RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael Fullilove, November 20, 2009, The Sydney Morning Herald
On the heels of President Obama's recent trip to Asia, Michael Fullilove reassures Australians about the United States' commitment to the Asia-Pacific, saying that they should take the president at face value when he says "Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it." Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Washington, DC
Every year, humanitarian crises threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 250 million people worldwide, and donor governments must make the best use of their resources, knowledge and capabilities to respond to these challenges. On November 10, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement will host the launch of the Development Assistance Research Associates Humanitarian Response Index 2009, which helps donor governments ensure that humanitarian assistance has the greatest possible impact for people suffering the effects of crises and disasters. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
On November 10, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies at Brookings hosted co-authors Kongdan Oh and Ralph Hassig for a discussion of their new book The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom. Drawing on decades of scholarship and experience, the speakers discussed aspects of life in North Korea and the ways in which the outside world can reach everyday North Koreans so that they can make decisions based on truth rather than propaganda. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Washington, DC
On November 4, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted Eric Schwartz, assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, to discuss the challenges of implementing humanitarian programs and affecting policy in government. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Washington, DC
On October 27, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies hosted a presentation by Kim Kwangjin of his report on North Korean succession and human rights issues. Mr. Kim defected from North Korea in 2003, and was previously manager of North Korea’s Northeast Asia Bank in Singapore and representative of the Korea National Insurance Corporation. This discussion also featured Roberta Cohen of Brookings and Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 26, 2009, United Nations General Assembly
Since 2004 there have been encouraging trends related to internal displacement. Walter Kälin notes that the use of the Guiding Principles as the relevant framework for protecting IDPs and the development of national and regional laws and policies on internal displacement have been positive trends. However, despite such positive trends, the challenges presented by climate change, the disregard for civilian populations in conflict zones, a shrinking humanitarian space, and protracted displacement situations still remain unchanged. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Andrew Solomon, October 23, 2009, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
Decades of armed conflict, natural disasters and climate change, have given rise to sizable populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout Africa. On October 23, African heads of state and government signed a legally binding convention on internal displacement, which as Andrew Solomon notes, demonstrates their commitment to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of IDPs, to facilitate durable solutions and to ensure that millions of people are no longer excluded from society as a whole. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Walter Kälin, October 23, 2009, AU Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs
Forced displacement is a devastating experience that often takes years or even decades to recover from. Africa hosts the worlds largest population of internally displaced persons and, as Walter Kälin points out, has taken the initiative to go beyond the existing state of law by creating the first binding international law on internally displaced persons. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Washington, DC
As we approach the twentieth anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, countries such as Iran, Russia, China and Cuba are trying to learn how to prevent similar "velvet revolutions" in their own countries. On October 6, the Brookings Institution hosted a discussion on the challenges and opportunities posed by nonviolent civic movements for political change around the world. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Ömer Taşpınar, September 29, 2009, SAIS Review
In the years since the September 11th attacks, Western policymakers, analysts and academics have debated the best approaches to confronting and ending terrorism. Brookings Fellow Omer Taspinar argues that the global fight against extremist violence must move beyond the "war on terror" to a broader strategy of fighting radicalism with human development - an approach that would address the political, economic and social conditions that foment violent radicalism. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Andrew Solomon, September 23, 2009, Forced Migration Review
The need to protect the rights of persons displaced by conflict and find durable solutions to their displacement is inextricably linked to achieving a viable, sustainable peace. Therefore, as Andrew Solomon argues, no realistic plan for peace and reconciliation should ignore the rights and interests of internally displaced persons. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
September 23, 2009, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
Central America is a region constantly exposed to risks from natural disasters. It is important for governments to develop a human rights based approach to disaster response in order to decrease the likelihood of human rights violations of the victims of natural disasters. In order to promote the development of such strategies as well as strengthen the cooperation of humanitarian and human rights agencies in the field, CONRED, CEPREDENAC, and the Brookings-Bern Project, with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland, convened a workshop on disaster response and protection in situations of natural disaster in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris and Diane Paul, September 22, 2009, Protecting People in Conflict and Crisis: Responding to the Challenges of a Changing World
People affected by natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other calamities often face urgent protection needs that may not be immediately visible to humanitarian actors caught up in trying to provide water, food, shelter, medical care and other lifesaving assistance. In this paper, Elizabeth Ferris and Diane Paul provide an overview of protection challenges confronting those affected by natural disasters. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Roberta Cohen, September 02, 2009, International Studies Review
The numbers are startling. There are close to 40 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world today, uprooted by conflict and human rights violations. The problems facing the refugees and IDPs are daunting. While reviewing two books, Cohen argues that the overall problem of forced migration goes beyond humanitarian and human rights solutions, requiring multilateral action aimed at preventing and resolving the crises at the heart of displacement. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Tamara Cofman Wittes and Michele Dunne, August 17, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak recently visited Washington for the first time since 2004. Tamara Cofman Wittes and Michele Dunne examine how he and President Obama can achieve shared goals for the Middle East. Wittes and Dunn analyze areas in which the relationship could be improved and offer suggestions for strengthening the partnership with both the citizens and government of Egypt. Read More