PAST EVENT
Friday, November 14, 2008
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
With escalating tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more than 200,000 displaced civilians are living in camps seeking refuge from the violence. Given the ever-worsening situation in the DRC, what are the options to prevent a humanitarian disaster? Will the international community organize an effective international response? On November 14, the Brookings Institution will host a discussion on the crisis in Congo. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 30, 2008, The Irish Times
Ten years after the UN defined legal rights for them, internally displaced people - refugees in their own countries - remain a neglected global responsibility. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alex Mundt and Elizabeth Ferris, October 28, 2008, Enhancing Protection of Civilians in Protracted Conflicts, ARC/Austcare Symposium
Though there are important similarities in the impact of prolonged displacement on the lives of IDPs and refugees, there are also significant differences in their situations -- particularly when it comes to solutions. While return is often the desired solution for both IDPs and political actors, Alex Mundt and Elizabeth Ferris argue that local integration and return should not be seen as mutually exclusive alternatives, as they can encourage IDPs to build new lives elsewhere without having to give up the possibility of an eventual return. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 27, 2008, United Nations General Assembly, Third Commitee
Despite important achievements, people continue to be displaced and their rights continue to be violated. Millions of internally displaced persons continue to languish in protracted situations. Humanitarian access in particular to persons displaced during armed conflicts is often not possible. While we should indeed be proud of the improvements since the adoption of the Guiding Principles, much remains to be done. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 16, 2008, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
Forced displacement is not just a passing event in people's lives. It is a devastating transformation that shatters lives. In order to protect the rights of the displaced, through all phases of displacement, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were drafted and adopted by the United Nations. Today, ten years later, they are as relevant as ever in protecting those displaced by conflict, natural disasters and development projects. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Carlos Pascual, October 16, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Sixty years ago the international community responded to the needs of those crossing national borders because of persecution and conflict by adopting a convention on refugees and creating a UN refugee agency; however, the fate of those displaced within their countries' borders was largely ignored. In an effort to address this gap in the international humanitarian system, the Brookings Project on Internal Displacement took on the task of developing basic standards for the treatment of internally displaced persons. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
October 2008, The Brookings Institution
Currently an estimated 26 million men, women and children have been displaced within their countries' borders because of conflict, with even larger numbers displaced by natural disasters and development projects. While this is a global phenomenon, responsibility rests with national governments. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 10, 2008, United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee Group on Climate Change
Most causes of displacement triggered by climate change, such as flooding, hurricanes, desertification or even the "sinking" of stretches of land, are not new. However, their frequency and magnitude are likely to increase. The challenge is to better analyze these causes of displacement, to identify the areas where the effects of climate change are most likely to occur and to examine the character of forced displacement and other population movemetns they could trigger. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
October 2008, The Brookings Institution
The importance of engaging directly with populations affected by poverty, conflict and disaster is a common theme in the literature on humanitarian aid, development and peacebuilding. However, despite the many documented benefits, consultation with and participation by affected populations -- including IDPs -- remains limited. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, October 02, 2008, The Brookings Institution
Provincial elections are an important step toward national reconciliation in Iraq, but steps must be taken to ensure that the displaced— both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)— are able to participate. Despite the passage of the provincial elections law, there are no provisions for Iraqis living outside the country to vote, meaning that close to 10% of Iraq's populatioin will be disenfranchised, with serious consequences for the legitimacy of the elections. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, September 26, 2008, Searching for Peace and Justice in Sudan: The Role of the International Criminal Court
At first glance, the reaction of humanitarian actors on the ground in Darfur to potential indictments of the Sudanese president Omar Bashir seems pretty obvious. Darfur's 2.5 million internally displaced people, the 4.2 million in need of food assistnace and the 17,000 or so humanitarian workers would make easy targets for an angry Sudanese government. But like everything in Darfur, Elizabeth Ferris explains, the situation is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, September 23, 2008, National Consultation on IDPs and Durable Solutions, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Arbitrary displacement as a consequence of violence or threats thereof, ethnic persecution or cleansing, as well as displacement as a consequence of natural disasters, is not just a passing event in peoples' lives. Rather, displacement means that, from one day to the next, families lose their homes and livelihoods, leaving behind all they had cherished, shattering lives. In responding to displacement situations, it is necessary to look for long-term, durable solutions for all groups of displaced persons, rather than focusing on one specific group. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, September 2008, The Brookings Institution
When those working with IDPs develop programs and policies without taking the time to listen to those most affected — the IDPs themselves — plans often go wrong. In order to ensure their needs not only are met but also that lasting solutions are found for their displacement, Roberta Cohen explains that it is critical to listen to the voices of IDPs. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, August 2008, Viewpoints
Most of those writing about future scenarios for Iraq rarely mention the fate of the five million displaced Iraqis, but when they do, they seem to assume that once security and political progress in Iraq are achieved, the refugees and interanlly displaced persons (IDPs) will return to their communities and life will go on. Unfortunately, even in the best of political scenarios, it is unlikely to be so straightforward. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, Fall 2008, American University International Law Review, Vol. 24, Issue 2
Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are hardly a new phenomenon for Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, forced displacement was a deliberate state policy and a tool used to subdue recalcitrant populations and punish political opponents. The U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, far from resolving the problem however, made it worse. The ensuing sectarian violence and armed conflict increased the number of those forced to flee their homes. For these 4.7 million Iraqis, assistance has remained difficult to find. A combination of national and international steps need to be taken. Read More