Referred to by the abstractly bureaucratic term, "internally displaced persons" or IDP's, some 25 million people in 50 countries fall between the cracks of international law, overlooked and under-served by both their governments and international agencies already overstretched to deal with refugees driven outside their own countries. What can be done to meet the needs of these orphans of conflict. Funded by the Compton Foundation.
Guests:
Jenny Pearlman-Robinson, Protection Program Officer for Children and Youth, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children
Mark Malan, Peacebuilding Program Officer; Refugees International
Donald Steinberg, Vice President for Multilateral Affairs, International Crisis Group
(Click on a guest's name to listen to their full unedited interview.)
Questions for Further Discussion
“Orphans of Conflict: The Plight of Internally Displaced Persons”
Learning Goal:To learn about internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Learning Methods: Assign one or more of the following questions to students individually, in pairs, or in small groups for discussion. Consider asking them to present their findings to the class in a short presentation, project or research assignment.
Terms: IDPs Ex-Combatant Peacekeeping Peacebuilding
1. IDPs have historically been neglected by foreign aid offices because they have not crossed international borders. Since these groups are not a new phenomenon, but have been witnessed in earlier, large-scale conflicts such as WWI and WWII, why does our global community have so little in place in terms of aid for these groups?
2. The majority of IDPs are women, children, and young people. Why is this?
3. Access to education is a prominent indicator of how well a region can recover after a war. Schools provide children and youth with adult supervision, physical structure, emotional well being, and hope for the future. Since the correlation between access to education and successful peacebuilding is widely acknowledged, why has this initiative not gleaned more international press and aid? Research demonstrates that educating women is an effective way to strengthen communities and aid rehabilitation of post-conflict areas. According to Jenny Pearlman-Robinson, what is currently being done to accomplish this goal? Why is more not being done in this regard? What are the challenges involved in creating more educational opportunities for girls and women in post conflict regions?
4. Ex-combatants returning from war, most of whom are men, often return to find that they have been displaced within their own communities and families. This in turn has proven to increase rates of domestic violence, rape, and alcohol and drug abuse. How can a peace operations mission work to address this issue?
INNOVATION IN ACTION: Additional Assignments
1. Research the similarities and differences between the aftermaths of Hurricane Katrina here in the United States and that of a war torn region/nation. What are some of the long reaching consequences of large groups of people that have been displaced by war or natural disasters? Consider the disaster of Katrina in our own country. Technically, the people should be considered IDPs. Where did these people go and what became of them? How did our nation respond to this crisis and what has happened in the aftermath? How are they living and what has the impact been on our nation socially, economically, and morally? What lessons can be drawn from this event and those regions attempting to rebuild after conflict?
2. Acting as on outside international entity, design a mock plan with the intention of aiding this forgotten group: IDPs within another country. Part of the issue in addressing the needs of IDPs is that they are technically under the protection of their current government, and the international community has no defined role or jurisdiction in their aid. Should our international community have a plan for this circumstance, and if so, what might it be? Pay particular attention to that government, its delicate autonomy, and need for national pride to be cultivated and recreated.
3. Consider the story of Mileines, an orphan of conflict from Columbia, and the challenges she faces as a child moving into adulthood. What are some of the individual challenges these people face? How might these challenges affect her as an adult? Design an individual plan model for aiding children of war such as Mileines in their reintegration to a community. Attempt to address the individual’s holistic needs such as psychological, emotional and financial.
4. The displacement of people following conflict occurs on several planes, including the economic, social, and emotional. Is a holistic approach to addressing their needs as a community possible? If so, what might it look like? Design a rehabilitation plan for an area that attempts to address the collective needs of its inhabitants.
