I, Bahati Kanyamanza, have been a refugee for 22 years. When I came of age in a refugee camp in Uganda, I wondered whether the State of Uganda or the State of my birth – the Democratic Republic of Congo…
In December 2019, UNHCR convened the first ever Global Refugee Forum (GRF), bringing together over 3,000 participants to consider new approaches to addressing refugee protection and solutions globally. One of the most celebrated aspects of the Forum was the novel…
Increasingly, global actors recognise that those with lived experience of forced displacement and their host community allies are sustainably and cost-effectively driving holistic, community-driven solutions in refugee-hosting communities. However, those with lived experience and their allies are too often excluded…
Insufficient attention to language barriers systematically excludes many marginalised groups[1] from decision-making, essential services and monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) frameworks. Displaced people who do not speak or understand the majority languages used in their host communities are less…
Researchers, humanitarian and NGO workers, UN agencies and refugee-hosting governments alike increasingly acknowledge the practical and ethical imperatives to meaningfully consult displaced populations.[1] Many of these stakeholders have made significant efforts to expand refugees’ participatory access through adopting and implementing…
“He’s with me.” Those words were uttered by Tracey, a white researcher, to enable Musa, a Hazara refugee, to enter the UNHCR building in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a scheduled meeting. As Tracey sat inside waiting for Musa, she watched him…
In formulating, designing and implementing policy, practice, and research related to displaced populations, the perspectives of refugees are seldom reflected or prioritised. Instead, the agendas and voices of those with power or those who provide financial funding are put first.…
Over the past five years, Northern institutions have committed in increasingly visible ways to support refugee-led research. Private foundations work to cultivate refugee scholars through flexible academic programming and fellowships.[1] Bilateral institutions use targeted funding calls to amplify the voices…
This article draws on ten in-depth interviews conducted with academics based in Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Peru and the Dominican Republic who are currently conducting research related to the Venezuelan displacement crisis.[1] All interviews were conducted remotely, in Spanish, in January…
Refugee narratives have flourished in recent years both in the media and in academia.[1] Many of these efforts illustrate ways that refugees have begun reclaiming their voice and agency through different narrative forms, with increasing control over their storytelling. Yet…