NGOs Dealing with Refugees - Example

Running Head: Non-Governmental Organization Non -Governmental Organization Name Course Lecturer Date Introduction With the tremendous increase of social issues, various bodies are being set up to assist in eradicating human suffering. This has been seen mainly in the developing countries. The Non Governmental Organizations are one of the major bodies established to assist people who are prone to hard social issues. A Non-Government Organization (NGO) may be defined as an association which is essentially based on the core interests of its individuals, members and institutions, does not have governmental function or status and it is not established by the government nor its basic agendas implemented or set by a government. Some of the functions of the NGOs include; relief and aid, development of human resources especially among the minority, addressing basic community issues at the community level for instance income generation, adult education, basic health care and agricultural production at small scale level. The NGOs do cooperate with the governments in delivering some basic services. To carry out their main mandate, the NGOs engage and recruit volunteers. Non Governmental Organization exists at different levels in the society. Some, for example contribute outstandingly to literacy at local-language. Examples of various kinds of NGOs include: those at the local levels such as savings group, churches, cultural association, language committees, farmers’ and women’s groups; at the national level, they include: churches, translation and housing organization, linguistic organization, professional groupings and other association: internationally, federations of associations, aid and developmental organization such as Red Cross, Oxfam, World Vision and Save the children, translation and linguistic organization. Irrespective of the level of operations, the NGOs are only accountable to public’s trust as most of them are funded from the donations made by the community (Hollenbach, 2008). NGOs have continued to expand their activities in the war torn countries to assist the refugees. Many people have been forced out of their homeland as a result of political or tribal wars, nationality, race and religion in their countries. This is evident in countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Viet Nam, Eritrea, Angola, Burundi and Iraq. These countries are faced with serious humanitarian issues. Most of the developed countries have set up NGOs mandated to assist the refugees in the settlement programs and basic human needs. These NGOs include: Women’s Refugee Commission, Refugees International, and the Australian National Committee for Refugee Women, Oxfam Australia and Jesuit Refugee Service. NGOs dealing with Refugees Refugee International is based in Washington and the offices are located in New York. It does advocate for protection and lifesaving assistance for the displacement people and create and promote solution necessary to the displacement crises. The organization is independent and does not accept any United Nation or government funding. Annually, Refugee International always conduct about 25 field missions in order to identify the basic needs and services such as health care, food, water, housing, protection from danger ad access education. In addition, the organization challenges aid agencies and policy makers to improve the lives of those who are displaced around the world especially in Africa and Asia (Philip, 2001). The organization presents the needs of the displaced people to various organization, present solutions and demand for action when necessary. The Women’s Refugee Commission which is formerly known as Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children has continued to focus the world’s attention on the specific needs of internally displaced young people, children and women and the refugees. The organization activities is said to be crucial as most of the world’s 50 million displaced people are children, youth and children, while adolescent girls and women are vulnerable to rape, exploitation and abuse, most young children who make up of 50 percent of the refugees, do miss out of education and are also prone to abduction, abuse and military recruitment. In addition, the children, women and youth who may seek asylum in developed countries where they may face detention or be subjected to callous conditions and may to some extent are denied legal representation (Rwomire, 2001). . The organization has been operating for twenty years. As seen in the Refugee International, the organization also does ground work research and propose solutions that may be used by other bodies. The organization is said to work together with the specific group in the refugee camps in order to understand the different issues they are facing in order to voice their problems. The organization accomplish their activities through identifying and clearly documenting, through field visits and research, the overlooked issues that adversely concern refugee children, women and young people; similar to the Refugee International, they advocate to United Nations, governments and aid organizations to make changes in policies, law and practice that may improve the measures that are laid to assist the refugees and improve their lives; developing manuals ad guidelines and various practical tools that will help humanitarian community in bringing changes in the ground level; lending voices to the displaced people and refugees in order for them to comprehend their aspirations, this includes supporting the families and getting good education (Hathaway, 2005). The Australian National Committee for Refugee Women (ANCRW) is a vehicle which supports women refugees together with their families. Unlike the previous organization, this organization basically deals with women. Its main aim is to support refugee women, who are said to be resourceful and strong. The organization aims at empowering the women so as to realize their human rights issues and be able to support their families. As seen in the organization above, the Australian National Committee on Refugee also advocates for changes in the social policy, domestic law so as to be tailored in accordance to the improvement of services offered to the refugee women. This is mainly done at the national level. At the international level, the organization lobbies for positive changes at the UN in order for changes to be done in the United Nations Declaration and the international law (Philip, 2001). As seen in the Women’s Refugee Commission, the ANCRW undertakes research into problems that adversely affect the livelihood of the refugee women and their children. In addition, they lobby for changes in after the research. The organization has gone ahead to hold conferences that are meant to discuss the findings of the research in different countries. Centre for Refugee Research (CRR), an organization in Australia, focuses on the flow of international refugee, the internally displaced people, resettlement issues and forced migration. As seen in most NGOs, the organization also conducts education, research and advocacy programs. They do this by partnering with other community based refugee organization who mainly deal with identification of the vulnerable group of refugees, that is, girls and women while responding to their needs; nexus between the circumstances faced by the refugee overseas and their experience felt during their resettlement in the developed countries. In addition, the organization, offer training courses to the refugees on marketing and income generation gender and human rights, response to violence especially against women and children and counseling sessions. Similar to other organization CRR do adopt a human right framework and engage social justice and principles related to the development of the community. The organization has been operating in various countries including Jordan, Colombia, India, Thailand and Uganda. It is also important note that CRR and ANCORW both were involved in the Australian Women’s dialogue project which did provide a special forum to discuss dreams, hopes and concerns of women and ideas to improve the lives of the refugee women both locally and in the world. This forum was supported by the United Nations Human Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) as it is parallel to its projects. The forum is said to be successful as it raised issue that were related to problems facing the refugees and necessary recommendations were given (Rwomire, 2001). Jesuit Refugee Services is international NGOs, catholic based that was founded in 1980. The organization has mandates to advocate, accompany and serve various causes of the displaced people and the refugees worldwide. Unlike most organization discussed above, the organization operates at the regional and national levels. It embraces all people who are mainly driven from home as a result of conflict, human rights violation and humanitarian disaster. This is different from Women’s Refugee Commission and ANCRW that deals with refugee women and their families and the internally displaced. In addition, it aims at supporting refugees who are seeking asylum in stating that are providing accommodation to the refugees, assisting the immigrants who have detainee-related issues (Jacobsen, 2005). The organization works in different areas; advocacy, education, health and nutrition, social services and other income generating activities. More than 500,000 people are said to benefit from the organization. It is only in the recent years that JRS international has started to lobby for changes in the policy and laws governing the refugees’ issues. The national offices do lobby through media work, education, submitting of policy papers and collaborating with other NGOs and government organization dealing with the related issues. Their main concern is that protections of refugees’ standards have been eroded and therefore, there is need to change the standard of these policies. The organization differs from most NGOs in that it agencies in different countries that are able to handle issues facing the refugees and people under asylum in various countries. Of important to note is that these agencies also assist the refugees in obtaining jibs in different part of the world (Leggett, 2001). Oxfam is international NGOs which is also dealing the refugees in various countries. It is present in more than ten developed states and mainly founded by the community donation. It is operating in 90 countries worldwide. Similar to most NGOs discussed above, the organization seeks to advocate the rights of the refugees and the displaced people. They seek to ensure that the laws and systems are designed to help and protect people in times of increased crisis. The organization simply put pressure on the government and various organization that deal with the same problem. Oxfam advocates that the refugees should have rights to be protected from abuse, assisted and rights to asylum (Heyns, 2002). The organization has been active in supporting the policy of Responsibility to Protect. The policy ensures that the international community and the government protect civilians from war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Apart from advocating for the rights of the refugees, the organization does protect them. Bearing in mind that during armed conflict, people’s security and safety is threatened, the organization has laid strategies that assist the refugees (Rugendyke, 2007). Oxfam has set up camps for the refugees in areas where there are war crimes. It set up toilets, camp lighting, special areas for the vulnerable especially the children and women. It is important to note that apart from dealing with the refugees, the organization handle other basic issue which include: gender and economic justices. This differs from most organization that only run the refugees and internally displaced people activities (Hathaway, 2005). Different governments and international have continued to support some NGOs working with the refugees and internally displace people. Examples of international bodies working together with the organization include the United Nation, the United Nations Higher commissioner for Refugees in specific. The continued support may be said to be as a result of increased number of refugees and the internally displaced personas especially in Africa and Asia (Bleomraad, 2006). Oxfam Oxfam is one of the organizations working with the refugees and internally displaced persons and has received support from the public and the various governments. This may be attributed for instance, to its latest activities in Sudan whereby it has been one of the few agencies which have been able operating in the neglected areas of South Sudan. The organization has been rated top three in the best top 100 NGOs. It is said to encapsulate in a single organization different functions of a modern organization. Most critics have observed that it has continued to carry out its activities in an effective and high standard way. Apart from Sudan, the organization has extended its activities to various countries which include Somali, Kenya and Ethiopia. Its operations are welcomed in different countries as it does not only deal with the refugees; it also offers other basic amenities in the affected areas (Dowie, 2009). The public has a high opinion of Oxfam due to its various activities that it has been involved. For instance in Sudan the organization has been observed to lessen the hardships of the Sudanese. This is more evident in the situation where the newest nation in the world, South Sudan, is at. The country is said to be struggling with massive refugee crisis and major internally displace persons. The organization has established refugees’ camps in the Upper Nile states in South Sudan. At the camp, the refugees were given shelter, food and basic services by the organization. Oxfam has continued to boost sanitation and water supply for new arrivals. It is worth to note that Oxfam International started its operation in Sudan in 1983. Apart from assisting the refugees and the internally displaced, the organization has also provided humanitarian help to victims of, floods, drought, conflicts and help to established long term development in the region. This has been evident in Darfur and Red Sea State where many international bodies have not been able to penetrate to give the much needed assistance. In Darfur, for instance, it holds more than 2.5 million refugees. This further explains the efforts that the organization has continued to put in the region (Jeffery, 2010). The organization has gone ahead to establish education centers and health facilities, clean water, small loans and business training and sanitation. Still, it is partnering with other organization in ensuring the people living in the camp receive the basic needs. Apart from providing the necessities, the organization has pursued various ways of bringing peace to the region. One of its partners has concluded a one year program to establish peace and harmony among some tribes living in the East of Darfur. This has been a major breakthrough in Sudan leading to the organization receiving a boost in the international level. More tribes are said to benefit from the program soon. Similarly, in Afghanistan, the organization has been very active in assisting the displaced people to settle and have access to basic necessities. In Daikundi province for example, the organization is said to have assisted more than 60,000 people who had been internally displace. Oxfam have assisted various families in the province to manage projects and address their needs. More schools have been established and road construction has been on the increase. In Pakistan, the organization activities have also been felt. It has continued providing food for the displaced people (Loescher et al, 2002). The organization has continued to favor the government policy in assisting refugees and displaced people. It has continued to push for better law and policy that will lead to effective and efficient ways of dealing with the increase number of refugees in countries neighboring war torn countries. In addition, Oxfam International has created a platform where the displaced people have their voices heard in the policy making. For example, in Uganda, the organization is working closely with the people to influence policy made on their basic necessities in the country. Still, it has continued to have an influence in the policy undertaken by the government to ensure that accountability, more spending in the social amenities and policies that are favorable for the vulnerable people living in the country. Oxfam International has been involved in the National Poverty Eradication Plan that is spearheaded by the government to help eradicate poverty in the country and also assist the refugees from neighboring countries. Conclusion Various NGOs have been set up mostly in the developed countries to assist the developing countries or to address various issues affecting the present world. Some of the organizations formed are those that are concerned with the refugee people and those that are internally displaced. This is a huge social issue that is being experienced mostly in Africa and Asia. The NGOs are mandate in assisting these people with basic necessities and protecting their rights even in a foreign country. The organizations are seeing to it that the international laws that are set to protect the refugees are followed. Oxfam International is one of the NGOs that have stood out due to its wide spread aid in various war torn countries. Its activities have been felt in Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Iraq and Pakistan. It has continued to have an excellent public opinion due to its activities and government policies. It has continued to penetrate in regions where few agencies are able to reach. This has made it be outstanding NGOs in the whole world. References Bleomraad, I. (2006). Becoming a Citizen: Incorporating Immigrants and Refugees in the United States. New York: University of California Press Dowie, M. (2009) Conservation Refugees: The Hundred Year Conflict between Global Conservation and Native Peoples. New York: The MIT Press Hathaway, J. (2005). The Rights of refugees under International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press Heyns, C. (2002). Human Rights Law in Africa 1999. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers Hollenbach, D. (2008). Refugee rights: Ethics, Advocacy, and Africa. Washington: Georgetown University press Jacobsen, K. (2005). The Economic Life of Refugees Bloomfield: Kumarian Press Jeffery, P. (2010). Migrants and refugees: Muslim and Christian Pakistan Families in Bristol. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Leggett, I. (2001). Uganda. Kampala: Fountain Publishers Loescher, G. Betts, A. Milner, H. (2002). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The politics and practice of refugee protection into the 20th Century. New York: Routeldge Philip, O. (2001). Human security in an urban century: Local challenges, global perspectives Ottawa; Human security Rugendyke, B. (2007). NGOs as Advocates for Development in a Globalizing World. New York: Routledge Rwomire, A. (2001). Social Problems in Africa: New Visions. New York: Praeger Publishers Read More