2007) [contents]
- In prepublication; mix of articles including one focusing on domestic violence in refugee families in Australia.

Posted in Periodicals.

Periodical Formats: Print vs. Online

I have come across several periodical titles that I was not previously familiar with. It’s interesting to see how the periodical format has evolved and the blurring of print and online versions. Start with the Journal of Migration and Refugee Issues: This is a typical scholarly journal, peer-reviewed and published by an academic press. Its web site offers contents and a sample article online, so no significant online presence.

Intervention: International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict is also a peer-reviewed journal but aimed more particularly at professionals and practitioners. It’s produced by the War Trauma Foundation and published by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. The WTF's journal site includes contents of the current volume and pdfs of earlier issues, while the publisher's site offers a sample article.

Conflict and Health is a new research journal that is going the online, open access route. It will be refereed but hosted as a free full-text title by BioMed Central, whose mission is to ensure immediate access to peer-reviewed biomedical research.

Refugee Watch has also chosen an online format for its dissemination. It used to be a newsletter of the South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR), but is now published in a blog format by Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group. Access to the full-text of back issues is provided through the “Other issues” link.

Posted in Periodicals.

Kakuma Refugee Camp

I am reading What is the What, a "fictional" autobiography of a Sudanese "lost boy" who spent a number of years in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya before being resettled to the U.S. Kakuma was established in the early 1990s and currently houses some 90,000 Sudanese, Somali and Ethiopian, and other refugees. For more information about Kakuma, refugees in Kenya, and refugee camps generally, see the following selection of resources:

Kakuma:

Refugees International, Kakuma: A Troubled Refugee Camp in Kenya (2003) [text]
- This article notes that "The residents of Kakuma are 'warehoused.'" For more information about warehousing, see below.

UNSW Centre for Refugee Research, Field Trip: Kakuma Refugee Camp Kenya (2002) [text]
- Part of the centre's "Women at Risk" project.

Refugees/humanitarian operations in Kenya:

ReliefWeb, Kenya Country Information [access]

U.S. Committee for Refugees, "Kenya," World Refugee Survey 2006 [text]

Camps/Refugee Warehousing:

FMO Research Guide: Camps versus Settlements (2003) [text]

Forced Migration Review, no. 2 (1998) [text]
- Focus is on "People in Camps."

Refugee Insights, no. 11 (2006) [text]
- Focus is "Encamping Refugees: A Look at the Myths, Realities, and Exploring Solutions." Published by the Refugee Consortium of Kenya.

U.S. Committee for Refugees, Frequently Asked Questions about Refugee Warehousing and the Campaign to End It [text]; Are There any Alternatives? [text]

U.S. Committee for Refugees, Warehousing Refugees: A Denial of Rights, a Waste of Humanity (2004) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Literature Reviews: Human Trafficking

I have come across a number of literature reviews that focus on human trafficking. The principal aim of the compilers was to locate the studies that already exist, assess the research conducted, and identify gaps. The titles are organized by region:

General

Literature Review and Analysis Related to Human Trafficking in Post-Conflict Situations, Washington, DC: USAID (2004) [text]

Africa

Getting to Grips with Trafficking: Reflections on Human Trafficking Research in South Africa, Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies (2006) [text]

Literature Review on Trafficking in West and East Africa, Bangkok: Global Alliance against Traffic in Women ([2004]) [text]

"Review of Research and Data on Human Trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 75-98 [contents of journal issue]

Americas

Literature Review of Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Washington, DC: USAID (2004) [text]

"Research on Human Trafficking in North America: A Review of Literature," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 99-128 [contents of journal issue]

Trafficking in Human Beings and Organized Crime: A Literature Review, [Ottawa]: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2002) [text]

Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Literature Review, Bangkok: Global Alliance against Traffic in Women ([2004]) [text]

Asia/Oceania

"Human Trafficking in East Asia: Current Trends, Data Collection, and Knowledge Gaps," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 165-201 [contents of journal issue]

"A Problem by a Different Name? A Review of Research on Trafficking in South-East Asia and Oceania," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 203-233 [text]

Review of a Decade of Research on Trafficking in Persons, Cambodia, San Francisco: Asia Foundation (2006) [text]

"Treading along a Treacherous Trail: Research on Trafficking in Persons in South Asia," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 141-164 [contents of journal issue]

Europe

Trafficking in Europe: A Literature Review, Bangkok: Global Alliance against Traffic in Women ([2004]) [text]

"'You Can Find Anything You Want': A Critical Reflection on Research on Trafficking in Persons within and into Europe," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 235-265 [contents of journal issue]

Middle East

"A Review of Recent Research on Human Trafficking in the Middle East," International Migration, vol. 43, no. 1/2 (2005): 267-299 [contents of journal issue]

Posted in Publications.

War-Affected Children

An international conference on war-affected children was held last week in Paris (February 5 and 6). The aim was to highlight the "illegal and unacceptable use of children in armed conflict." Participants endorsed two texts, 1) The Paris Commitments to Protect Children Unlawfully Recruited or Used by Armed Forces or Armed Groups (“The Paris Commitments”), and 2) The Paris Principles: Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups ("The Paris Principles"). The latter text "provides more detailed guidance for those who are implementing programmes," and it includes a section on refugee and internally displaced children.

One of the speakers at the conference was the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, formerly the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women. The web site for the Special Representative has been re-organized and provides access to background information, key documents and country profiles.

Each year, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers commemorates February 12 as the anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on children in armed conflict. Recently added to the Coalition web site's psychosocial section are three articles that discuss "child trauma, resilience and cultural healing" (Jan. 2007).

More information about the impact of humanitarian crises on children can be found in UNICEF's 2007 edition of the Humanitarian Action Report.

Posted in Publications and Events.

New Research/Policy Reports: Asylum, HIV/AIDS, Hum. Protection/Uganda, IDPs, Livelihoods/Darfur, Refugee Status

Challenges to Peace and Recovery in Darfur: A Situation Analysis of the Ongoing Conflict and its Continuing Impact on Livelihoods, Briefing Paper, by H. Young and A.M. Osman (FIC, Dec. 2006) [text]

Educational responses to HIV and AIDS for refugees and internally displaced persons: Discussion paper for decision-makers (UNHCR and UNESCO, Jan. 2007) [text]

The extraterritorialisation of asylum and the advent of "protection lite," DIIS Working Paper 2007/2, by T. Gammeltoft-Hansen (DIIS, Jan 2007) [text]

Humanitarian protection in Uganda: a Trojan Horse?, HPG Background Paper, by C. Dolan and L. Hovil (ODI, Dec. 2006) [text]

Report of the Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights of internally displaced persons, Walter Kälin, Human Rights Council doc. no. A/HRC/4/38 (Jan. 2007) [text]

'A violation of his or her human security': New grounds for the recognition of refugee status: a proposal for reform, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 140, by M. Afzal (UNHCR, Dec. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Journal of Humanitarian Assistance

The Journal of Humanitarian Assistance is back online. The Feinstein International Center assumed management of the JHA and has re-launched it with a number of new features. The format is similar to that of a blog, with a comment section accompanying each article and an RSS feed to announce new additions. Each article includes an abstract and hyperlinked keywords. The staff is working to convert the pre-2007 articles; in the interim, readers can access these texts through the archives.

So far, two articles have been published this year:
International Organisations in Mindanao: To Protect or Not? (Feb. 2007) [text]
Political Complexities of Humanitarian Intervention in the Pakistan Earthquake (Jan. 2007) [text]

Posted in Periodicals.

Forced Migration Controlled Vocabularies

Blogger.com (my blog's host) recently implemented a "label" feature. So for each post I create, I can now add labels (or keywords, index terms, subject headings...) to describe the content. Each label is an active link, which means readers can retrieve other posts that have been assigned the same labels. Over time, the labels will create a browsable cross-referencing system to allow readers to locate related posts in my blog, supplementing the "type" categories I've already established to organize each post and complementing the existing search function.

The challenge with applying labels is being consistent with regard to the term you select and its spelling. Fortunately, the field of forced migration has several thesauri or controlled vocabularies at its disposal which were developed for this very purpose.

International Thesaurus of Refugee Terminology (UNHCR/FMO) [access]
- French version available. Terms are provided in English, French and Spanish. This is used for cataloguing purposes by a number of forced migration libraries, including the Refugee Studies Centre library, the UNHCR library, and the Forced Migration & Refugee Studies grey literature collection.

Controlled Vocabulary Lists (OCHA) [access - note: this is an Excel spreadsheet]
- See "keyword" tab. Developed along with a number of other tools to facilitate information management in humanitarian emergencies.

Disasters Controlled Vocabulary (Centro Regional de Información sobre Desastres) [text]
- Vocabulary terms are provided in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Human Rights Micro-Thesauri (HURIDOCS) [access]
- These were developed for documenting human rights violations.

I am going to experiment with terms from the aforementioned refugee thesaurus for my labels. For an example of how labels work , click on the "terminology" link below.

Posted in Web Sites/Tools.

New Periodical Issues: Field Exch., FMR, MIS, Refugees

Field Exchange, no. 29 (Dec. 2006) [text]
- Compiled by the Emergency Nutrition Network. The focus is on Southern Africa.

Forced Migration Review, no. 27 (Jan. 2007) [text]
- Published in conjunction with UNFPA, the theme of this issue is "Sexual violence: weapon of war, impediment to peace."

Migration Information Source (Feb. 2007) [text]
- Produced by the Migration Policy Institute. Focus of this issue is migration and development.

Refugees, no. 145 (Jan. 2007) [access]
- Published by UNHCR. The theme is "Huge country, huge problems, huge potential: Can DR Congo turn the page?"

Posted in Periodicals.

Humanitarian Assistance: Trends and Funding

The UK government just issued a government response to the International Development Committee's report on "Humanitarian Response to Natural Disasters," which came out in Oct. 2006. The initial report provided a review of both the national and international response to humanitarian emergencies and disasters in 2005.

A Congressional Research Service report on "International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance, Budget Trends, and Issues for Congress" was also recently released.

A European Union counterpart that describes humanitarian action, programs and funding is the Annual Report on humanitarian aid (latest April 2006).

A more comprehensive look at trends in humanitarian assistance is provided in the annual "Global Humanitarian Assistance 2006" (Nov. 2006), compiled by Development Initiatives.

For a purely financial overview of requirements, contributions, and what is still needed, see OCHA's Summary of Requirements and Pledges/Contributions by affected country/region.

Posted in Publications.

Policy/Research Papers: FMSP, Oxfam, UNHCR

(updated August 2007)

Developing history curricula to support multi-ethnic civil society among Burmese refugees and migrants, by R. Metro, New Issues in Refugee Resarch no. 139 (UNHCR, Dec. 2006) [text]

Le droit d'asile en France: politique et réalité, by E. Bousquet, New Issues in Refugee Resarch no. 138 (UNHCR, Dec. 2006) [text]

Oxfam International Humanitarian Policy Notes (June 2007) [access]
- These notes "describe Oxfam International's experience and position on the key issues facing humanitarian action in the twenty-first century." The themes of the first six are: humanitarian accountability, humanitarian coordination, food aid, UN Peacebuilding Commission, International Criminal Court, EU role in civilian protection.

Trans/National Topologies: Power Gradients of Multiculturalisms, Migration Methods and Field Notes #1, by E. Burman et al. (FMSP, Jan. 2007) [text]
- Draws on research involving women asylum-seekers.

Posted in Publications.

New Pubs.: Food Aid, Human Trafficking, Humanitarian Action, Measuring Impact

ALNAP Review of Humanitarian Action: Evaluation utilisation (Dec. 2006) [access]
- Review of humanitarian assistance in 2005.

Impact Measurement and Accountability in Emergencies: The Good Enough Guide (Oxfam, Feb. 2007) [access]
- Pocket guide designed to help practitioners determine what difference they are making. Prior to accessing the PDF version, you will be asked to complete a brief survey.

International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance, Budget Trends, and Issues for Congress, CRS Report for Congress (Dec. 2006) [text]

The State of Food and Agriculture 2006 (FAO, Jan. 2007) [press release] [text]
- Theme is "Food Aid for Food Security?".

Trafficking in Persons Interim Assessment (U.S. Dept. of State, Jan. 2007) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Archived Journals: Hum. Aff. Rev., JHA

Visitors to the Journal of Humanitarian Assistance will find a note indicating that "management of the JHA has been handed to the Feinstein International Center" at Tufts University. A redesigned site will become available this month (January).

In the meantime, if you need to retrieve an older article from the JHA, you can do so using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. This project regularly harvests and stores web sites. It's not perfect; for example, the JHA archive only has articles up to Feb. 2005 . But often, it's the only means of retrieving "older" or "lost" web-based information.

Another "lost" humanitarian journal is the Humanitarian Affairs Review. In this case, I believe the Internet Archive provides access to all past issues: Spring 2001 to Autumn 2004.

There are plenty of forced migration- and humanitarian-related resources that have come and gone, and not just journals. Try entering a former web address into the Wayback Machine and see what it comes up with.

Posted in Periodicals.

Publications Round-Up: Forced Evictions/Angola, Forced Migration/Africa, Human Security, Poverty & Conflict, Reconstruction

References to the following recently released publications were noted in various current awareness services, including Amnesty International USA's RSS feed, the Ginn Weblog, If You Only Read One Thing This Week... blog, ReliefWeb's document library, and the Scout Report.

Angola - Lives in ruins: forced evictions continue (Amnesty International, Jan. 2007) [text]

Forced Migration and the Failure of Civilian Protection in Africa: A Way Forward? (KAIPTC, Dec. 2006) [text]

Human Security Brief 2006 (Human Security Centre, Dec. 2006) [access]
- Updates data provided in the 2005 Human Security Report and discusses two new conflict datasets.

Poverty and Civil War: What Policymakers Need to Know (Brookings, Dec. 2006) [text]

Reconstruction National Integrity System Surveys (TIRI, Jan. 2007) [access]
- These country reports were undertaken to evaluate the impact of post-conflict reconstruction assistance. The surveys were conducted in Afghanistan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Mozambique, Palestine, Sierra Leone and Lebanon.

What Really Works in Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States (Wilson International Center) [access]
- New occasional paper series.

Posted in Publications.

New Periodical Issues: Human Rights, Human Security, Humanitarian Developments, Refugees/Africa

Africa Newsletter, no. 4 (Dec. 2006) [text]
- Regional update from UNHCR.

Human Rights Brief, vol. 14, no. 1 (Winter 2006) [text]
- Includes an article on internal displacement laws and policies and the persecution of homosexuals in Egypt.

Human Security News Weekly [access]
- News service that "highlights ten of the most significant news stories of the week." Note in the current issue, no. 42, the reference to MSF's "Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2006."

Humanitarian Exchange, no. 36 (Dec. 2006) [text]
- Focus is on IDPs in Northern Uganda.

Humanitarian Reform Newsletter (Oct.-Dec. 2006) [text]
- Provides an update on developments relating to the cluster approach.

Posted in Periodicals.

New Periodical Issues: Human Rights, Human Security, Humanitarian Developments, Refugees/Africa

Africa Newsletter, no. 4 (Dec. 2006) [text]
- Regional update from UNHCR.

Human Rights Brief, vol. 14, no. 1 (Winter 2006) [text]
- Includes an article on internal displacement laws and policies and the persecution of homosexuals in Egypt.

Human Security News Weekly [access]
- News service that "highlights ten of the most significant news stories of the week." Note in the current issue, no. 42, the reference to MSF's "Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2006."

Humanitarian Exchange, no. 36 (Dec. 2006) [text]
- Focus is on IDPs in Northern Uganda.

Humanitarian Reform Newsletter (Oct.-Dec. 2006) [text]
- Provides an update on developments relating to the cluster approach.

Posted in Periodicals.

Iraqi Refugees

The recently issued Human Rights Watch World Report 2007 notes in its Jordan country report that "Jordan hosts at least 500,000 Iraqi refugees... . ...The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan only exceptionally recognizes Iraqis as refugees, instead providing applicants with asylum seeker cards. Jordan does not always respect asylum seeker status and the protection it entails against deportation." Syria hosts another 450,000 Iraqis.

A more detailed background report into the treatment of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, UNHCR policy towards them, and international response to their situation is provided in this November 2006 Human Rights Watch report: "'The Silent Treatment': Fleeing Iraq, Surviving in Jordan."

Refugees International undertook a November 2006 mission to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, the three principal host countries for Iraqi refugees. They note that Iraqi displacement is the "fastest growing refugee crisis." Read more RI reports and policy recommendations.

See also UNHCR Guidelines Relating to the Eligibility of Iraqi Asylum-Seekers (Oct. 2005) and the more recent Return Advisory and Position on International Protection Needs of Iraqis Outside Iraq (Dec. 2006).

Two recent National Public Radio audiocasts report on the situation of Iraqis in Jordan and the U.S. State Department's refugee resettlement plans for Iraqis. For more information on U.S. policy towards Iraqi refugees, read an earlier NPR interview with the head of the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Ellen Sauerbrey; a Boston Globe article; and a San Francisco Chronicle report.

Posted in Publications.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2007

Human Rights Watch launched its World Report for 2007 today to mark the five-year anniversary of Guantanamo Bay's use as a U.S. detention facility for terror suspects. The introduction calls on the EU to fill the human rights leadership void. Three essays discuss migrant workers' rights, freedom of expression since 9/11, and a human rights agenda for the new UN Secretary-General. Readers can access reports on human rights developments in 75 individual countries using the regional menus.

Previous World Reports are available via the Publications page (right side).

Posted in Publications.

Input Requested for Guide on Use of Timber in Humanitarian Relief

OCHA initiated a humanitarian timber in December 2006. The aim is to produce a field handbook entitled "Timber: a guide to the use and logistics of timber and wood in humanitarian relief." The guide will collate best practice, and is based on the Norwegian Refugee Council's "Internal Guideline - Timber Procurement and Specifications."

The project's managers announced today they are seeking "information from individuals and agencies interested in the use of timber in humanitarian emergencies on the following":

- Samples of logistics forms or in-house guidance used for grading
specifications / procurement / treatment
- Suggestions for references for reduced timber construction techniques / alternatives to timber use
- Inputs on how to decide when to use timber over other building materials
- Comments on the above proposed structure of the first draft.

More information about the project is available at the Humanitarian Timber web site along with links to timber resources.

Posted in Events/Opportunities.

MISP for Reproductive Health: A Distance Learning Module

Thanks to Sarah Chynoweth at the Women's Commission for letting me know about the availability of this module:

"The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is pleased to announce the publication of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health: A Distance Learning Module. The Module was developed to meet the need for increased awareness and knowledge about the priority reproductive health services of the MISP among donors, policy makers and actors working in complex humanitarian emergencies. When implemented in the early days of an emergency, the MISP saves lives and prevents illness, especially among women and girls.

The Module includes chapter quizzes and a post-test; individuals can complete the post-test online at www.rhrc.org/MISP or www.womenscommission.org. A passing score on the post-test will result in certification and qualifies as 3.5 continuing education credits for U.S. nurses. The Module is currently available in English and French."

Posted in Events/Opportunities.

Research/Policy Papers: Darfur, Human Trafficking, Security, Separated Children, Urban Refugees

Asylum and Security Briefing, by S. Wainwright and K. Ward (ICAR, updated Dec. 2006) [text]

Darfur: Threats to Humanitarian Aid (Amnesty International USA, Dec. 2006) [text]

Making Separated Children Visible: The Need for a Child-Centred Approach, by N. Mooten (Irish Refugee Council, Dec. 2006) [text]

The New Global Slave Trade, Foreign Affairs, by E.B. Kapstein (Council on Foreign Relations, Nov./Dec. 2006) [preview]

Peace by Piece: Addressing Sudan’s Conflicts, Accord 18, ed. by M. Simmons and P. Dixon (Conciliation Resources, Dec. 2006) [text]

Protection as Capability Expansion: Practical Ethics for Assisting Urban Refugees, Working Paper, no. 29, by L. Landau (Forced Migration Studies Programme, Dec. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New FMSP Research Paper Series

The Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at Wits University has launched a new research paper series: "Migration Methods and Field Notes." The emphasis will be on the methodological aspects of refugee and migration research and the challenges of studying mobile populations. To learn more about the series and how to submit a paper, read the CFP.

The FMSP already publishes a "Migration Studies" working paper series. The texts of individual papers are available here.

To read other forced migration-related research papers, check out these series:

New Issues in Refugee Research [access]
-UNHCR's Policy Development and Evaluation Service (PDES) accepts submissions to this series.

Refugee Law Project Working Papers [access]
- The RLP is based at Makerere University in Uganda.

Refugee Studies Centre Working Papers [access]
- The RSC is based at Oxford University in the UK.

Rosemarie Rogers Working Paper Series [access]
- Published by the Inter-University Committee on International Migration.

Posted in Events/Opportunities and Publications.

New Periodical Issues: AWR, ERS, GIJL, H&M, ICRC Rev., JIRS, NICS

AWR Bulletin, vol. 44, no. 3 (2006) [contents]
- Scroll down to view contents. Includes several articles on EU migration.

Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 30, no. 1 (Jan. 2007) [contents]

Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, vol. 20, no. 4 (Summer 2006) [contents]
- Includes article by T. Inlender, "The Imperfect Legacy of Gomez v. INS: Using Social Perceptions to Adjudicate Social Group Claims."

Hommes & Migrations, no. 1263 (sept./oct. 2006) [contents]
- Theme is "immigration et marché du travail."

International Review of the Red Cross, no. 862 (2006) [full-text]
- Theme is "truth and reconciliation commissions." As of issue no. 861, Cambridge University Press began publication of this title.

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, vol. 5, no. 1 (prepublication, Jan. 2007) [contents]
- Includes an article on Roma refugees in Canada, by C. Walsh and B. Krieg.

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations, vol. 11 (Nov. 2006) [full-text]

Posted in Periodicals.

Refugee Law Conference Papers

Papers from two recently held refugee law conferences have been posted. The first set is from the 7th International Association of Refugee Law Judges World Conference, held in Mexico City, 6-9 November 2006. Papers are available from the group's working parties: Asylum Procedures, Country of Origin Information and Country Guidance, Convention Refugee Status and Subsidiary Protection, Expert Evidence, Human Rights Nexus, Membership in a Particular Social Group, and Vulnerable Categories.

The second set was generated by the International Conference on Refugees and International Law: The Challenge of Protection, held in Oxford, 15-16 December 2006. Sponsored by the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), the meeting aimed to serve as "a forum to identify and address challenges to refugee protection from the perspective of the individual as a subject of rights in international law." More information about the issues addressed is available in the programme. Abstracts and selected full-text papers are available here.

Posted in Publications.

New Pubs: Darfur, Education, IDPs/Kenya, Malnutrition, Sri Lankans, Voluntary Return, Women

Acute Malnutrition: A Highly Prevalent, Frequently Fatal, Imminently Treatable, Neglected Disease (MFS, Dec. 2006) [text]

Coping with Return: Methodology development and exchange of best practices on voluntary return assistance in the enlarged European Union with particular emphasis on vulnerable asylum seekers (IOM, Nov. 2006) [text]

Education in Darfur: A Critical Component of Humanitarian Response (Women's Commission, Dec. 2006) [text]

‘I am a Refugee in My Own Country’: Conflict-Induced Internal Displacement in Kenya (IDMC, Dec. 2006) [text]

A Last Resort? Women Asylum Seekers and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women (RWRP, Dec. 2006) [summary]
- For full report, go to the "publications list," select title, and complete brief survey.

The Meaning and Measurement of Acute Malnutrition in Emergencies: A Primer for Decision-makers (ODI HPN, Nov. 2006) [text]

The "Protection Crisis": A Review of Field-Based Strategies for Humanitarian Protection in Darfur (ODI HPG, Dec. 2006) [text]

Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic (Council on Foreign Relations, Jan. 2007) [text]

UNHCR Position on the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Sri Lanka (Dec. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Recent Journal Articles: Children, Conflict, Health, Torture, Trauma, Women

Ehntholt, K.A. and W. Yule, "Practitioner Review: Assessment and treatment of refugee children and adolescents who have experienced war-related trauma," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 47, no. 12 (Dec. 2006), 1197-1210 [abstract]

Gedalof, I., "Unhomely Homes: Women, Family and Belonging in UK Discourses of Migration and Asylum," Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 33, no. 1 (Jan. 2007), 77-94 [abstract]

Giacaman, R. et al., "Individual and collective exposure to political violence: Palestinian adolescents coping with conflict," European Journal of Public Health, advance access, 30 Nov. 2006 [abstract]

Hooberman, J.B. et al., "Classifying the Torture Experiences of Refugees Living in the United States," Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 22, no. 1 (Jan. 2007), 108-123 [abstract]

Kim, G. et al., "Basic, Women's Health, and Mental Health Among Internally Displaced Persons in Nyala Province, South Darfur, Sudan," American Journal of Public Health, published online 30 Nov. 2006 [abstract]

Loughry, M. et al., "The impact of structured activities among Palestinian children in a time of conflict," Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 47, no. 12 (Dec. 2006), 1211-1218 [abstract]

Omotayo, B.O., "Women and Conflict in the New Information Age," IFLA Journal, vol. 32, no. 4 (Dec. 2006), 325-332 [abstract]

Robertson, C.L. et al., "Somali and Oromo refugee women: trauma and associated factors," Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 56, no. 6 (Dec. 2006), 577-87 [abstract]

Stepakoff, S. et al., "Trauma Healing in Refugee Camps in Guinea: A Psychosocial Program for Liberian and Sierra Leonean Survivors of Torture and War," American Psychologist, vol. 61, no. 8 (Nov. 2006), 921-932 [abstract]

Vincent, J.E., "Simple spectacles for adult refugees on the Thailand-Burma border," Optometry and vision science, vol. 83, no. 11 (Nov. 2006), 803-10 [abstract]

Zegveld, L., "Dutch Cases on Torture Committed in Afghanistan: The Relevance of the Distinction between Internal and International Armed Conflict," Journal of International Criminal Justice, advance access, 2 Nov. 2006 [abstract]

Posted in Periodicals.

Two New Annual Reports: Children, Disasters

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released its 2006 World Disasters Report last week. The focus of this year's edition is neglected and overlooked crises and disasters. Summaries of the report's seven chapters are provided; chapter five looks at the challenges boat migrants face in their attempts to reach Europe.

UNICEF's State of the World's Children 2007 was also launched last week. The theme is gender equality. The text of the report and background papers are provided, along with downloadable statistics and profiles of women and girls facing different gender-related challenges.

Posted in Publications.

New Working Papers: Diasporas, Humanitarian Donors, Mauritanian Refugees/Senegal, Migrants/South Africa, Refugee Camps

Des "réfugiés-migrants": Les parcours d’exil des réfugiés mauritaniens au Sénégal, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper, no. 135, by M. Fresia (Nov. 2006) [text]

Diasporas good? Diasporas bad?, COMPAS Working Paper, no. 41, by S. Vertovec (Dec. 2006) [text]

Good Humanitarian Donorship: overcoming obstacles to improved collective donor performance, HPG Discussion Paper, by S. Graves and V. Wheeler (Dec. 2006) [text]

In Direct Control?: Territorial Exclusion of Migrants in South Africa 1998-2004, FMSP Working Paper, no. 28, by D. Vigneswaran (Nov. 2006) [text]

In the absence of the humanitarian gaze: refugee camps after dark, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper, no. 137, by P. Vogler (Dec. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New Pubs.: Children & HIV, Civil-Military Coord., Human Sec., Integration, NGOs, Pakistan Earthquake, Sri Lanka

Children, HIV, Asylum & Immigration: An overview of the current situation for children living with HIV and insecure immigration status, M. Conway (Children and Young People HIV Network, Dec. 2006) [text]

Human Security and the Pivotal Role of Science in Achieving It, P. Walker (Feinstein International Center, Nov. 2006) [text]

Operating Manual for Humanitarian Agencies in Sri Lanka (Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, Dec. 2006) [text]

Political Complexities of Humanitarian Intervention in the Pakistan Earthquake, T. Bamforth & J.H. Qureshi (JHA, Dec. 2006) [text]

Refugees and other new migrants: a review of the evidence on successful approaches to integration, S. Spencer, ed. (COMPAS, Dec. 2006) [text]

Report on the Annual Consultations with Non-Governmental Organizations (UNHCR, 2006) [text]

The Use of Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief – "Oslo Guidelines" (UNOCHA, updated Nov. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New Periodical Issues: Conflict, ERC, Humanitarian Action, IDPs

Conflict Trends, no. 4/2006 [full-text]
- Focuses on a range of conflict issues in Africa.

Forced Migration Review, Special Issue (Dec. 2006) [full-text]
- Theme of this special issue is "Putting IDPs on the map: achievements and challenges in commemoration of the work of Roberta Cohen."

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine, no. 35 (Nov. 2006) [full-text]
- Special section focuses on "humanitarian action in urban contexts."

ICVA Talk Back, vol. 8-1 (Dec. 2006) [full-text]
- Among other matters, this issue looks at the debate over who will replace Jan Egeland as the next UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Posted in Periodicals.

New Periodical Issues: Dev. in Practice, Disasters, ERS, HRQ, Intl. Mig., IMR, JFR, JIRS, JRS, RSQ

Development in Practice, vol. 16, no. 6 (Nov. 2006) [contents]
- Focus of this issue is the "nature of knowledge for development (its provenance, how and by whom different knowledges are produced, defined, appropriated, and shared) and the conceptual frameworks and worldviews embedded in language – and why all this matters." The theme is further elaborated in the editorial. A list of relevant resources will eventually be made available on the resources page.

Disasters, vol. 30, no. 4 (Dec. 2006) [contents]
- Includes articles on livelihoods and complex emergencies, privatisation in wartime, the DRC, resilience, post-disaster resettlement, and earthquake protection strategies.

Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 29, no. 6 (Nov. 2006) [contents]
- Theme of this issue is "Social capital, migration and transnational families."

Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 4 (Nov. 2006) [contents]
- Includes articles on definitions of torture, dignity, women's rights in the Koran, national human rights institutions, MDG 8, fair trade, sweatshops, and genocide prevention.

International Migration, vol. 44, no. 5 (Dec. 2006) [contents]
- Includes articles on free speech in Denmark, international migration and gender in Latin America, immigrants in Australia, Latinos in the U.S., and Nigerian female immigrants.

International Migration Review, vol. 40, no. 4 (Dec. 2006) [contents]
- Articles are available on guestworkers in Europe, Albanian migrants, labor migrants in Germany, Iranians in Turkey, immigration to the U.S., and Korean immigrants.

Journal de forum réfugiés, no. 36 (Oct. 2006) [selected full-text]
- Full-text articles include a review of asylum and immigration trends in France, Dublin II, and EU Regional Protection Programmes; available in French and English.

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, vol. 4, no. 4 (2006) [contents]
- Includes articles on immigration to Portugal, Filipino American adolescents, health issues for Koreans in the U.S., community among African/Asian refugee youths, and health of Iraqi immigrants.

Journal of Refugee Studies, vol. 19, no. 4 (Dec. 2006) [contents]
- Articles are available on the returnee experience, impact of videoconferencing IRB hearings, asylum denials, refugee definitions, and children asylum seekers in Wales.

Refugee Survey Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 4 (2006) [contents]
- Reproduces statements and papers from Webster University's 11th Annual Humanitarian Conference, "Humanitarian Action: The Role of Governments, International Organizations and NGOs."

Posted in Periodicals.

Sexual Violence in Conflict

November 25th was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. A fairly recent UN study entitled "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women" notes that "there are still many forms of violence that remain largely undocumented" including "sexual violence against women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations" (p. 66), among others.

One effort to improve the quality and reliability of data is under way at the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). The Centre plans to publish a Global Report on Sexual Violence in Conflict in May 2007. The report will include, among other things, "country profiles with a brief summary of the conflict and qualitative and quantitative data on sexual violence in this conflict." The Centre is soliciting input to the report in the form of data and examples of good practice in response to sexual violence in conflict situations. Read the project summary for more information.

To date, the DCAF, in its capacity as a founding member of the Alliance for Direct Action against Rape in Conflicts and Crises (AllianceDARC), has produced a discussion paper on the challenges of data collection in this area and has compiled a bibliography.

Posted in Publications and Events/Opportunities.

Pubs. on Children, EU-Africa Migration, Human Trafficking, Peacebuilding, Refugee Funds

Children and Armed Confict, UN doc. no. A/61/529-S/2006/826 (UN, Oct. 2006) [text]

Conference documents, EU-Africa Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development, Tripoli, 22-23 November 2006 [site]

Conflict and Development: Peacebuilding and Post-conflict Reconstruction (UK House of Commons, Oct. 2006) [text]

Evaluating ERF and Challenge Fund Services Report (UK Home Office, Nov. 2006) [text]
- ERF = European Refugee Fund

Statement of the Participants of the GAATW Global Consultation on Prevention of Trafficking (15 Nov. 2006) [text]

Trans-Saharan Migration to North Africa and the EU: Historical Roots and Current Trends (Migration Info. Source, Nov. 2006) [text]

Unaccompanied Children and the Dublin II Regulation (Refugee Council, Nov. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

New Pubs.: Asylum/Europe, Destitute Asylum Seekers/UK, Humanities, Intl. Instruments, Livelihoods/Uganda, Mental Health/UK, UNHCR & IDPs

Collection of International Instruments and Other Legal Texts Concerning Refugees and Others of Concern to UNHCR (Nov. 2006) [four volumes - web page]

The Destitution Trap: Research into destitution among refused asylum seekers in the UK (Refugee Action, Nov. 2006) [text]

Down and Out in London: The road to destitution for rejected asylum seekers (Amnesty International UK, Nov. 2006) [text]

Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Immigration Detainees (SPN for Modern Mental Health, 2006) [text]

Movement on the Margins: Livelihoods and Security in Kitgum District, Northern Uganda (Feinstein International Center, Nov. 2006) [text]

Refugee status, subsidiary protection, and the right to be granted asylum under EC law, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 136 (M.-T. Gil-Bazo, Nov. 2006) [text]

Refugees and the Humanities: A Challenge (A. Holian, Nov. 2006) [text]

UNHCR’s expanded role in support of the inter-agency response to situations of internal displacement: Report of a lessons learned and effective practice workshop, PDES/2006/06 (UNHCR, Nov. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

Forced Migration Fora: Asking Questions, Getting Answers

A variety of fora for posting questions and answers to a community of experts and practitioners are available in the forced migration field.

Aidworkers Forum [site]
- Made available through the revamped Aidworkers Network site. It's a place where humanitarian aid workers can post requests for advice and guidance on a range of issues. The forum is quite active and questions appear to have a high response rate. The forum is public but visitors must register in order to post questions or comments.

Forced Migration Discussion List [site]
- While not a new list (it's been around since the late 1990s), it just passed the 1000-member mark and continues to attract researchers and practitioners from a range of disciplines. The list archives are public, but visitors must subscribe to circulate messages. Managed by the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC).

Medact Refugee Health Network [site]
- A Yahoo group for health professionals working with refugees whose aim is "to share information and best practice amongst those working to facilitate improving the health of refugees." You must join in order to view the archives.

Refuge and Rejection Forum [site]
- Part of a newly launched site to promote the humanities in forced migration studies. As such, not much activity yet but there is an essay on "what the humanities have to contribute to the study of refugees" and "why humanists are poorly represented in the field of 'refugee studies'" which new members can comment on.

Refugee Education [site]
- Another Yahoo group set up to "support teachers and other professionals who work with refugee and asylum-seeking children, young people and families." Appears to be quite active, with 980 members. You must join in order to view the archives.

Refugee Studies [site]
- This was established for current and former students of UEL's refugee studies program. Sections include a general discussion area, research resources, employment/study opportunities, and conferences/events, among others. Currently, this forum appears to be used more for information-sharing than Q&A.

BTW, I posted a list of resources on the Aidworkers Forum in response to a request for information on how best to assist war-affected children in Uganda. If you are interested, you can read the request and response here.

Posted in Web Sites/Tools.

New Issue IJRL

The latest issue of the International Journal of Refugee Law is a double one: volume 18, number 3-4 (Sept/Dec 2006). According to the editorial extract, it consists "primarily of papers from the Workshop on ‘The Right to Seek and Enjoy Asylum? The Pacific, Mediterranean and Caribbean Plans Compared’, held in Prato, Italy, in 2005." A brief summary of the workshop is provided by ICAR.

Articles included in this issue:

(Note: I added links to author's profiles, where available. Also note that from the abstract page, OUP has now included a link to other articles written by a particular author and available through Google Scholar. Results are mixed, though, since no first names are used, just initials. So browse with caution!)

Susan Kneebone, Christopher McDowell, and Gareth Morrell
A Mediterranean Solution? Chances of Success [abstract]

Erika Feller
Asylum, Migration and Refugee Protection: Realities, Myths and the Promise of Things to Come [abstract]

Richard Towle
Processes and Critiques of the Indo-Chinese Comprehensive Plan of Action: An Instrument of International Burden-Sharing? [abstract]

María-Teresa Gil-Bazo
The Practice of Mediterranean States in the context of the European Union's Justice and Home Affairs External Dimension. The Safe Third Country Concept Revisited [abstract]

Madeline Garlick
The EU Discussions on Extraterritorial Processing: Solution or Conundrum? [abstract]

Elspeth Guild
The Europeanisation of Europe's Asylum Policy [abstract]

Alexander Betts
Towards a Mediterranean Solution? Implications for the Region of Origin [abstract]

Stephen H. Legomsky
The USA and the Caribbean Interdiction Program [abstract]

Susan Kneebone
The Pacific Plan: The Provision of ‘Effective Protection’? [abstract]

Posted in Periodicals.

New Working Papers: Compas, Fafo, UNHCR

The Balkans at a crossroads: Progress and challenges in finding durable solutions for refugees and displaced persons from the wars in the former Yugoslavia, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper, no. 133 (G. Ambroso, Nov. 2006) [text]

EU and the Migration-Development Nexus: What Prospects for EU-Wide Policies? Compas Working Paper, no. 37 (M-H Chou, Oct. 2006) [text]

The European asylum procedures directive in legal context, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper, no. 134 (C. Costello, Nov. 2006) [text]

Palestinian Refugees in Syria: Human Capital, Economic Resources and Living Conditions, Fafo-report 514 (A.A. Tiltnes, ed., Nov. 2006) [text]

Protecting refugees and asylum seekers under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, New Issues in Refugee Research Paper, no. 132 (S. Persaud, Nov. 2006) [text]

Posted in Publications.

The African Union's Refugee/IDP Institutional Structure

While visiting the African Union web site, I noticed that the AU’s Coordinating Committee on Assistance and Protection to Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (CCAR) is meeting today. A link to the draft agenda is provided on the home page. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find very much information on the AU web site about the work of this committee, but there are documents reflecting the work of other AU mechanisms that address refugee/IDP matters more generally. For example:

1. A description of the Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees and Displaced Persons Division, which is part of the Department of Political Affairs. A brief list of the Division's functions is also provided.

2. Conclusions and Recommendations of the Consultative Meeting between the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (March 2003) (Note: This includes a recommendation for work that the aforementioned CCAR should take on.)

3. A short article from the AU’s newsletter that describes how the AU collaborates with UNHCR.

4. The web site for the recently convened Ministerial Conference on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs. (Note: UNHCR’s Africa Newsletter, p. 3, includes a brief report of the results of the meeting.)

In addition, decisions of the AU Assembly and Council of Ministers that relate to displacement issues are available. Visitors can browse by session or search the site for relevant terms. (Note: The AU site engine is not currently functioning but a site search can still be conducted using a web search engine like Google; for example, enter >refugees site: www.africa-union.org< into the search box to locate references specific to the AU site.)

Other resources elsewhere elaborate on AU refugee/IDP mechanisms, including the following:

1. An article from Conflict Trends that provides a very helpful overview of the African Union’s evolving “institutional framework for responding to forced displacement in Africa.” And it includes a description of the CCAR mentioned above.

2. A book entitled Human Rights in Africa: From the OAU to the African Union. It includes a chapter on “refugees and human rights.”

3. The book's author, Rachel Murray, also has an article in RSQ called “Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons and Human Rights: The African System.”

Posted in Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

New Annual Reports from ECRE, FAO, Freedom House, RSF, UNDP

(Updated Nov. 10, 2006)

ECRE Country Report 2005 (ECRE) [text]
- Individual country overviews of legal and social developments affecting refugees and asylum-seekers in Europe.

Freedom in the World 2006 (Freedom House) [text]
- Annual survey of civil and political rights around the world.

Freedom of the Press Worldwide in 2006 (Reporters sans Frontieres) [text]
- Annual survey of press freedom and violence against journalists.

Human Development Report 2006 - Beyond scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis (UNDP) [text]

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2006 (FAO) [text]
- Reviews progress, or lack thereof, in attempts to eradicate hunger in the world. Apparently, world hunger has increased since the World Food Summit held in 1996 pledged to halve in by 2015.

Posted in Publications.

Literature Reviews: Mental Health Aspects of Forced Migration

I am compiling literature reviews for another project I'm working on and I have come across a number that discuss the mental health and psychological issues confronting forced migrants. One of the principal debates reflected in this literature is the validity of the PTSD concept for refugee and other forced migrant populations. Among other things, critics argue that PTSD is a Western concept which is often applied without regard for the cultural perspective of the affected individuals. For an overview of this and other debates within the psychological community, read C. Eyber's FMO Research Guide on Psychosocial Issues (2002).

Ager, A. (1993). Mental Health Issues in Refugee Populations: A Review. Boston, Harvard Medical School, Department of Social Medicine, Project on International Mental and Behavioural Health, 35 p. [text]
- Note: This paper is available in Forced Migration Online's digital library. To retrieve the text, go to "advanced search" and enter the author's name or title keywords into the relevant search field.

Friedman, M. J. and J. M. Jaranson (1994). "The Applicability of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Concept to Refugees." In Amidst Peril and Pain: The Mental Health and Well-being of the World's Refugees, ed. by A. J. Marsella, T. Bornemann, S. Ekblad and J. Orley. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association: 207-27. [text]

Hollifield, M., T. D. Warner, et al. (2002). "Measuring Trauma and Health Status in Refugees: A Critical Review." JAMA 288(5): 611-21.
- Note: JAMA electronic content is available free of charge six months after publication. Register as a guest at http://jama.ama-assn.org/.

Keyes, E. F. (2000). "Mental Health Status in Refugees: An Integrative Review of Current Research." Issues in Mental Health Nursing 21(4): 397-410. [abstract]

Loughry, M., C. Eyber, et al. (2003). Psychosocial Concepts in Humanitarian Work with Children: A Review of the Concepts and Related Literature. Washington, DC, National Academies Press. [text]

Mills, E. J., S. Singh, et al. (2005). "Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Torture among Tibetan Refugees: A Systematic Review." BMC International Health and Human Rights 5. [text]

Mollica, R. F., B. Lopes Cardozo, et al. (2004). "Mental Health in Complex Emergencies." The Lancet 364(9450): 2058–67.
- Note: Text freely available online from The Lancet; however, registration is required before access is provided.

Murthy, R. S. and R. Lakshminarayana (2006). "Mental Health Consequences of War: A Brief Review of Research Findings." World Psychiatry 5(1): 25–30. [text]

Nicholl, C. and A. Thompson (2004). "The Psychological Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Adult Refugees: A Review of the Current State of Psychological Therapies." Journal of Mental Health 13(4): 351-62. [text]

Procter, N. G. (2005). "'They First Killed His Heart (Then) He Took His Own Life'. Part 1: A Review of the Context and Literature on Mental Health Issues for Refugees and Asylum Seekers." International Journal of Nursing Practice 11(6): 286-291. [abstract]

Refugee Trauma Task Force (2003). Review of Child and Adolescent Refugee Mental Health. Boston, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 49 p. [text]

Schweitzer, R., L. Buckley, et al. (2002). "The Psychological Treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: What Does the Literature Tell Us?" Mots Pluriels 21. [text]

Willigen, L. v. (1992). A (Short) Review of Literature on the Health Problems of Refugees. 3rd International Research and Advisory Panel Meeting. Oxford. [text]
- Note: This paper is available in Forced Migration Online's digital library. To retrieve the text, go to "advanced search" and enter the author's name or title keywords into the relevant search field.

For more information and other literature references, visit the "Cultural Understandings" section of Harpweb's Mental Health and Well-Being Resource.

Posted in Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

New Periodical Issues: Asylons, Conflict Trends, Hum. Reform, J. Forum Refugies, Mig. Letters, NICS, REMI

Asylon(s), no. 1 (Oct. 2006) [full-text]
- New periodical from TERRA (Travaux, Etudes, Recherches sur les Réfugiés et l’Asile); focus is on "Femmes persécutées."

Conflict Trends, no. 3/2006 [full-text]
- Theme is "peacekeeping in Africa."

Humanitarian Reform Newsletter (Sept. 2006) [full-text]
- Provides news and updates about the cluster approach.

Le Journal de Forum Réfugiés, no. 36 (Oct. 2006) [selected full-text in French] [selected full-text in English]

Migration Letters, vol. 3, no. 2 (Oct. 2006) [full-text]
- Includes articles on migrants in Greece, Mexico, Nepal and Canada. Also includes "Refugee Policy is a Realist’s Nightmare: The Case of Southeast Asia" and two forced migration-related book reviews.

Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations, vol. 10 (Aug. 2006) [full-text]

Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales, vol. 22, no. 2 (2006) [contents]
- 20th anniversary issue; includes "Asile, immigration : réconcilier les droits de l’homme et ceux du citoyen."

Posted in Periodicals.