Christian Outreach's Community Services programme in the Ngara camps for Rwandan refugees focuses on supporting the refugee population in looking after vulnerable groups, encouraging community organisation and serving the varied needs of the camp. [See article by Richard Reynolds in RPN 18, p246.]
The programme is now under threat. While UNHCR in Ngara has been very supportive, it appears that there is some debate at Geneva level as to its usefulness; the programme may be closed or drastically reduced. One criticism expressed is that it discourages repatriation since it supports the maintenance of 'comfortable living conditions' for refugees in Tanzania, thereby hindering repatriation. If the conditions in the camps are made as difficult as possible, then the refugees will 'voluntarily' return. This view is worrying in its lack of grasp of what repatriation involves and certainly raises concerns regarding the search for a long term solution to the Rwandan situation.
Repatriation involves a conscious choice by refugees to return to their country. Evidence indicates that there needs to be the right conditions in the refugees' country of origin and also the ability on the part of the refugees to make the decision to return.
While the decision to become a refugee is often made suddenly, in fear, and corporately, the decision to return has to be made slowly and often alone. The approach of Christian Outreach is to support a large number of community groups and initiatives; while these often have specific purposes (eg care of the elderly), they also enable groups of refugees to meet and discuss. If the conditions for repatriation do improve, the refugees will be more able to make the difficult decision to move from the certain to the unknown. In contrast, the neglect of such community groups leaves refugees alone or dependent upon the political groupings within the camps and upon the NGOs.
Secondly, the approach adopted by Christian Outreach incorporates the idea of development. A development philosophy, as opposed to relief mentality, can ensure that the communities within the camp population can develop themselves and their capacities, both for the duration of their time in the camp, dealing with the many vulnerabilities they suffer, but also for the future when they have repatriated. Strong, selfsupporting and selfrespecting communities, where participation by all levels of the population has been developed, will be of positive influence on their return to their country of origin.
Having been involved with the Community Services programme from the beginning, we had a sense of excitement that UNHCR was adopting a more developmental approach to emergency situations. However, the recent debate suggests that UNHCR is reverting to a more short term and financially expedient approach. UNHCR seeks to protect the rights of refugees and in our view one of the fundamental rights is the freedom to choose.
This is an excerpt from a longer article entitled 'Should community services be cut?' by Dr Richard Reynolds (Country Director) and Pete BaynardSmith (Community Services Coordinator) of Christian Outreach in Ngara, Tanzania. Views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Christian Outreach. Dr Reynolds has also coauthored another paper, entitled 'Development in a refugee situation: Musuhura Hill Rwandan refugee camp one year on', as a followup to his article in RPN 18; this paper focuses on the impact of the community services programme on the refugees' dignity and the implications, economically and strategically, for the participation of more refugees during the emergency and maintenance stages of a refugee camp.
Contact: Dr Richard Reynolds, Christian Outreach, PO Box 164, Ngara, Tanzania. Or via email c/o Pete BaynardSmith: pbs@tearfund.dircon.co.uk
October 1996