reimagining refugee futures From Exclusion to Inclusion reimagining refugee futures 1

Transcription

1 reimagining refugee futures From Exclusion to Inclusion reimagining refugee futures 1

2 10 years & 30,000 stories The global refugee crisis has captured the world s attention. It is clear that the international community needs new, innovative and collaborative ways to address this crisis and prevent ongoing tragedies. Since 2005, RefugePoint has worked to provide lasting solutions for the world s most at-risk refugees. In Africa, our team has helped over 30,000 refugees to access resettlement and self-reliance opportunities. We have learned from each of them, and their stories inspire us to be bold and creative in our work. RefugePoint is at a pivotal moment. Our many years of experience protecting refugees have positioned us to push the humanitarian field to do better work and have greater impact. In the coming years, we will reach more refugees in an increasing number of locations and build new and stronger partnerships to achieve our goals. We envision a future in which the most at-risk refugees can access safety and pathways to self-reliance, no matter where they are. We invite you to help us move faster toward this vision. Together we will help people facing crisis and displacement to build stronger lives. Join us. Imagine with us. Innovate with us. Sasha Chanoff Founder and Executive Director 2 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 3

3 mounting global crisis As of 2015, there were 60 million forcibly displaced people, more than at any point on record. Refugees are often stuck for generations in a double exile, first from their home countries by war and then again within the country to which they have fled, where policies often prevent local integration. A disastrous formula has emerged as refugee numbers rise. Funding for basic needs like food and shelter cannot keep pace. Opportunities for displaced people disappear. Xenophobia and antirefugee sentiment increase. A growing sense of helplessness pervades a concerned public. The response in the humanitarian system has changed little a pattern of reliance on camps and temporary relief without creating pathways for refugees to contribute to society. Refugees are excluded from development opportunities and typically do not have access to the basic services of their host country, such as health, education, employment and a social safety net. This unprecedented waste of human potential comes at a price to the global community both moral and economic. Refugees with the direst needs, including orphans, separated minors, survivors of torture, and members of the LGBTI community, sometimes simply disappear. They are often pursued and attacked, face gender-based violence, are sold into marriage, trafficked, or forced into dangerous journeys in search of safety. Despite these hard realities, we know there is much that can be done to help. We know what a person who is no longer a refugee looks like. They are our friends, neighbors and fellow students. We know we must do all we can as a community to create these bright futures. There is a gap between the terrible stories we know are true for at-risk refugees and the stories we know are true for refugees who have been helped to resettle and create stable lives. We are devoted to bridging this tragic gap. With your help, we will improve lives that were brutally disrupted and help refugees find their way back on the path to whole, dignified lives. We need to hear former refugees talk about what it is like to be a refugee for 15, 20, or more years. And we need to recognize that 60 million people around the world are in that situation, and that something has to be done about this. -Alexander Aleinikoff (Deputy High Commissioner, UNHCR) 4 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 5

4 what we do RefugePoint provides lasting solutions for the world s most at-risk refugees. We identify and protect those who have fallen through the cracks of humanitarian assistance and have no other options for survival. Through our programs, we help refugees to find pathways out of peril and isolation. An emphasis on serving refugee children underpins all our work, as they tend to be the most at-risk in refugee populations. refugepoint program pillars 1) Resettlement to a safe country Our aim is to reach at-risk refugees regardless of where they flee. We are considered experts in finding and referring refugees for the lasting solution of resettlement. We deploy staff across the African continent to meet face to face with refugees in remote and dangerous locations. We share our expertise by providing training to the UN Refugee Agency and NGO staff to identify and refer refugees for resettlement. We work with governments to expand resettlement to locations and populations that are overlooked or underserved. And we work to catalyze partnerships between the UN Refugee Agency, NGOs and governments that strengthen resettlement. 2) Long-term stabilization in host countries Given the right support, many people who are at risk can rebuild their lives in their host countries. In Nairobi, home to our regional hub, we interact directly with the community to identify the most at-risk refugees and to assess their needs. We offer a range of holistic supports that ultimately enable people to become self-reliant, rather than helpless and dependent. These supports help children to access education, provide critical health and psychological services to many who have experienced trauma, and facilitate livelihoods through small business development. 6 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 7

5 at-risk children Refugee children now often spend their entire childhood waiting for relief from dangerous situations with little chance for education and productive lives. Among the greatest capacity gaps in refugee protection are the staff and expertise to conduct Best Interest Determinations (BIDs) for at-risk children. These Determinations are essential for moving forward with any services or solutions for a child who is orphaned or separated from family. BIDs are very intensive individual assessments regarding a child s care arrangements, needs and future options. Akin to making a custody determination in a civil court, these Determinations enable a child to access resettlement programs and foster care arrangements. In the absence of capacity to conduct these Determinations, children must wait until they are 18 to become eligible for any solutions. Though often the most at-risk, children are paradoxically often the last to receive solutions, and that is why it is critical that we increase capacity to conduct BIDs. Refugee children are too often left for last. -Sasha Chanoff (Founder and Executive Director, RefugePoint) 8 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 9

6 how we work innovative Our impact extends far beyond those we serve directly because our fieldwork builds a body of knowledge that we use to influence policy and practice. We do not grow for the sake of growth. Instead we have a nimble approach that enables us to continuously pilot new methods, monitor impact, iterate and improve. holistic Typically, the UN and governments provide funding to NGOs to support one particular service for refugees, such as health, education or child protection. Our approach is different. We rely on private funding to provide a range of holistic services and supports that focus on the ultimate outcome of self-reliance. privately funded Rather than competing for limited government funding, we build philanthropic partnerships that bring new resources to our field. What private, independent funds do that government money rarely does is drive innovation questioning existing methodologies, developing and testing new practices, and scaling those practices by helping others to replicate them. 10 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 11

7 our impact since ,000 Refugees reached annually through our Nairobi refugee Community Volunteer Worker program. 29,654 Refugees referred for resettlement. 3,287 Best Interest Determinations conducted for unaccompanied/ separated refugee children in 16 countries. 6,000 Refugees in Nairobi provided with stabilization services and self-reliance opportunities. 1,100 Partner staff from across Africa trained in resettlement and child protection. 48 Locations across Africa where we have worked, spread throughout 20 countries (highlighted here in orange, and listed below). 2005: 20% 2014: 38% Helped extend geographic reach of resettlement from 20% of African host countries in 2005 to 38% in : 20 countries Expanded the number of countries we work in from 1 country in 2005 to 20 countries by : 1 country Angola Botswana Burundi Chad Cote d Ivoire DRC Egypt Ethiopia Kenya Liberia Malawi Mozambique Namibia Rwanda South Africa Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe 12 reimagining refugee futures

8 why now Our world faces its biggest refugee crisis yet, burdened by new exoduses while simultaneously sustaining millions of refugees who have been exiled for decades. Yet there is also unprecedented opportunity to transform lives and improve the humanitarian system. There is momentum today that has never before existed in our collective moral conscience to act and work differently. Continuing with the usual approaches to these problems is simply no longer an option. 60 worldwide displacement is at an all-time high 59.5 the time is now to: Increase numbers of resettlement referrals for at-risk refugees and spread referrals across more locations in Africa. No matter where refugees flee, those most at-risk should have access to the life-saving solution of resettlement. Create self-reliance opportunities for refugees and include them in the services and economy of the communities where they live today. Protect more children by hiring more staff and training more partners to conduct the required Best Interest Determinations for orphaned and unaccompanied children at risk, without which they are ineligible for any services or solutions. Improve UNHCR and partner capacity to identify and refer at-risk refugees for resettlement. Millions of Displaced People Year reimagining refugee futures 15

9 the plan RefugePoint s plan for impact calls for reaching more at-risk refugees in more locations and influencing system-wide responses to refugees globally over the next three years. The following are illustrative examples of our goals for resettlement and child protection Increase our privately funded resettlement and child protection deployments targeted to underserved locations and populations to reach 25% of our grantfunded deployments. Build the capacity of UNHCR and other NGOs to refer refugees for resettlement and conduct BIDs by hosting trainings for at least 500 partner staff per year and by creating an intensive technical assistance program for a few promising NGO partners. Help guide and inform systems-wide allocation of resettlement resources and pipeline planning. Through all of the above, increase both the volume and geographic reach of resettlement, bringing equitable access to resettlement up to 50% of host countries in Africa (from 20% in 2005 and 38% in 2014). stabilization and self-reliance Ensure that vulnerable refugees in Nairobi are stabilized and become self-reliant. By 2018, at least 90% of core clients are stabilized within 6 months of enrollment, and at least 50% of clients graduate to self-reliance within 24 months. Refine, implement and document our holistic service model in Nairobi (reinforce livelihoods and other programming, validate impact measurement tools, share promising practices). Foster at least two new partnerships to mainstream refugees into existing sector-based services and initiatives (education, health, livelihoods etc.). Expand Community Volunteer Worker program; enhance surveillance and data collection to support identification of clients and refugee-centered programming. field-building Create strategic positions in Geneva and Nairobi to more effectively influence systems and share innovations with the UN Refugee Agency, governments and other key actors. Maintain thought-leadership role through key relationships with UN and government decisionmakers. Reinforce internal monitoring and evaluation systems to track impact, improve programs and disseminate best practices. Expand communications strategies to influence the framing and visibility of refugee issues globally (e.g., help shape and inform mass media campaigns). Host learning exchanges with peer NGOs and UNHCR to share best practices. 16 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 17

10 how you can help We invite you to support our growth for the next three years. With your help, we will achieve the goals we have outlined in our plan. Your support will fuel innovations that will change the way the world views, engages with and ultimately embraces refugees in every corner of the globe. As we expand access to resettlement to more locations and continue to improve our direct services in Nairobi, we ensure that refugees have pathways to self-reliance and stabilization no matter where they are. Your private investments are the critical factor that will enable us to innovate in our field and create lasting solutions for refugees in Africa and beyond. join us if your vision of a just world includes: Access to healthcare and education for all Protection and empowerment of women and girls Dignified livelihoods and self-determination for all Children raised in safe, nurturing environments Enjoyment of basic human rights regardless of nationality refugepoint has been recognized for its impact and innovation by: To learn more about how to get involved or donate: Call: refugepoint has been featured by: 18 reimagining refugee futures reimagining refugee futures 19

11 To learn more about RefugePoint and ways to give: Call: RefugePoint 689 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA Photos: Nancy Farese on behalf of RefugePoint (cover, pages 4, 7, 17. Amy Toensing on behalf of RefugePoint (pages 2, 9, 11, 19, 20). Design by Alexis Brooke Felder. 20 reimagining refugee futures