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Khartoum's Deadly Game
February 03, 2012 Peter Orr Africa, South Sudan, Sudan

This blog post originally appeared at ThinkProgress Security as a guest post.

“More Than Opportunistic”: Rape as a Tool of War in Burma
February 01, 2012 Kristen Cordell Burma, Asia, Women & Children

News 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.
Letter to the White House in Advance of President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address
January 24, 2012 Michel Gabaudan Ethiopia - Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, U.S. Administration


Barack H. Obama
President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.  20500

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of Refugees International, I write to highlight the ongoing displacement crisis in the Horn of Africa and urge you, in your upcoming State of the Union Address, to showcase U.S. leadership on this issue and the need for sustained, high-level attention to the plight of those impacted by drought and famine.
AMISOM: Changing the Mission to Reflect Somalia’s New Reality
January 23, 2012 Erin Weir Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Protection & Security
It was six months ago that famine was declared in Somalia. The steady flow of refugees already fleeing conflict was joined by a torrent of new asylum seekers – people fleeing because of hunger and looking for a more hopeful place in which to re-build their lives.  During the past six months, hundreds of thousands of people made their way to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, and aid organizations scrambled to ramp up their operations in order to serve these new arrivals.
“Only God Is Watching Over Us Now”
January 20, 2012 Hollyn Hammond Haiti, Americas

What is going on in Haiti two years after an earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince? Last week, I met Evans in an IDP camp in the Petionville neighborhood of Haiti’s capital city. A ten-year-old who is relatively small for his age but bouncing with energy, Evans is like most young boys surviving in Port-au-Prince. He is street smart, looks out for his mother and sisters, and had his life changed forever on January 12, 2010. What makes Evans different from the other boys? He speaks English, a rare skill even for adults in Haiti.

Amazingly, a Dysfunctional Congress Delivers
January 18, 2012 Marc Hanson Africa, Burma, Colombia, Congress, DR Congo, South Sudan, Americas, Asia, Middle East, Protection & Security

This week, the Washington Post published a poll showing that the U.S. Congress has set a new record for disapproval. A whopping 84 percent of Americans do not approve of the way Congress is doing its job. Media coverage of the House and Senate highlights the brinksmanship and polarized politicking that seems to surround every piece of legislation – and now, even routine nominations and confirmations.

Gaining a Nation, Losing a Nationality
January 17, 2012 Sarnata Reynolds Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Statelessness

Just as the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) officially gained nationhood six months ago, hundreds of thousands of southern Sudanese were losing their nationality. 

While independence was being celebrated in Juba, the government in Khartoum was busy declaring that anyone with family ties to the new country would no longer be Sudanese. They would be stripped of the only nationality they had ever held.

Kuwait Defies Calls to Respect Stateless Protesters
January 13, 2012 Michael Boyce Kuwait, Middle East, Statelessness

Yesterday, RI warned that stateless protesters in Kuwait faced a renewed threat of violence from the country's security forces. In our statement, we explained that:

Burma: Unraveling the Paradox
January 11, 2012 Lynn Yoshikawa Burma, Asia

This blog post originally appeared on The Hill's Congress Blog.

Traveling in Burma last month, it wasn’t hard to see that things really are changing in this beautiful but troubled country.

Stemming Ethnic Violence in South Sudan
January 09, 2012 Peter Orr Africa, South Sudan

This blog post originally appeared at UN Dispatch as a special guest post.

Building on the Success of 2011
January 03, 2012 Michael Boyce Afghanistan, Africa, Colombia, DR Congo, Iraq, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Americas, Asia, Middle East, About RI

Happy New Year, from all of us at Refugees International! Before we start tackling the challenges of 2012 – and there will be many – we bring you a brief wrap-up of all things RI from the year gone by.

First, "RI in 2011: By the Numbers":

Why Education Could Keep Burma's Reforms on Track
December 22, 2011 Kristen Cordell Burma, Asia

“….and that building, that was Yangon University,” our host said, pointing to a massive, empty, and abandoned building. He went on to tell us that following the country’s 1988 coup, Burma’s military rulers began to see universities and their students as the major source of political unrest. As a result, they introduced a “distance learning” system to keep students from congregating, protesting…and in the end, learning. This approach has been devastating for the country’s growth and development.

A Day They Thought Would Never Come
December 20, 2011 Kristen Cordell Protection & Security, Women & Children

“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

Kuwait Punishes Bidoun for Demanding Their Rights
December 19, 2011 Michael Boyce

In recent days, the stateless bidoun of Kuwait have taken to the streets to demand the restoration of their citizenship. The Kuwaiti government, however, has responded by crushing their protests.
Remembering a Great Humanitarian
December 14, 2011 Michael Boyce

Today on the blog, we're pleased to bring you a guest post by Ann Blackman: friend of Refugees International and author of a new book on Julia Taft, the great humanitarian and public servant. We also encourage you to follow Ann on Twitter at @offtosaveworld.

 

16 Days: Congress Joins the Campaign
December 12, 2011 Marc Hanson Congress, Women & Children

As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence drew to a close last week, we were proud to see two members of Congress - one a Republican, one a Democrat - raise their voices on this vital issue.

The first, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) told the House of Representatives, "My grandmother used to tell me that you never hurt somebody you claim you love. As the leader of the free world, it is critical that the United States promotes this simple truth throughout this country and other countries."

16 Days: To End Violence Against Women, Enlist the Men
December 09, 2011 Michel Gabaudan Afghanistan, Africa, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Americas, Asia, Middle East, Women & Children

For the last two weeks, my colleagues have reflected on global efforts to combat violence against women and girls, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. Today, I want to examine a vital and practical solution to the problem of gender violence: the engagement of men and boys. 

16 Days: A Women Alone
December 09, 2011 Dawn Calabia Iraq, Syria, Middle East, Women & Children

For Americans living comfortably and securely, the life of a refugee seeking safety and survival is hard to imagine. Conflict, persecution, abuse, and threats force a refugee to flee, leaving behind their home and possessions, their friends, their community, and often their family.

They flee without knowing if they will be able to return to their loved ones and communities, or if they will be accepted somewhere they can be safe. Social and gender discrimination often makes women’s search for safety even more difficult.

16 Days: Hope and Fear in a New Burma
December 07, 2011 Lynn Yoshikawa Burma, Asia, Women & Children

As I write this in the Burmese capital of Yangon, the city is still buzzing from last week’s historic visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Despite the hope and excitement her trip brought to this isolated country, fear and impunity persists in Burma’s conflict zones. The latest region to erupt into conflict is the northern border state of Kachin, where my colleague and I traveled last week.

16 Days: In Libya, the Fight Continues - for Women's Rights
December 06, 2011 Matt Pennington Africa, Libya, Middle East, Women & Children

Much has transpired in Libya since I left the country several weeks ago. On October 31, Libya’s de facto government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), appointed an interim prime minister, Abdurrahim el-Keib. Keib, a Libyan-American, will be responsible for leading the country for the next seven months, until elections for a national congress are held.