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President’s Corner: A New Perspective
Wed, 09/29/2010 - 09:22As the new president of Refugees International (RI), I am excited to be leading RI at such a pivotal time. I am well aware of the substantial challenges we face in seeking solutions to the world’s refugee crises. But with our talented staff, committed Board of Directors and engaged supporters, I know we can overcome these obstacles.
Obama’s Speech to the UN General Assembly: Where is the Humanitarian Agenda?
Fri, 09/24/2010 - 13:13
In listening to President Obama’s second speech to the United Nations General Assembly, I am reminded what a big job Refugees International has ahead of it. Overall the President’s speech was a good one. It touched on many policy priorities for the US—the global war on terror, Iraq, Afghanistan, weapons of mass destruction, human rights and democracy. The bulk of the speech centered on recommitting the US to finding a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Haiti: Don’t forget the rest of the country
Fri, 09/17/2010 - 09:33
After spending time last week visiting the squalid and miserable camps in Port-au-Prince and witnessing the level of destruction caused by the quake in the Haitian capital, it’s easy to see how the international community has had difficulty looking beyond the crisis in the capital. But this is a short-sighted approach.
Haiti: Emergency Paralysis
Mon, 09/13/2010 - 16:24by: Emilie Parry
I have just returned from Haiti, having conducted Refugees International’s second field assessment of the humanitarian response and related protection issues with my colleague Melanie Teff, eight months following the shattering January 12, 2010 earthquake. The resounding take-away is that the people of Haiti are caught up in a protracted state of emergency. In the way that a spinal cord injury’s paralysis leads to bedsores, atrophy, and skin rot in the patient, the humanitarian response in Haiti feels paralyzed. The local community networks and linkages are atrophying, the spontaneous camps are developing bedsores, and the momentum, the window of opportunity within this emergency, may now be turning to rot.
Make it a Fair Fight- Establish Better Early Warning Systems
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 12:46As the heinous details of the attack on a village in Livungu in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to unfold, it is quite natural for one to ask themselves, “Who is at fault?” “What more could have been done?” “ Why didn’t the peacekeepers prevent this?” Pointing fingers is usually the most immediate and emotional response to a tragedy of this scale, but at the end of the day, only the perpetrators should be blamed. However, there is one question that I heard after the news broke, that I will never forget. “When will there be a fair fight?”
Dominican Republic: Where citizenship is a game of chance
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 10:16
The Dominican government has been rightly praised for its impressive response to the earthquake in neighboring Haiti. But less attention has been given recently to its own policies regarding people in the Dominican population who have Haitian ancestry. Two weeks after the quake, the Dominican Republic changed its constitution, and took away “birthright citizenship,” where if you are born in the country you are automatically granted citizenship.
