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Sunday July 5, 2009

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In Focus: Natural Disaters


Reuters/Andrew Biraj - Women and children displaced from their homes by a tidal wave caused by Cyclone Aila wait for relief food in Shatkhira, Bangladesh.

Save to My Portfolio Protecting and Promoting Rights in Natural Disasters in South Asia: Prevention and Response

July 01, 2009

South Asia is a "theater for disaster." In the past decade alone floods, cyclones, earthquakes, droughts, and a devastating tsunami destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives and livelihoods and left millions more homeless. In each disaster, humanitarian responders rushed to the scene to preserve human life and reduce immediate suffering. However, many times, human rights protection has been a secondary concern. This new report, based on a regional meeting in Chennai, India, discusses the challenges in incorporating human rights into disaster response in South Asia. Read More

South Asia, Natural Disasters, Human Rights, Internal Displacement, Asia

Spotlight: The Balkans


Reuters/Hazir Reka - A Roma boy drinks in the Cesmin Lug Camp in the outskirts of Mitrovica.

Save to My Portfolio Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia

Walter Kälin, June 30, 2009

It is positive, and a clear step forward, that Serbian authorities like the Serbian Commissioner for Refguees have started programs to help IDPs leave collective centers, move to their own houses, and regain their livelihoods. Yet, as Walter Kälin points out, bureaucratic obstacles continue to make it unnecessarily difficult for many IDPs to access public services. Read More

Balkans, Europe, Internal Displacement, Human Rights, Migration

In Focus: Capacity Building


Reuters/Mowlid Abdi - An internally displaced girl cleans utensils inside their makeshift house at a camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Save to My Portfolio Fifth Annual Course on the Law of Internal Displacement

Around the world there are over 25 million people displaced within their own countries (IDPs). In an effort to build the capacity of national governments to deal with displacement, the Brookings-Bern Project convened the 5th Annual Course on the Law of Internal Displacement in San Remo, Italy. The course brought together 17 national, regional, and NGO participants, representing Bosnia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iraq, Kosovo, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Timor Leste, the African Union, and the Secretariat of the Great Lakes Conference. Read More

In Focus: Natural Disasters


Reuters/Alessandro Garafalo - Women rest on a bench in a tent camp where earthquake victims reside in Aquila, Italy.

Save to My Portfolio Climate Change, Natural Disasters, and Internal Displacement

Walter Kälin, June 24, 2009

An estimated 50-200 million people may move by the middle of the century as a result of the negative effects of climate change, either within their countries or across borders, on a permanent or temporary basis. While some of this movement may be voluntary, some of it will not. Walter Kälin points out that there are significant differences in both groups' situations and the responses to their migrations must also be different. Read More

Climate Change, Natural Disasters, Internal Displacement, International Organizations, Europe

In Focus: Internal Displacement in Europe


Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili - Georgian women displaced during the armed conflict in South Ossetia sit in a temporary shelter in Tbilisi.

Save to My Portfolio Protracted Displacement in Europe

Walter Kälin, June 24, 2009

Over the last few years, the internal displacement situation in Europe has remained stagnant. Europe continues to have more than 2.5 million IDPs, over 99% of whom find themselves in situations of protracted displacement. In order to improve the situation of IDPs in Europe, Walter Kälin argues that both the adoption of the Draft Resolution before the Parliamentary Assembly as well as a national laws and policies "would radically change the fate of these forgotten people." Read More

Internal Displacement, Europe, Migration, International Organizations, Balkans

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio The Failure to Protect: Battle-Affected IDPs in Southern Afghanistan

Alex Mundt, Susanne Schmeidl, June 22, 2009

Civilians have long borne the brunt of the conflict in Afghanistan. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, civilian casualties in 2008 were 40% higher than the previous year. However, although civilian casualties are widely covered and are being addressed, Alex Mundt and Susanne Schmeidl point out that the broader protection concerns, particularly the plight of battle-affected IDPs, remain invisible and largely unacknowledged. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Pakistani Displacement: Lessons Learned from other Mass Displacement Situations

Elizabeth Ferris, June 11, 2009

Once again the newspaper headlines report a massive displacement crisis. This time the displaced are fleeing counter-insurgency campaigns in Pakistan. Though the situation of displacement in Pakistan will have its own unique circumstances, Ferris points out that there are some lessons learned from other displacement situations that may be applicable to planning an appropriate response. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Internal Displacement in Iraq: The Process of Working toward Durable Solutions

Jamille Bigio, Jen Scott, June 2009

With increased levels of security in Iraq in 2008-9, displaced persons have begun to make decisions about their future: whether to return to their place of origin, locally integrate or resettle in a third location. As Bigio and Scott argue, the time is ripe to assess how the Government of Iraq, with the support of international and national actors, can advance the process of achieving durable solutions to displacement. Read More

Research and Commentary

Save to My Portfolio Annual Report 2008

June 2008

2008 marked the tenth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement—an occasion both to commemorate efforts over the past decade to uphold the human rights of IDPs and to remind ourselves that much remains to be done. In this report, the Project presents its work from 2008 and discusses the challenges that lie ahead. Read More

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Spotlight

ProgramMetropolitan Policy Program

Redefining the challenges facing metropolitan America and promoting innovative solutions to help communities grow in more inclusive, competitive and sustainable ways.

Policy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

ExpertEswar Prasad

Eswar Prasad, who holds the New Century Chair in International Economics, is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. He is the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University and 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.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any democracy requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work has extended beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions and issues in higher education. Experts are tackling fundamental issues on the role of education in the national and global economy.

Policy CenterJohn L. Thornton China Center

The John L. Thornton China Center develops analysis and policy recommendations to help address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.

Policy CenterCenter on the United States and Europe

The Center on the U.S. and Europe is dedicated to the study of Europe and U.S.-Europe relations. It involves American and European experts in an active program of research, analysis, and debate.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is a security studies professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

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.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

Research Project21st Century Defense Initiative

The 21st Century Defense Initiative produces cutting-edge research, analysis, and outreach that address some of the most critical issues facing leaders shaping defense policy in the coming century. The initiative focuses on three core issues: the future of war, the future of U.S. defense needs and priorities, and the future of the U.S. defense system

Research ProjectAfrica Growth Initiative

The Africa Growth Initiative conducts high-quality policy research and analysis focused on attaining sustainable economic development and prosperity in Africa, while amplifying the voice of African researchers in policy-making and planning.

Research ProjectBudgeting for National Priorities

The Budgeting for National Priorities project promotes greater fiscal responsibility by developing new ideas, educating the public and finding common ground among experts and policy-makers.

TopicMigration

Migration is an issue that bridges Brookings’s expertise in domestic and foreign policy. In the United States, reforming immigration policy remains a subject of intense political debate. Globally, the unprecedented movement of people across borders raises issues in both industrialized countries and the developing world.

ExpertRobert Puentes

Robert Puentes focuses on the broad array of policies and issues related to metropolitan growth and development. He is an expert on transportation and infrastructure, urban planning, growth management, suburban issues and housing.

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