CRN11_Newsletter_Vol4Iss2_09Jun22_FINAL CRN11_Newsletter_Vol6-7Iss2-3_Sep23_Final

WELCOME: LSA 2024, Global Refugee Forum – Australia, Morocco, and Libya

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to our combined newsletter for June and September 2023.

First and foremost, on 5 September the Law and Society Association (LSA) released the Call for Papers for the Annual Meeting 2024.  Marking the 60^th anniversary of LSA under the theme Unsettling Territories: Tradition and Revolution in Law and Society, the annual meeting will be held in Denver, Colorado, USA on 6-9 June 2024.  We invite you to submit an abstract to CRN 11 and consider volunteering for a chair, discussant, or note-taking role. More details are provided on page 3 (CRN-11 Events).

The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), affirmed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, put in place a new comprehensive refugee response model to envision a more sustainable support for refugees. The first Global Refugee Forum took place on 16-18 December 2019. The second Global Refugee Forum will take place on 13-15 December 2023 where progress made by governments and stakeholders on implementation of pledges will be discussed.

On 14 October 2023, Australians will vote on a referendum. The question is whether to approve a proposed law to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

On 8 September 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco. To date some 2,946 people have lost their lives, more than 6,125 are injured; and an estimated 300,000 people are affected. On 10 September 2023, Storm Daniel struck eastern Libya leaving 4,000 dead and 9,000 more still unaccounted for. We reaffirm our support for all those displaced by the war, violent conflict, environmental disaster, climate change, modern day slavery, economic hardship and more.

Veronica Fynn Bruey and Steven Bender

DISPLACED PEOPLES’ RIGHTS AND PROTECTION

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) teams in Sudan’s White Nile state, more than 1,200 refugee children under 5 have died in nine camps in the period between 15 May and 14 September, due to a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition. Across South Sudan, over 5,770 suspected cases of measles have been reported with 142 deaths. In Ethiopia’s Amhara region, as of 12 September, eight people have died from cholera among 435 reported suspected cases. The number of children with malnutrition being admitted to hospitals has increased by 56 per cent across the province of Ouaddai in Chad which is hosting more than 80 per cent of the refugees, since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan. More information available here.

European statelessness conference pushes for concrete action and commitments to resolve statelessness in Europe. The conference, titled “Addressing Statelessness in Europe”, was organized by the European Network on Statelessness (ENS), with Fundación Cepaim and the Universidad Complutense of Madrid; and “aim[ed] to raise awareness about statelessness in Europe, foster meaningful dialogue, and ultimately drive policy changes needed to address the needs and rights of stateless individuals”. The conference in Madrid comes at an opportune moment, in advance of Spain taking up the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2023. More information available here.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is appealing for governments in Central America and Mexico to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of people on the move as unprecedented numbers of vulnerable migrants in transit through the region, while also working on long-term solutions to tackle the drivers of migration. “The situation underscores the urgent need for the immediate collective involvement of governments from origin, transit and destination countries to provide humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and children,” said Michele Klein Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean. More information available here.

On 25 August 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that one year after historic floods devastated Pakistan and a national state of emergency was declared, millions of children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services. This season’s monsoon rains are worsening already challenging conditions for flood-affected communities, tragically claiming the lives of 87 children across the country. UNICEF estimates there are still 8 million people, around half of whom are children, that continue to live without access to safe water in flood-affected areas. Over 1.5 million children require lifesaving nutrition interventions in flood-affected districts. More information available here.

An in-depth United Nations (UN) report focused on reparatory justice for people of African descent, published today, urges States to show strong leadership and political will in tackling the lasting consequences of enslavement, the trade in enslaved Africans and colonialism The report to the UN General Assembly, by the UN Secretary-General, sets out a series of concrete steps for States and the international community to address the continued harms suffered by people of African descent – highlighting the intrinsic link between the legacies of colonialism and enslavement and contemporary forms of systemic racism and racial discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia faced by people of African descent. More information available here.

On World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2023, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC ) and theEuropean Union Anti-Trafficking Coordinator urge States to ‘leave no one behind’. “Our message this year is clear – ‘reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind’,” said John Brandolino, UNODC Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs. “The European Union is a key partner for UNODC and together we strive to strengthen global anti-trafficking responses.” UNODC, with the support of the EU, delivers legal and technical expertise to crime prevention and criminal justice agencies and victim support organizations in several regions of the world, especially in low-income countries. More information available here.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reports that the February earthquakes in Türkiye triggered more than 677,000 internal displacements in neighbouring Syria, the largest disaster displacement event recorded for the country since data became available in 2014. Idlib and Aleppo governorates, which between them were hosting almost half of the 6.8 million IDPs by the country’s conflict as of May 2022, were hardest hit. The quakes heightened the vulnerabilities of many IDPs who are forced to move each winter as snowstorms and floods hit their shelters. More information available here.

CRN-11 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Presentation: Transnational Indigeneity in Canada – Beyond s35

How can settler law be reimagined to recognise all Indigenous Peoples, especially those that are displaced? This research draws on theories of decolonisation/decoloniality, critical race theory, Indigenous Studies, (Black African) feminist jurisprudence, and an emerging conceptual framework – critical migrant-displaced theory, to examine section 35(2) of the Canadian Constitution. This is a free virtual event hosted presented by Veronica Fynn Bruey and hosted by Athabasca University Research Unit on 4 October 2023 at 10:00 AM (Mountain Time). To join, click here.

Call for Papers: Law and Society 2024 Denver, Colorado, USA

CRN 11 invites you to submit a paper to be considered for a panel, salon, round-table presentation, or new book in the field for the Law and Society Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA, 6-9 June 2024. This year’s annual meeting marks the 6oth anniversary of LSA and returns to Denver, the site of the Association’s first summer institute on social science methods in legal education. The theme for this year’s in-person annual meeting is Unsettling Territories: Tradition and Revolution in Law and Society. CRN 11 is inviting you to submit an individual paper directly online via LSA website by 24 October 2023 (remember to select CRN-11 before submitting) OR send your abstract to vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca and benders@seattleu.edu by 20 October 2023 to be considered for a CRN-11 panel, roundtable, New Books in the Field or Author Meets Reader session.  All abstracts must align with the Law and Society Association abstract guidelines.

Presentation: Indigeneity, Displacement, and Patriarchy

In Canada, indigeneity is embedded and localized in section 35 of the colonial settler Constitution Act, 1867-1982. Adopting a complex mixed methodological design, the research draws on decolonisation, intersectionality, critical race, social determinants of health, and (Black African) feminist jurisprudence, this roundtable discussion examines geographical limitations of Aboriginality and the erasure of the multiplicities of displace transnational (African) Indigenous Peoples. This paper will be presented by Veronica Fynn Bruey during the 6^th Metropolis Identities Summit on 1-3 November 2023. To register, click here.

Presentation: Settler Law and Displaced Transnational Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Documenting and validating Indigenous Peoples collective experiences with colonial violence, land dispossession, forced displacement, systemic racism, and ongoing exclusion from the nation-building process is fundamental to the idealised Westphalian state such as Canada’s constitutional monarchy. Using a complex mixed methodological design, this research project examines how law normalises discrimination and inequalities by claiming equal rights yet differential treatment for transnational Indigenous migrants in Canada. This paper will be presented by Veronica Fynn Bruey during the Decolonization and Development for Africa and People of African Descent Conference on 2-4 November 2023 hosted by the University of Dayton School of Law. To register, click here.

Presentation: Who is an Indigenous Person?

How can settler law be reimagined to recognise all Indigenous Peoples especially those that are displaced? This research draws on theories of decolonisation/decoloniality, critical race theory, Indigenous Studies, (Black African) feminist jurisprudence, and an emerging conceptual framework – critical migrant-displaced theory, to examine section 35(2) of the Canadian Constitution. This paper will be presented by Veronica Fynn Bruey on 11 November 2023 during the 12^th Annual Decolonizing Conference hosted by the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies at the University of Toronto. To register, click here.

Presentation: Lived Experience of Displacement

Veronica Fynn Bruey was invited to share her work and story of displacement during the Center for Migration Studies Annual Gala on 14 November 2023 in New York.  To register, click here.

Call for Book Proposal: Migration, Displacement and Development

The Migration, Displacement, and Development book series with Rowman and Littlefield is an interdisciplinary series that critically examines the obstinacy to expand legal protection to displaced peoples beyond the bona fide refugee within local, regional, and international contexts. Extending protection to a wide range of displaced persons, the series promises to address adverse effects on those forced to leave their homes in the name of globalization by improving the economic, social, and political conditions driving migration in favour of sustaining growth. The series strives for law and policy reform particularly in areas of trade, economy, remittance and aid as well as protecting individual rights to stay home and live a dignified life. If you are interested in turning your research into a full book visit the MDD Book Series website or  email vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca and benders@seattleu.edu.

Call for Editors and Reviewers: Journal of Internal Displacement

The Journal of Internal Displacement is accepting applications for editorial board membership and reviewers. All interested should email: internaldisplacement@gmail.com. Deadline: Open

Call For Volunteers: LSA 2024 in Denver, Colorado, United States

CRN-11 is in need of volunteers as chairs, discussant and notetakers during LSA 2024 in Denver, Colorado, United States. All interested please email vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca  and benders@seattleu.edu.

Deadline: 29 February 2024.

Call For Newsletter Editors

CRN-11 Newsletter is produced quarterly per annum and must be released by the last day of March, June, September, and December. The Newsletter Editor will be responsible for:

• Researching and compiling information for the Newsletter,
• Assisting with the distribution of the Newsletter electronically to subscribers and other social networks,
• Inviting and showcasing guest blogger written pieces, and
• Promoting and advertising the Newsletter with the aim of expanding its reach.

To apply, submit a cover letter and CV to vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca  and benders@seattleu.edu.

Deadline: Open

Call For Advertisement and Promotion Committee

CRN-11 is recruiting volunteers to lead the Advertisement and Promotion Committee. To apply, submit a cover letter and CV to vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca  and benders@seattleu.edu. Deadline: Open

Become a CRN-11 Research Collaborator

Interested in being a bona fide research collaborator with CRN-11? To apply, submit a cover letter and CV to vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca  and benders@seattleu.edu. Deadline: Open

Invitation to be a Guest Blogger for CRN-11

Do you have an interesting story to tell about internal and international migration and displacement? CRN 11 is eager to share your piece as a guest blogger in our quarterly newsletter.  Submit your stories to vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca and benders@seattleu.edu. Deadline: Open 

GENERAL CALLS: UPCOMING EVENTS

Right to Asylum

The Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility is pleased to host a series of events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 13 October 2023. The day will feature a panel on the current situation regarding asylum seekers and migrants, a panel on the future of the asylum system, and a film screening on the new documentary Adrift. The evening will conclude with an address and Q&A session with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk. More information available here.

APAD Panel: Call for Proposal

The next colloquium of the Association for the anthropology of social change and development (APAD), entitled “Au prisme du travail: capitalisme, développement et changement social dans le Sud global”, to be held 22-24 May 2024 in Liège (Belgium). We are proposing panel that focuses on Migrant Work in the Age of Capitalism: insertions, daily life and Professional sociability and that will lead to publication.
Proposals are due by 15 November 2023 on the APAD website by clicking here.

Call for Papers: Internal Displacement and Solutions

This online conference marks the culmination of five years of increasing international engagement with the pressing challenge of ‘solutions’ to internal displacement. This conference provides a forum for researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and students from all disciplines to come together to present, debate and reflect on ‘solutions’ to internal displacement and their future. It offers the chance to develop new research agendas and collaborations. Organised by the University of London, the conference will be held on 14-15 March 2024. More information available here. Deadline: 17 November 2023 on the APAD website by clicking here.

Kaldor Centre Conference 2023

“Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration” on 20 November 2023; an in-person conference held at the Clancy Auditorium, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. As the Kaldor Centre embarks on its 10th anniversary, our flagship conference will harness strategic foresight to inform the agenda for the decade to come. To register click here.

Call for Papers: Inclusive Education, and Forced Migration, and Justice

For too many children forcefully displaced from the places that were once their homes, the way societies can marginalise and exclude is a lived reality—a reality that brings urgency to research that illuminates both exclusion in society and concrete possibilities for the creation of inclusive and safe learning communities where all displaced children might belong and flourish. It is precisely this reality that inspires this Special Issue. We welcome original research articles, theoretical scholarship, and reviews. More information available here. Deadline: 15 March 2024

2024 IMISCOE Spring Conference

The MiReKoc 2024 IMISCOE Spring Conference will take place at Koç University, known for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and cutting-edge research. From April 17-19, 2024, our gathering will bring together distinguished academics, policymakers, and practitioners from around the globe, providing an enriching opportunity for cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaborative knowledge exchange. Register here.

Petition: Support to Help Iranian Men who Performed Mandatory Military Service

A petition affirming support of Sen Durbin’s efforts in helping Iranian descent men who performed mandatory military service. More information available here.

RESEARCH, AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FELLOWSHIPS

PhD Opportunity: Refugee Rights Project

Associate Professor Kate Ogg has been awarded an Australian Research Council grant to undertake a project on strategic human rights litigation. The project includes a PhD position for a student from a refugee background. The PhD project will examine the conduct and impact of strategic refugee rights litigation from the perspective of refugee communities. This includes how refugees are depicted in litigation and accompanying media and political campaigns as well as how refugee communities can and should be involved in legal campaigns addressing refugee rights. The PhD candidate will receive an ANU PhD scholarship and $9,500 from the ANU College of Law for fieldwork and travel over the course of the PhD. Apply here. For more information contact kate.ogg@anu.edu.au. Deadline: 30 October 2023.

CERES Programme for 2023-2024

CERES is currently offering nine courses in the 2023-2024 academic year (one offered twice). This has been in response to demand from many PhD researchers and member institutions for more PhD-level teaching tailored to Development Studies, which is the comparative advantage of CERES and where it adds value to its members. More information is available here.

Georgetown MA in International Migration and Refugees

This cutting-edge program addresses the pressing challenges arising from population movements
and prepares a new generation of professionals to navigate the intricate intersections of migration, displacement and policy-making. With migration shaping diverse industries and societies worldwide, this immersive program, offered by Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), equips students with the expertise needed to understand, respond to and positively impact the lives of those on the move. More information available here.

Scholarships and Fellowships in Migration Studies

ARMACAD database is a rich resource for those looking for academic and professional programs and events in the field of migration studies and other related areas. More information is available here. Deadline: varied

Coming Soon: XIV Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit

On The Global Forum on Migration and Development will be hosting the fourth Migration Youth Forum in Geneva and online as the official preparatory space for youth to consolidate and exchange priorities, recommendations, youth-led solutions and best practices. Our main bid is to deliver on a strong, inspirational and substantive youth presence at the 14th GFMD Summit (23-25 January 2024). All youth forum participants will form the GFMD Summit delegation. The Youth Forum will be held on the 21st of January 2024, two days prior to the beginning of the GFMD Summit. More information is provided here. 

JOB POSTS

Assistant Professor of Media, Culture and Law (Black, Indigenous, Migrant Focus)

The Department of Communication (https://communication.ucsd.edu/) at UC San Diego seeks faculty candidates at the level of Assistant Professor whose research, teaching, and service will advance scholarship and institutional solutions for designing more just and equitable systems and structures. We seek an interdisciplinary scholar, artist, or practitioner who engages with the study and design of laws and policies related to media, communication, and culture with a focus on Native American/Alaska Native/Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Black, and/or migrant futures. More information is available here. Deadline: 13 October 2023.

PUBLICATIONS

New Report: Socio-spatial Initiatives to Foster Belonging Among Refugee Families Resettled in Canada: A Narrative Review and Future Directions

Displacement and resettlement can be a destabilizing experience for refugee families, exacerbating feelings of isolation and detachment. Refugee families arrive in the receiving country after facing a variety of challenges ranging from traumatic stress reactions related to living in a war-affected context to stress during displacement journeys. Displacement and resettlement in an unfamiliar place far from their country of origin has important impacts on virtually every aspect of families’ socio-spatial environments including cultural norms, religious traditions, and support networks. Access the report here.

New Report: UNHCR Global Trends 2023

The latest Global Trends report, published in June 2023, provides key statistical trends on forced displacement. It includes the latest official statistics on refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, as well as the number of refugees who have returned home. Access the report here.

New Report: Global Report on Internal Displacement 2023

IDMC’s Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) is the world’s leading source of data and analysis on internal displacement. This year’s edition includes a special focus on the complex relationships between disasters, conflict and violence, food security and internal displacement. Access the report here.

New Report: Migrants, Refugees and Societies

World Development Report 2023 proposes an integrated framework to maximize the development impacts of cross-border movements on both destination and origin countries and on migrants and refugees themselves. The framework it offers, drawn from labor economics and international law, rests on a “match and motive” matrix that focuses on two factors: how closely migrants’ skills and attributes match the needs of destination countries and what motives underlie their movements. This approach enables policy makers to distinguish between different types of movements and to design migration policies for each. International cooperation will be critical to the effective management of migration. Access the report here.

New Report: Closing the Implementation Gap – Federalism and Respect for International Human Rights in Canada

Canada has long enjoyed an international reputation for having a stellar human rights record. Looking closer at Canada’s domestic record of human rights implementation presents a murkier picture of a country that is often reluctant to incorporate international human rights treaties and recommendations at home. This study sets out a comprehensive agenda for advancing reforms, to help shape the work of the forum and address the implementation gap. Access the report here.

Journal Article: ‘Testimony on the move: Navigating the borders of (In)visibility with migrant -led soundwalks’

With the Rome-based soundwalk initiative “Invisible Guides,” migrant narrators lead neighborhood tours, recounting Roman history while bearing witness to their own experiences. This essay discusses the potential for these testimonial transactions between authors, participants, and urban space to challenge the invisibilization of migrant realities within the city center. More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Factors supporting settlement among Syrian refugee women: A longitudinal participatory action research study’

 Over 13 million Syrians have been forcibly displaced since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. In response to this humanitarian crisis, several high-income countries have settled thousands of Syrian refugees. In Canada, over 50,000 Syrian refugees have resettled through varying resettlement programs. Half of the refugees are women who are mothers or of child-bearing age, and who experience numerous health disparities. This article reports findings from a larger, Canadian-based study inquiring into the factors supporting and shaping the settlement and integration experiences among women who are Syrian refugees and mothering. More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Participation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in research: guidance for researchers from researchers’

This guide is for researchers (including humanitarian practitioners) who are seeking guidance on how to promote the participation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the research process. It is based on a qualitative study exploring how humanitarian practitioners and academics operationalise participation in their research with these populations, with a particular focus on experiences conducting research on gender equality and gender-based violence (GBV). More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Living on the margins – The socio-spatial representation of urban internally displaced persons in Ethiopia’

Based on multi-sited ethnographic research in Kersa and Sululta IDP settlements of Ethiopia, this study reveals how IDPs experience similar spatial, social and symbolic marginality in different urban contexts. Our findings show the relational manifestation of segregation, social distance and stigmatization that impede IDPs’ access to urban space and services. This study also highlights how these dimensions of marginality interact and reproduce an additional layer of marginality. Our research suggests the need for inclusive urban governance in which IDPs contribute to and benefit from urbanization as citizens. More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Blogosphere, vulnerability news and users’ engagement: The contribution of blogs in the reporting of internally displaced persons in Nigeria’

This study examines blog coverage (October 2018 to October 2019) and its engagement with citizens regarding internally displaced persons in Nigeria. Approximately 85 stories of internally displaced persons were covered on Naija.com. This study found a significant difference in the appearance of internally displaced persons’ stories on the blog, appearance of the stories in the headline, length of stories used in describing internally displaced persons and the tone used. More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Untreated dental caries among Libyan children during and after the war and in internally displaced person camps’

The present study assessed whether living in a conflict zone and in internally displaced person (IDP) camps were associated with the number of untreated caries in primary, permanent and all teeth in Libyan children and whether these associations differed by parents’ educational attainment. More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Evaluation of conditional cash transfers and mHealth audio messaging in reduction of risk factors for childhood malnutrition in internally displaced persons camps in Somalia’

A 2 × 2 factorial cluster-randomised trial was implemented in camps for internally displaced people (IDP) near Mogadishu, Somalia, starting in January 2019. The main study outcomes were assessed at midline and endline and included coverage of measles vaccination and the pentavalent immunisation series, timely vaccination, caregiver’s health knowledge, and child diet diversity. Twenty-three clusters (camps) were randomised to receive or not receive conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and an mHealth intervention, and 1,430 households were followed up over 9 months. All camps received cash transfers made at emergency humanitarian level (US$70/household/month) for 3 months followed by a further 6 months at a safety net level (US$35). More information available here.

Journal Article: ‘Climate Change, Migration, and Pandemics’

The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone with a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” Environmental refugees do not fall within its scope, nor does international human rights law adequately cover these migrants. The paper argues that if we do not modify international law in order to deal with the inevitable human migrations spurred by climate change and its accompanying pandemics then suffering, strife, and violence will be the unavoidable outcome. More information available here.

New Book: The Immigration Law Death Penalty

In immigration courts across America, a non-citizen convicted of an “aggravated felony” will almost certainly face deportation with no access to asylum. However, despite the ominous-sounding name, aggravated felonies need not be either “aggravated” or “felonies.” The term encompasses more than thirty offenses, ranging from check fraud and shoplifting to filing a false tax return. The recent expansion in the list of such offenses has resulted in astronomical rates of deportation. More information available here.

New Book: Migrant Protest and Democratic States of Exception

This book examines two types of migrant protest occurring in a sovereign context: faith-based sanctuary and self-harming protests of migrant detainees in US and Australian detention centers. Migrant protests create “democratic states of exception” as they exercise forms of counter-sovereignty. They offer a model of post-national politics aligned with human rights, exploding the primacy of the nation-state in understanding rights. More information available here.

New Book: Algerian Women Women and Disaporic Experience

This book uses the narratives of women who fled Algeria in the 1990s—known as the ‘Black Decade’—to offer a more intimate understanding of the violence women face in times of conflict. More information available here.

New Book: Trafficking in Antiblackness

In Trafficking in Antiblackness Lyndsey P. Beutin analyzes how campaigns to end human trafficking—often described as “modern-day slavery”—invoke the memory of transatlantic slavery to support positions ultimately grounded in antiblackness. Drawing on contemporary antitrafficking visual culture and media discourse, she shows how a constellation of media, philanthropic, NGO, and government actors invested in ending human trafficking repurpose the history of transatlantic slavery and abolition in ways that undermine contemporary struggles for racial justice and slavery reparations. More information available here. 

New Book: Asylum and Extraction in the Republic of Nauru

Asylum and Extraction in the Republic of Nauru provides an extraordinary glimpse into the remote and difficult-to-access island of Nauru, exploring the realities of Nauru’s offshore asylum arrangement and its impact on islanders, workforces, and migrant populations. More information available here.

New Book: Refugees – Towards a Politics of Responsibility

Nathan Bell argues for nothing less than a new concept of the political: that societies (liberal or not, in the mode of the sovereign state or some other form) embrace an ethos of responsibility for others, where the right to seek asylum becomes foundational for politics itself. Such a proposal is at the antipodes of Schmitt’s friend-enemy distinction, such that hospitality and not hostility forms the basis of political decision-making. More information available here.

New Book: Escape from Manus Prison

The awe-inspiring story of the only person to successfully escape Australia’s notorious offshore detention centre–and his long search for freedom. In 2013 Jaivet Ealom fled Myanmar’s brutal regime, where Rohingya like him were being persecuted and killed, and boarded a boat of asylum seekers bound for Australia. Instead of finding refuge, he was transported to Australia’s infamous Manus Regional Processing Centre. More information available here.

New Book: Displacement Governance and the Illusion of Integration

There is a poetic convergence between the struggles of people on the move and people in the peripheries of power, as they may collectively envision alternative forms of coexistence and fight together for fundamental rights and a dignified life. The emergence of fresh perspectives on solidarity from local communities across the board can become the driving force behind a transformative movement of the people. Examples of small yet impactful acts of solidarity in the northern Mediterranean region illustrate how migration fuels social change, leading to the alteration of established norms. These examples further challenge the dominant populist narrative of migration, and integration into mainstream society as the only viable solution. More information available here.

New Book: Beyond Homelessness

In Beyond Homelessness, Steven Bouma-Prediger and Brian Walsh explore the relationship between socioeconomic, ecological, and cultural homelessness. Bouma-Prediger and Walsh blend groundbreaking scholarship with stirring biblical meditations, while enriching their discussion with literature, music, and art. Offering practical solutions and a hope-filled vision of home, they show how to heal the deep dislocations in our society. More information available here.

New Book: Narrative Inquiry of Displacement

Narrative Inquiry of Displacement: Stories of Challenges, Change and Resilience describes a variety of displacement experiences in different cultures and contexts. The text uses narrative methodologies to share participant stories and explore the nature and effects of displacement. Each chapter examines and theorises the narrative approach used to show the link between the data collection and the story, illustrating research decisions and analysis in action. The book presents a range of displacement stories, including migration, immigration, social and political displacement. More information available here.

New Book Chapter: ‘The Enduring Impacts of Slavery: A Historical Perspective on South-South Migration’

Applying the “Global South” as a critical concept, this chapter examines the lasting impacts of the transatlantic enslavement of Black African peoples as a precursor of contemporary forms of South-South migration and associated responses, representation, and challenges. Arguing that much South-South migration is rooted in historical antecedents, the chapter also highlights the contemporary consequences of slavery for Liberia, where the return of captured and emancipated slaves led directly to the civil wars that devastated the country between 1989 and 2003, leading to significant displacement into other parts of West Africa. More information available here.

Policy Brief: Green Reintegration: Supporting Returning Migrants in Climate-Affected Communities

Climate change is affecting countries around the world, but some of its most intense impacts occur in low- and middle-income countries that have limited resources to prepare and adapt. Many of these countries also welcome back significant numbers of returned migrants. Those returning to areas where climate events and environmental degradation are negatively affecting livelihoods, the supply of safe housing, and community dynamics can find it difficult to re-establish themselves, facing challenges even beyond those typically experienced by returnees.  Access the brief here.

Policy Brief: Displacement at COP 22

Climate change is the defining challenge of our times: a challenge which interacts with and reinforces the other global megatrends such as population growth, urbanization, and growing food, water and energy insecurity. It
is a challenge which is adding to the scale and complexity of human displacement; and a challenge that has important implications for the maintenance of international peace and security. Access the brief here.

Policy Brief: Indigenous Peoples and Displacement

This paper is intended to improve the understanding of the unique risks, challenges and impacts indigenous peoples face in displacement and highlight how these communities can help achieve durable solutions. It also explains why better data on displaced indigenous peoples is essential to more inclusive responses. Access the brief here. 

Blog Post: Too Many Nerds in the Room

Sitting in our assortment of chairs, enjoying the relief of the air conditioning, with the buzz from a second breakout group on the other side of the room, our group of African and European migration researchers quickly settled into an intense conversation. On the small stage of the lecture room at International House, University of Ghana, we kept coming back to one central question: what is a theory? Relatedly, who makes theories, what can they explain, and who listens to them? The second major topic we decided to tackle was on terminologies in forced migration. Access the post here.

Blog Post: Will Asylum-seekers and Refugees in Rwanda be Mistreated?

Recently, the United Kingdom (UK) has chosen to send certain asylum-seekers to Rwanda, thereby creating the impression that they are unwelcome in its territory. A lot has been written on this topic, particularly focusing on the UK’s position and its possible violations of Refugee Law, Human Rights Law, and Anti-Trafficking Law. Access the post here.

Blog Post: Making “Makala”: A Response to the IDP Crisis in the Congo?

Since the resumption of hostilities between the M23 rebels and the loyalist forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), IDPs have faced economic crisis and food insecurity in eastern Congo. This has produced damaging environmental effects. Access the post here.

Magazine Article: Effects of land dispossession and forced migration on Indigenous peoples in North America

To date, we lack precise estimates of the extent to which Indigenous peoples in parts of North America were dispossessed of their lands and forced to migrate by colonial settlers, as well as how the lands that they were moved into compare to their original lands. Farrell et al. constructed a new dataset within the boundaries of the current-day United States and found that Indigenous land density and spread in has been reduced by nearly 99% (see the Perspective by Fixico). The lands to which they were forcibly migrated are more vulnerable to climate change and contain fewer resources. Research and policy implications of these findings are discussed. Access the article here.

YouTube: World Development Report 2023: Forced Displacement

The Center for Global Development, Refugees International, and the World Bank Group invite you to join us for a series of panels to launch the World Development Report 2023: Migrants, Refugees, & Societies at the Birdsall Conference Center. Access the podcast here.

Podcast: World of Migration

This podcast, launched in connection with MPI’s 20th Anniversary, explores these and other issues with top thinkers in the field, from MPI and beyond. Access the podcast here.

Podcast: You Have Been Told a Lie

The Tamil asylum seeker family from Biloela — you may think you know their whole story, but You Have Been Told A Lie. Access the podcast here.

Podcast: Borders and Belonging

What’s the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking? Did migration myths drive the 2016 Brexit vote? Do border walls stop migration? Access the podcast here.

Documentary Film: Displaced

Displaced is a heartbreaking story about the Kovalchuk family, who were among the first refugees to arrive in America after fleeing Ukraine at the start of the Russian invasion. The film follows three generations of the close-knit family through their first days and weeks in Southern California after traveling through six countries and two continents. More information available here.

Documentary Film: Who You Were Yesterday

Who You Were Yesterday follows the incredible journey of four young people as they uproot their lives and move from Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi to Canada to pursue their post-secondary education. More information available here.

IN THE NEWS

City News, Indigenous women further endangered by East Hastings forced displacement: women’s groups (11 April 2023)

Toronto Star, Why do Roma living in Europe flee to Canada? Is life that bad there? (16 April 2023)

Migration + Tech Monitor, Fellowship Awardees (20 April 2023)

Reliefweb, Living with climate change, conflict and displacement (25 April 2023)

Toronto Star, Late-night texts, secret jobs, constant fear: Inside an undocumented worker’s life in the shadows and a new federal program that could change her life (23 May 2023).

Al Jazeera, Record 110 million people worldwide displaced: UN refugee agency (14 June 2023)

Boston Globe, Titan rescue efforts raise questions about whether migrants’ lives are also worth saving (23 June 2023)

New York Times, Canada Is Ravaged by Fire. No One Has Paid More Dearly Than Indigenous People (29 July 2023)

The Guardian, More than 1m acres of Indigenous land flooded by dams, new study finds (29 August 2023)

IOM, US-Mexico border world’s deadliest migration land route (12 September 2023)

The Conversation, Multiculturalism has failed, says Braverman in refugee speech (26 September 2023)

Africa News, Floods in eastern Libya displaced over 16,000 children – UNICEF (28 September 2023)

SEND US YOUR NEWS AND EVENTS

Displaced Peoples (CRN11) newsletter is published quarterly.  The newsletter is a venue for sharing information regarding displaced peoples, broadly defined. Your contribution to the newsletter is crucial to its sustenance, success and quality. To contribute to the newsletter, please contact Veronica Fynn Bruey and Steven Bender: vfynnbruey@athabascau.ca and benders@seattleu.edu. To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit CRN 11 Displaced Peoples.