Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
A single mother runs a popular restaurant in the midst of Kakuma Camp’s busiest market, and encourages other women to do the same
Author: KANERE
Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
Refugee community guard named a hero after fending off armed attackers with bow and arrow, highlighting the need for community-based security systems
Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
KANERE talks to community members on the latest hot topic: What do you think about the refugee free press? The perspectives of locals, refugees, and internationals weave a diverse fabric of public opinion.
Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
The baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan was beautifully commemorated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church community with music, holy water, and sacred rituals
Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
A reflection on one girl’s sad experience in a Burundian village, and lessons for the world
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“No Application Form”
Volume 1, Issue 3 / February 2009
Anonymous poem written by a disabled refugee in Kakuma Camp
Volume 1, Issue 2 / January 2009
“When others control the voice [of refugees], is it any wonder that the appeal is almost always for more aid and not for more rights?”
-Merrill Smith, of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants/ “Speaking Out on Warehousing: 3 Questions for Merrill Smith”
“One way to begin to address the evils of [refugee] camps is to create feedback mechanisms…If a free press spreads among the hundreds of camps in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and appears on the World Wide Web, indeed a feedback mechanism will have been established.”
-Dr. Barbara Harrell-Bond, refugee rights advocate and founder of the Oxford Refugee Studies Centre / “Speaking for Refugees or Refugees Speaking for Themselves”
“Refugees are human beings. Human rights are the things that belong to us and no one can take them away.”
-A refugee incentive worker on wage inequalities / “Are Refugees Entitled to Equal Pay for Equal Work?”
“[Refugees] have a right to information and transparency from UNHCR and partner staff… A rights-based approach requires organizations to support people to demand what they are entitled to.”
-UNHCR, in A Community-Based Approach in UNHCR Operations / “KANERE Celebrates One Year of UNHCR’s Rights- and Community-Based Approach”
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Letter From the Editor
Volume 1, Issue 2 / January 2009
To all KANERE readers, here and abroad;
The second issue of the Kakuma News Reflector highlights the defining experiences of our growth so far.
We are consolidating our approach to human rights reporting, reflected most clearly in our feature report on the right to equal pay. We have also invited contributions from international experts on refugee affairs, enriching our coverage with views from Dr. Barbara Harrell-Bond, a leading refugee advocate, and Merrill Smith of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Other advocates and scholars have expressed their willingness to contribute to future issues of KANERE.
We have received widespread support from the national and international community. The Kenyan Government has welcomed our initiative and we enjoy collaboration with local officials. We are delighted to welcome the support of international organizations and advocacy groups including Fahamu, the Southern Refugee Legal Aid Network, and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, among others. Our story has been covered by media outlets as diverse as Pambazuka News and the Forced Migration Current Awareness blog, reaching thousands of readers across the globe.
We hope this issue edifies and enlightens, but also begins to spark change. As you read, please keep in mind our struggles and affirm our cause. Pass our story to media outlets; cross-list our blog with websites and online groups; and share your many comments! A free press means a freer refugee camp.
Signed,
KANERE
Volume 1, Issue 2 / January 2009
In Kakuma Refugee Camp parlance, a distinction is made between “incentive” and “salary” payments. Refugees with proper qualifications and competence in their fields employed by international organizations are paid “incentives” and not salary. The incentives are far below what their non-refugee counterparts earn in the form of salaries. Are refugees entitled to equal pay for equal work?
Volume 1, Issue 2 / January 2009
Dr. Barbara Harrell-Bond
Dr. Harrell-Bond is a leading advocate for refugee rights. She founded the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University and the Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Program at the American University in Cairo. She has written many articles and books on refugee situations, including Rights in Exile: Janus-Faced Humanitarianism with G. Verdirame. KANERE invited Dr. Harrell-Bond to contribute an editorial on a refugee free press.