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Saturday November 22, 2008

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Spotlight: Guiding Principles 10 Year Anniversary


Reuters/Ismail Taxta - Children line up during a food distribution for internally displaced people on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Save to My Portfolio 10 Years of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

In 1998, 30 basic principles describing the human rights standards for the internally displaced were presented to the United Nations. The Representative for the UN Secretary General and the Brookings Project on Internal Displacement developed these principles over the course of two years of expert consultations and drafting. Known as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and distilled from existing international human rights and humanitarian law, these 30 principles are the international standard protecting the rights of the tens of millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) globally. Read More

Spotlight: New Publication


Katharina Rohl - IDP children in Georgia.

Save to My Portfolio Protecting Internally Displaced Persons: A Manual for Law and Policymakers

October 2008

Currently an estimated 26 million men, women and children have been displaced within their countries' borders because of conflict, with even larger numbers displaced by natural disasters and development projects. While this is a global phenomenon, responsibility rests with national governments. Read More

Internal Displacement, Governance, Human Rights, Global Governance, Migration

Spotlight: Guiding Principles 10 Year Anniversary


Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly - A girl displaced from the conflict in Darfur adjusts her headscarf.

Save to My Portfolio Displacement and Human Rights: A Continuing Challenge

Carlos Pascual, October 16, 2008

Sixty years ago the international community responded to the needs of those crossing national borders because of persecution and conflict by adopting a convention on refugees and creating a UN refugee agency; however, the fate of those displaced within their countries' borders was largely ignored. In an effort to address this gap in the international humanitarian system, the Brookings Project on Internal Displacement took on the task of developing basic standards for the treatment of internally displaced persons. Read More

Internal Displacement, Human Rights, Migration

Spotlight: Guiding Principles 10 Year Anniversary


Reuters/Adam Dean - Internally displaced people sit by the road as they wait for donations from passing vehicles after Cyclone Nargis.

Save to My Portfolio Strengthening the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons

Walter Kälin, October 16, 2008

Forced displacement is not just a passing event in people's lives. It is a devastating transformation that shatters lives. In order to protect the rights of the displaced, through all phases of displacement, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were drafted and adopted by the United Nations. Today, ten years later, they are as relevant as ever in protecting those displaced by conflict, natural disasters and development projects. Read More

Internal Displacement, Human Rights, Migration

Spotlight: New Publication


Reuters/Khaled Abdullah - A Somali girl rests with her family near the southern Yemeni village of al-Wadhea after arriving to Yemeni coasts on a smugglers boat.

Save to My Portfolio Moving Beyond Rhetoric: Consulting with IDPs

October 2008

The importance of engaging directly with populations affected by poverty, conflict and disaster is a common theme in the literature on humanitarian aid, development and peacebuilding. However, despite the many documented benefits, consultation with and participation by affected populations -- including IDPs -- remains limited. Read More

Internal Displacement, Migration, Natural Disasters, Human Rights

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Iraq's Lost Generation

Navtej Dhillon, Elizabeth Ferris, October 13, 2008

As the difficult steps towards national reconciliation and economic development begin to take place in Iraq, the country must invest more in its largely exiled youth generation. Elizabeth Ferris and Navtej Dhillon argue that young people should be supported as they choose to voluntarily return to Iraq. However, more must be done to support young refugees during their displacement. Additional funds from the Iraqi budget should be used to foster hope among Iraqi refugees in the form of scholarships, vocational training tailored to market conditions, and support to build families. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Listening to the Voices of the Displaced: Lessons Learned

Roberta Cohen, September 2008

When those working with internally displaced persons (IDPs) develop programs and policies without taking the time to listen to those most affected – the IDPs themselves – plans often go wrong. A new report from The Brookings Institution – University of Bern Project on Internal Displacement finds that it is critical to listen to the voices of IDPs in order to ensure not only that their needs are met, but that lasting solutions are found for their displacement. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Implications of an Indictment of Bashir on the Humanitarian Situation in Darfur

Elizabeth Ferris, September 26, 2008

At first glance, the reaction of humanitarian actors on the ground in Darfur to potential indictments of the Sudanese president Omar Bashir seems pretty obvious. Darfur's 2.5 million internally displaced people, the 4.2 million in need of food assistnace and the 17,000 or so humanitarian workers would make easy targets for an angry Sudanese government. But like everything in Darfur, the situation is more complicated than it seems at first glance. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Displacement Caused by the Effects of Climate Change

Walter Kälin, October 10, 2008

Most causes of displacement triggered by climate change, such as flooding, hurricanes, desertification or even the "sinking" of stretches of land, are not new. However, their frequency and magnitude are likely to increase. The challenge is to better analyze these causes of displacement, to identify the areas where the effects of climate change are most likely to occur and to examine the character of forced displacement and other population movemetns they could trigger. Read More

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Spotlight

ExpertHugh B. Price

Former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Hugh Price is an expert on education, civil rights, equal opportunity and criminal justice. His 40-year career spans journalism, philanthropy, the law, and social advocacy.

ExpertRebecca Blank

Rebecca Blank is an expert on the interaction between the macroeconomy, government anti-poverty programs, and the behavior and well being of low-income families. She has just been named the Robert S. Kerr senior fellow at Brookings.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertMauricio Cárdenas

Mauricio Cárdenas is a senior fellow and director of the Latin American Initiative. Formerly minister of Economic Development and Transportation, and director of National Planning of Colombia, his research focuses on international and development economics. He is also the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).

TOPICThe Presidential Transition

During the 77 days from the election to the Inauguration, Brookings experts will offer 12 "Memos to the President" on top policy priorities across the spectrum of domestic and global challenges, plus additional advice on transitioning from campaigning to governing.

ExpertEswar Prasad

Eswar Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University, is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. He was previously head of the Financial Studies Division and the China Division at the IMF.

ExpertSarah A. Binder

Sarah Binder is an expert on Congress and legislative politics.  She is completing a project on the politics of advice and consent, and is at work on the politics of how Congress responds to financial crises.

ExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is the vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings. His studies include campaigns and elections, political advertising, mass media, public opinion, technology policy and electronic government.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

ExpertJulia B. Isaacs

Julia Isaacs focuses on public investments in children and how children are affected by national budgetary policies. A former federal budget analyst, she also researches the economic mobility of children and families across the income spectrum.

ExpertMark B. McClellan

A medical doctor and economist, Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

Research ProjectThe Hamilton Project

The Hamilton Project produces research and policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans. Their agenda also focuses on enhancing individual economic security and effective public investments. 

ExpertDouglas W. Elmendorf

Doug Elmendorf, whose government posts have included the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Council of Economic Advisors, and CBO, focuses his research on macroeconomics and fiscal policy. He is co-editor of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and director of The Hamilton Project, which develops proposals for shared growth.

ExpertCarlos Pascual

Carlos Pascual is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. As vice president and director of Foreign Policy, he focuses on post-conflict stabilization and international security policy.