Background Reading - Georgetown University



Sample Lesson Plan:Sudanese Refugees in the Middle EastBackground Reading: Sudanese Refugees in the Middle EastSudan Country ProfileBBC News (March 2013) Sudan interrogating migrants repatriated from Israel via JordanHaaretz (13 June 2013)Jordan: Sudanese refugees struggle against racism everyday Jesuit Refugee Services (18 June 2012) ARDD-Legal Aid: Section on Sudanese and Somali Refugees in Jordan Lebanon’s forgotten refugeesAl-Jazeera English (31 June 2012)Activity: Portrayal in the MediaBriefly discuss: what do students know about refugees from Darfur? What kind of visibility has the issue had in recent years? Discuss initiatives like Darfur Now, Save Darfur, etc. Divide students into groups. Assign each group a background reading from the list above (attached). Instruct students to read the article and then present the main ideas to the class. Discuss:Describe the political situation in Sudan. What challenges do Sudanese refugees face?How does the situation for Sudanese refugees compare across different Middle Eastern countries? What messages do the articles convey?What do these articles tell us experience of Sudanese refugees in the Middle East? What don’t they tell us? In what ways does the media shed light on issues of forced displacement and in what ways does it obscure them? Activity: Videos and DiscussionTell students that they will now see another dimension of the issue. Show video on Sudanese refugees in Jordan. Open discussion by identifying major themes in videos: How do people define themselves? And/or how do others define them?Problems in Darfur leading to displacement Discuss background of conflictWorking in Jordan Legality of working and Jordan’s status with the 1951 ConventionAre these people labor migrants or refugees? How do these labels shape perceptions of them, both in Jordan and globally? Education What role does education play for the people in the videos?What do you think about the statement about peace as a necessary precursor to education? AFRICA14 March 2013?Last updated at?08:11 ETSudan profileSudan, once the largest and one of the most geographically diverse states in Africa, split into two countries in July 2011 after the people of the south voted for independence.The government of Sudan gave its blessing for an independent South Sudan, where the mainly Christian and Animist people had for decades been struggling against rule by the Arab Muslim north.However, various outstanding secession issues - especially the question of shared oil revenues and the exact border demarcation - have continued to create tensions between the two successor states.Sudan has long been beset by conflict. Two rounds of north-south civil war cost the lives of 1.5 million people, and a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur has driven two million people from their homes and killed more than 200,000.Sudan's centuries of association with Egypt formally ended in 1956, when joint British-Egyptian rule over the country ended.Independence was rapidly overshadowed by unresolved constitutional tensions with the south, which flared up into full-scale civil war that the coup-prone central government was ill-equipped to suppress.The military-led government of President Jaafar Numeiri agreed to autonomy for the south in 1972, but fighting broke out again in 1983.After two years of bargaining, the rebels signed a comprehensive peace deal with the government to end the civil war in January 2005.The accord provided for a high degree of autonomy for the south, and an option for it to secede. South Sudan seceded in July 2011, following a vote.However, the grievances of the northern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile remain unaddressed, as provisions laid out for them in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement were never fully implemented.In Darfur, in western Sudan, the United Nations has accused pro-government Arab militias of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab locals.The conflict has strained relations between Sudan and Chad, to the west. Both countries have accused each other of cross-border incursions. There have been fears that the Darfur conflict could lead to a regional war.The economic dividends of eventual peace could be great. Sudan has large areas of cultivatable land, as well as gold and cotton. Its oil reserves are ripe for further exploitation.Source: Sudan interrogating migrants repatriated from Israel via JordanBy?Ilan Lior?|?Jun.13, 2013 |?Sudanese authorities have been interrogating citizens who spent time in Israel and have returned to their country secretly via Jordan, Sudanese news organization Alrakoba has reported.Israel and Sudan do not have diplomatic relations, meaning that Israel cannot return citizens directly to Sudan, which has vowed to punish citizens who have set foot on Israeli soil. Sudanese passports even state that the bearer is entitled to enter all countries except for Israel.Israel earlier this year admitted that it has repatriated about some 2,100 migrants to Sudan via a third country but refused to disclose the name of that country. The repatriation was done secretly, over the last few months, without the knowledge of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.So as not to endanger the returnees, the population and Immigration Authority had them sign “consensual repatriation” forms, blurred their tracks, saw to providing them new passports if necessary and returned them via a third country. Now, however, it appears that Sudan knows which country served as a way-station.According to a report on Alrakoba, Sudanese security authorities are conducting an inquiry against eight people who were expelled from Israeli territory and arrived at the Khartoum airport on a special flight on the Jordanian airline. The site added that the Sudanese citizens returned thanks to local authorities’ cooperation with the Jordanian government and notes that 89 more Sudanese have recently returned to their country after spending time in prison for illegal immigration and being deported from Israel.The report noted that knowledgeable sources said Israel and Amman have reached understandings about implementing the repatriation to Sudan, due to the absence of a Sudanese embassy in Israel. Amman has therefore issued the necessary documents for the Sudanese citizens' deportation to Khartoum.According to Nadav Franckovich, who maintains contact with the Sudanese community in Israel, the site that published the report is quite popular. “It’s a site that many people in Sudan and refugees outside the country read. It is relatively critical and it is constantly updated,” he said.The report on the site concurs with testimonies that human rights organizations have received from Sudanese citizens who returned home via a third country and said they were questioned at the airport in Khartoum.Sudanese community members in Israel have said that the interrogations aim mainly to find out who has acted or spoken against the regime.A Sudanese citizen who lives in Tel Aviv said on Wednesday that a friend of hers who recently returned home told her she was interrogated at the airport in Khartoum about the time she spent in Israel. According to the woman, her friend said the authorities detained her overnight at the airport and demanded details from her about other Sudanese citizens residing in Israel. The authorities then confiscated her belongings and fined her before releasing her.Others in the Sudanese community say some of their peers have vanished after returning home and no one knows what has happened to them.The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has previously warned against the repatriation of Sudanese citizens, out of concern for their safety. The agency has said that consensual repatriation would be possible only if it is carried out discreetly and if the migrants’ decide to return of their own free will and not under pressure or threat of deportation.According to Population and Immigration Authority data, there are currently about 14,000 migrants from Sudan in Israel.Israel last week confirmed it had reached an agreement with an unnamed African country that is prepared to absorb migrants and is in?advanced talks with another four African countries?intended to serve as way stations for Sudanese migrants.Source: Jordan: Sudanese refugees struggle against racism every day Jesuit Refugee Services Amman, 18 June 2012 – Hidden amongst the throngs of Amman's population, Sudanese face discrimination on a daily basis."It's normal to be called 'Chocolate', 'Abu Samra' or other racist names when we walk in the street. I don't care what they say to me, but what makes me angry is when my children suffer", says Sudanese woman, Iman.Iman once found her young son covering his arms with flour. When she asked him what he was doing, he answered, "Now I'm white."Although Sudanese children can access the public schools in Jordan, they still face racism from their teachers and peers."My children come home crying on most days, and some of their teachers call them 'Blackie'."After conducting a survey with Sudanese men and women who benefit from JRS services in Amman, it became clear that as a minority refugee and ethnic group, their daily lives are plagued with fear and discrimination.?Including the Sudanese.?Since September 2011 JRS has come into contact with more and more vulnerable Sudanese, and some Somalis, who are almost a forgotten refugee population in Jordan.Expanding the JRS activities to include the Sudanese and Somalis has been a process that required a lot of creative thinking, commitment and acceptance from JRS staff, volunteers and the more established Iraqi refugee community.Despite these logistical and cultural challenges, Colin Gilbert, JRS Jordan Director is upbeat about serving the Sudanese."The presence of the Sudanese people in JRS activities has really had an uplifting effect on the entire refugee community that we work with," he enthuses.Responding to refugee needs.?The main need expressed by the Sudanese was for English language classes. In response, JRS set up evening classes staffed by volunteers. At present, nearly 120 Sudanese refugees – and some Somalis – attend the classes twice a week.A concerted effort has been made to reach out to the Sudanese women, who are often illiterate in both English and Arabic. By encouraging women to attend, it means that the children participate too –allowing them to engage in educational activities in a safe and friendly environment."Seeing these women progress from not recognising a word or letter to being able to write out simple words and phrases is profoundly powerful", says a volunteer who teaches the literacy class.The evening classes comprise 80% Sudanese, 8% Somalis and the remainder is a mix of Iraqis and Syrians.As the violence in Sudan escalates, more and more Sudanese people are seeking asylum in neighbouring countries. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced since June 2011. Here in Jordan, nearly 750 Sudanese asylum seekers and refugees have registered with UNHCR and in receipt of services.Once registered with the UNHCR they receive documents which should protect them from deportation or encountering problems with the local police. However, this is often not the case.Mohammedin, a prominent and long-standing member of the Sudanese community in Jordan, frequently receives calls when someone has been arrested. He then has to mediate on their behalf with the police."It's a mix of the police not always understanding the rights of those in receipt of UN documentation, and just discrimination against Sudanese people", says a JRS staff member.A forgotten population.?Many Sudanese have complained that they are excluded from NGO services extended to Iraqis, and more recently, Syrians. Unfortunately, donors have earmarked certain funds for specific refugee populations."Because of the media attention and strategic importance of the Middle East, a lot of donor money goes to Iraqis. The war in Sudan has fallen by the wayside, yet Sudanese refugees continue to arrive in Jordan", said Jen Compton, a volunteer who pioneered the JRS evening classes programme."Even if it is not meant to be racist, it feels like it is another form of discrimination against us", says Yusuf, a young Sudanese man who works for 12 hours a day and then attends JRS evening classes.Moreover, as Jordan is not a signatory of the 1951 UN refugee convention, asylum seekers entering the country are received as guests, but are not entitled to access the labour market legally. In the case of Sudanese, they are deemed asylum seekers by UNHCR and are recommended for resettlement to a third country if considered to be in need of international protection. But needing to get by, many refugees find manual day jobs to earn an income."It's not the best situation. We work hard all day, are treated badly and then have to often fight for our money at the end of the day because they don't want to pay us", says Yusuf.With two million Palestinian refugees in the country, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Syrians, it's not likely the situation will change any time soon. JRS teams try to find ways of helping Sudanese refugees cope psychologically with discrimination and promote better relationships with the host community. But for the moment, the only durable and dignified solution is resettlement in the US or western Europe. The problem is even these places are few and far between.Zerene Haddad, JRS Middle East Communications OfficerSource: Somali and Sudanese Refugees:ARDD-Legal Aid Jordan?is hailed by some for its urban model of housing refugees; that is a model where individuals are displaced to a 'non-camp, urban setting' HYPERLINK "" \l "_edn1" \o "" [i]. And whilst this affords refugee communities better opportunities for integration and networking, the absence of a reliable housing scheme for refugees has had an adverse impact on their condition and standard of living. Such conditions, in turn, have had a domino effect on other aspects of their well-being, as they tend to give rise to a myriad of diseases which require medical attention and as such cause an additional strain on – the already scarce – healthcare provisions offered to refugees.The lack of an efficient housing scheme has also undermined any efforts to continuously monitor and asses the living conditions of refugees in view of maintaining a minimum standard of living acceptable to any human beingOur research has identified the following problems Sudanese and Somali refugees face in their day-to-day living:Crowding:?Too large a number of persons sharing a flat such as the case that was brought to our attention of a 2 room flat housing 36 young Sudanese men. Another case we were made aware of through our 1-to-1 interviews was that of a family of 6 living in "what you cannot class as a room". Shanty rooms of this nature have the kitchen, living room and bedroom all in one – with a very small bathroom attached.Hygiene: Running on an extremely tight budget, refugee families are bound to prioritize providing food for their children over spending a nickel on buying cleaning products, or even spending time on cleaning when going out in search for a source of income is more of a pressing need. This is exacerbated by the already meek distribution of water among households in Jordan due to the country's scarcity of water resources.Disease:?The conditions described above allow for the uncontrollable spread of disease. This is especially to the detriment of young children who are more susceptible to catching infections. If no adequate solution is found, this may then go on to effect the academic attainment of refugee children who have to continuously miss days off school due to poor health. On the long run, this could hinder any possibility of breaking free from the cycle of poverty through education or acquirement of skills that would increase the employability of young Sudanese and Somalis from refugee families.A Somali medical student we interviewed told us that he is "always called by Somali families to diagnose and treat young children who typically suffer from chest infections, allergies, fever etc; all the result of poor housing conditions, lack of ventilation, and poor hygiene."Unaffordable prices:?Countries worldwide are witnessing inflation in prices due to the global economic crisis, and Jordan is no different. As such, renting a place with the poor conditions mentioned above costs in the range of 90 – 130 JDs. We learn from the Sudanese and Somali refugees we met that such prices are becoming more and more difficult to meet due to two main factors: The first is the withdrawal of UNHCR's monthly allowance from over 50% of Somali and Sudanese refugees. The second is the lack of employment available to the refugee community - and illegality of it.Landlord exploitation:?Refugees report a lack of cooperation from their landlords to fix any damages found in the homes. (verify Jordan law regarding this, and whether it stipulates that landlord must take responsibility over this)Decreased financial aid:?Sudanese and Somali refugees have traditionally been given a monthly allowance of up to 70JDs from the UNHCR used to give financial aid. This has been withdrawn from over %50 of the refugees, with the depletion of resources and the Syrian refugee crisis being cited as reasons for this.Source: 's forgotten refugeesSudanese refugees are on hunger strike, calling to be resettled elsewhere after facing what they call discrimination.Nour Samaha?Last Modified:?31 Jul 2012 09:23On a dusty pavement in southern Beirut a collection of makeshift tents have been erected, made up of concrete blocks, wooden sticks and cardboard boxes. Inside, 16 Sudanese refugees can be found, hunched quietly on the blanket-strewn floor, several bottles of water their only companion, as they shield themselves from the sun beating down on them.They have been on hunger strike outside the headquarters of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) since June 11. Their demands include the immediate relocation to a resettlement country, the opening of closed files and quickening the process of gaining refugee status."This is not life," Ibrahim Mahdi, a 31-year-old Sudanese on his 51st?day of hunger strike, told Al Jazeera. "We don't have any rights here. All we want is to be resettled elsewhere and no one is letting us go."Ibrahim fled fighting in Darfur eight years ago and has been living without papers in Lebanon ever since. For the last eight years, he has been waiting for the UNHCR to tackle his case and resettle him in a third country.His case is not unique. In fact, it is typical of almost every Sudanese refugee currently living in Lebanon. It is not unusual to hear of Sudanese refugees who have been residing in limbo in Lebanon for the last 15 years waiting to be given refugee status.'Because we are black'Lebanon is no stranger to refugees; official records put the number of Palestinian refugees in camps strewn across the country at over 400,000, in addition to approximately 8,000 Iraqi refugees and more recently, around 28,000 Syrian refugees.According to the UNHCR, there are currently over 500 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon. While their numbers may be small in comparison, they are forced to deal with an unprecedented level of discrimination due to their race."Lebanon is an awful place to be a Sudanese refugee," explained Adam, a 27-year-old, also from Darfur, who arrived in the country after being smuggled across the Syrian border a year ago. He joined the hunger strike just over a week ago, following his release from prison where he was held for two months for being an illegal immigrant. "Because we are black, we face racism everywhere here, and the authorities treat us even worse.""Our children get harassed in school, or can't even go to school," he said. "They get called names like 'charcoal'.""I haven't been living. I can't even describe what it is like," said Ibrahim. "You spend your entire time moving from place to place, looking for somewhere to live, while trying to avoid the authorities and prosecution.""We were victims in our country, so we left there only to come here, where it is even worse," said Adam. "There is no difference between life outside the UNHCR office, and the life we had in Sudan."Lebanon is not a signatory of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, nor has it signed its 1967 Protocol. There are not provisions in its domestic laws to protect refugees, allowing the authorities to detain and deport anyone who is not in possession of papers authorising them to stay in Lebanon.Members of the Sudanese community are regularly detained and deported for not having the necessary paperwork, unless a registered organisation comes to their rescue by proving their paperwork is being processed. This may buy them between three and six months before they are re-arrested again."The majority of us don't have papers, and if we get sent back to Sudan we will face death," said Ibrahim.The decision to camp so openly outside the UNHCR headquarters is risky, as it has left the refugees vulnerable to arrest by Lebanese authorities."This has happened a couple of times," said Ibrahim, describing how, when they first started their protest, the police would drive by and arbitrarily detain some of them on the charge they did not have the necessary papers to be in the country. "This is what we're protesting for!"Blaming the systemThe UNHCR told Al Jazeera it is doing as much as it possibly can to facilitate the refugees, but bureaucratic procedures for resettlement are slowing down the process."The process is lengthy, including determining refugee status, and we understand that," explained Dana Sleiman, spokesperson for the UNHCR. "For the Sudanese community in Lebanon it can be especially difficult to live because they are discriminated against, they are bullied, and the protection environment around them doesn't really help, especially with the fact the government has not signed the refugee protocol, so we submit their files as urgent cases."Yet once their files have been submitted to the resettlement countries, they are forced to wait while further checks are carried out. According to Sleiman, it takes on average two or three years for a case to be finalised, depending on the resettlement country. With the Sudanese refugees, the resettlement country tends to be the United States, as they have the largest quota per year for accepting refugees. Recently, the US has introduced new security checks, further lengthening the resettlement process."As UNHCR, there is not much we can do to avoid this waiting process. We know it is not easy for [the Sudanese refugees]."'No humanity here'Nay El Rahi, a member of the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), a collective of local activists, told Al Jazeera the problem for the Sudanese community is double-edged. "It is the bureaucracy, but it is also the discrimination they have to face.""We don't care how 'hard' people are working; this is an issue which needs to be resolved properly. There is no use in blaming the system," and continuing to use it as is, she said, referring to the current UNCHR mechanisms."The Lebanese government is also to blame, as they have not assumed their responsibility towards the refugees in the country."ARM has been?visiting the refugees on an almost daily basis and holding awareness meetings to inform the public, with the hope that?by shedding light on the plight of the refugees, they can force a change in the current mindset in the country."Being a refugee is incredibly difficult, but being a Sudanese refugee in Lebanon is one of the hardest things ever."Race in Lebanon is still a huge issue. "Lebanon was definitely worse two years ago," said El Rahi, adding that more people are aware of the prevalence of racism and classism in society. "It is still a racist system, yes, but awareness is growing bit by bit."For Adam, who continues to sit on the dusty pavement as people walk past ignoring the camp, the protest is more than just refugee rights, it is a fight for humanity. "This is not about going home, this is about humanity. People do not look at us like we’re human beings. There is no humanity here."?Source: ................
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