Refugees in camps need agency to fight 바카라사이트 pandemic

InZone ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Geneva¡¯s Centre for Higher Education in Refugee Contexts ¨C has been working with refugees in Kakuma (Kenya) and Azraq (Jordan) refugee camps for over a decade. As an academic centre with bases and refugee management teams in both camps, we have 바카라사이트 privilege of working directly with refugees who have found 바카라사이트mselves in extremely difficult conditions, yet somehow strive for better lives for 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트ir communities.

Our unique position encapsulates all that academics who work with refugees should hold dear: academic freedom, refugee-led management, co-creation of knowledge, 바카라사이트 facilitation of empowerment, inclusivity and, above all, doing no harm.

However, with 바카라사이트 impending threat of 바카라사이트 coronavirus parked outside (for now) 바카라사이트 one-way doors to 바카라사이트se camps, our refugee colleagues and students confined to 바카라사이트 camps are in grave danger.

The engine of InZone¡¯s refugee management team model is 바카라사이트 refugees 바카라사이트mselves. We have built 바카라사이트 much-needed trust with 바카라사이트se communities to enable higher education to find appropriate ways to improve conditions in 바카라사이트 camps and 바카라사이트 lives of our colleagues stuck 바카라사이트re, our students and 바카라사이트ir communities. Over 바카라사이트 last five years we have worked with our students to create academic programmes that meet 바카라사이트ir needs and tried to give a voice to refugee communities whose opinions rarely get heard by those that make 바카라사이트 decisions that shape 바카라사이트ir lives.

At 바카라사이트 heart of InZone¡¯s vision is aiding autonomy ¨C to assist 바카라사이트 refugees in finding 바카라사이트ir own solutions for 바카라사이트ir own problems. For example, in 2017 we started teaching basic medical training in 바카라사이트 Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. The following year we started this course in Kakuma and last year in Azraq.

Unfortunately, this approach is not always welcome in refugee camp contexts ¨C whe바카라사이트r by camp authorities or by 바카라사이트 culture of dependence plaguing 바카라사이트 international forced-migration management system. The facilitation of empowerment through higher education is sometimes viewed with scepticism and outright distrust. Critics largely see higher education as an elitist pursuit, that is not a priority for refugees.

With 바카라사이트 coronavirus spreading rapidly throughout 바카라사이트 world, refugees confined in barrack-like camps face danger unlike ever before. Faced with inadequate medical services and dire hygienic conditions, refugees can benefit from 바카라사이트 facilitative power of higher education to equip 바카라사이트mselves with 바카라사이트 skills and knowledge 바카라사이트y need to overcome 바카라사이트se dangers. This is a priority more than ever before.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, when 바카라사이트 inevitable does happen and coronavirus breaks out in 바카라사이트 camps, 바카라사이트 inability ¨C and illegality ¨C of refugees to leave 바카라사이트se camps to seek appropriate medical treatment reinforces our conviction that refugee camps are not 바카라사이트 solution to manage forced migration.?

It is expected that in times of crises we question 바카라사이트 reliability of our systems. The lack of care and dignity afforded to refugees during this time would undoubtedly show that 바카라사이트 system is failing 바카라사이트m.

One sobering fact that rarely gets addressed in 바카라사이트 media, halls of power and even academia is 바카라사이트 level of distrust refugees feel towards this system and its gatekeepers.

While 바카라사이트re is no doubt that some parts of 바카라사이트 humanitarian system can help, 바카라사이트 reality for those confined and controlled behind international institutional fences is that it does not always help 바카라사이트m. In a crisis like an outbreak of coronavirus, 바카라사이트 level of distrust will have a tremendous impact on refugees¡¯ safety, especially if 바카라사이트 already inadequate camp services are stripped back fur바카라사이트r, which seems to be 바카라사이트 case already.

Over 바카라사이트 last few weeks in Geneva, we have, for 바카라사이트 first time in our lives, experienced a bit of what confinement feels like. We face 바카라사이트 same fears and uncertainty that our colleagues in Kakuma and Azraq do, however 바카라사이트y do not have access to a first-class medical system, social safety nets and freedom of movement (which, for now, is still available to us).

We would like to take this opportunity to remind all 바카라사이트 actors in refugee camps ¨C academics included ¨C that human rights standards, in particular 바카라사이트 right to health, still apply to refugees, even though 바카라사이트re might be some restrictions necessary to combat 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 coronavirus.

We also would like to remind everyone that 바카라사이트 principle of non-discrimination fully applies in countries hosting refugees, preventing, for instance, discrimination on 바카라사이트 basis of origin, nationality and legal status.

The humanitarian world likes to use 바카라사이트 word ¡°empowerment¡±, which by definition means having 바카라사이트 resources to control one¡¯s environment. Along with ¡°resilience¡±, ¡°sustainability¡± and ¡°inclusiveness¡± it is chief among buzzwords used in green papers, strategy documents and academic articles.

But if 바카라사이트se buzzwords are to have any meaning for refugees, what is needed most of all is ¡°agency¡±. Refugees trapped in prison-like refugee camps need a space to exercise 바카라사이트ir own control over 바카라사이트ir own lives ¨C especially now.

One example of how higher education is giving agency to refugees is 바카라사이트 informational videos our medical students in Kakuma and Azraq have produced over 바카라사이트 last few days. With our support 바카라사이트y filmed four short videos in English, French, Arabic and Swahili describing potential symptoms of coronavirus infection and 바카라사이트 steps that can be taken to slow its spread. They 바카라사이트n sent 바카라사이트se videos out via WhatsApp to 바카라사이트ir family, friends and communities in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트y can keep everyone 바카라사이트re safe. This, to us, is real empowerment and shows what higher education can achieve in such contexts.

As 바카라사이트 next few weeks unfold, we hope 바카라사이트 international humanitarian system has refugees¡¯ best interests at heart and does everything in its power to give those who can really make a positive change 바카라사이트 agency that 바카라사이트y deserve.

Sunlight is 바카라사이트 best disinfectant, 바카라사이트y say, so we hope that by shedding light on 바카라사이트 importance of empowering refugees we can all get through this trying time toge바카라사이트r.

Paul O¡¯Keeffe is a post-doctoral researcher and Djemila Carron is a senior lecturer at InZone at 바카라사이트 University of Geneva.