sign up
Syria: What If They Can Never Go Home?
Fri, 04/20/2012 - 14:37A coworker here at RI was recently talking about the emotional impact of being a refugee. There is of course the psychological trauma sparked by conflict or disaster, the fear and uncertainty about how to survive, and often depression or anxiety about the family, friends, or opportunities left behind. But this coworker also mentioned the emotional strength that’s required to face the future as a refugee.
In DRC, Host Families on the Front Line
Thu, 03/22/2012 - 16:37Last week, my colleague Erin Weir and I travelled to Kalehe territory in South Kivu. In the village of Kambali, we spoke to host families and displaced people who fled fighting in January between two armed groups: the Raia Mutomboki and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
A Life in the DRC – Madeleine’s Story
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 13:54This post originally appeared on The Hill's Congress Blog.
Driving from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo, I prepare myself for certain things. I know I will be confronted with extreme poverty. I know I will meet people who are facing hardships that would be unendurable to many. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the incredible beauty of the country.
"Everyone Is Listening to the Boys With the Guns"
Thu, 03/15/2012 - 14:58Stability in Libya depends on the ability of the National Transitional Council (NTC) and its international partners to effectively demobilize thousands of young men and women who participated in the armed revolution.
Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) processes are one of the earliest and most important steps in any successful transition towards peace. But such processes have to be inclusive, bringing together not only men but also female fighters and women who helped combatants in the field.
Eight in Ten
Mon, 03/05/2012 - 13:15The first Syrian family we met in northern Lebanon included 18 people spanning three generations. The matriarch was probably no more than 60 years old, and the youngest member was a baby of 42 days.
We sat with the family for more than an hour, asking them about their experiences in Syria and as refugees, and we asked what they needed. The new mother almost immediately said that she needed baby formula. The other women nodded in agreement, adding that they also needed fresh fruit and vegetables, and meat.
From Canada, to Libya, to a New Libya
Thu, 03/01/2012 - 16:32Today we're proud to feature a special guest post by Alaa Murabit, founder of the Voice of Libyan Women.
Life in Lebanon for Syria's Newest Refugees
Tue, 02/21/2012 - 14:52This post originally appeared on The Hill's Congress Blog.
"I Don't Want My Young Daughter to Face the Same Situation"
Mon, 02/13/2012 - 16:43
Things are bad for the bidoun of Kuwait. They cannot work, cannot protest, cannot marry, and cannot travel. Almost all of the rights they used to enjoy have been taken away. Yet things are even worse for bidoun women, for whom these restrictions carry heavy cultural stigmas and even heavier social consequences.
“More Than Opportunistic”: Rape as a Tool of War in Burma
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 18:02News reports coming out of Burma and the border areas of Thailand detail increases in the number and severity of sexual assaults. We were in the country in late November, and the report we issued called attention to ongoing sexual and gender-based violence – and the complete lack of meaningful action by the Burmese government on this issue.
A Day They Thought Would Never Come
Tue, 12/20/2011 - 16:54“The goal is as simple as it is profound: to empower half the world’s population as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence and insecurity. Achieving this goal is critical to our national and global security.” -- The US National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security
Refugees International (RI) advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises.
We are an independent organization, and do not accept any government or UN funding.
We are an independent organization, and do not accept any government or UN funding.