14/06/05

JRS International: World Refugee Day Statement

Déclaration pour la Journée Mondiale des Réfugiés [French Version]
Dichiarazione del JRS per la giornata mondiale deirifugiati [Italian Version]
Declaracion del dia mundial del refugiado [Spanish Version]

JRS International issued the following statement for the occasion of World Refugee Day, 20 June 2005:

Listen to and learn from forcibly displaced persons

"Forcibly displaced persons need to be listened to. It is important that the
priorities of refugee-assisting organisations come directly from those they
are there to serve and are not imposed from above. We learn from those we
serve. Without their guidance, our programmes are without meaning. If they
are given access to accurate information and sufficient resources, forcibly
displaced persons are the best decision-makers about their lives in exile
and the long-term solutions for their futures", said Fr Lluís Magriñà, JRS
International Director.

One of the common mistakes organisations and governments make when dealing
with humanitarian crises is that they consider displaced persons as
powerless victims. This frequently triggers misguided responses. The image
of the powerless victims stands in contrast to the reality of strong
survivors helping to rebuild their communities.

"The international solidarity triggered by the tsunami disaster was
inspiring, and the assistance of outside humanitarian agencies was
essential. But the image projected to the world was of foreign "heroes"
parachuting in to save the helpless Achenese, ignoring much of the vital
humanitarian work carried out by local people to restore normality to their
communities", said Ms Ingvild Solvang, Advocacy Officer, JRS Indonesia.

Despite an abundance of landmines, resurgent violence, and the lack of even
the most basic services in many conflict ridden societies, forcibly
displaced persons are repeatedly excluded from discussions on whether it is
safe for them to return home. Moreover, at times organisations seek to
manipulate forcibly displaced persons for their own political aims.

"When we talk of listening to forcibly displaced persons, we must be clear
about what we mean. We need to ensure that they are empowered to improve
their lives. That is why we broadcast directly to the refugees in a language
that they understand. They are not only informed of the security situation
in Burundi, they are also encouraged to contact the station and give their
view directly to their politicians", said Br Elias Mokua SJ, Radio Kwizera,
JRS Tanzania.

Efforts to empower forcibly displaced persons persistently ignore the views
of the most vulnerable, such as women, children and ethnic minorities. For
instance in many camps around the world, food ration cards are often only
given to men, potentially depriving women of food. What is more,
undocumented migrants in need of protection, often unable to access legal
assistance to make asylum claims, risk being returned to face persecution in
their countries of origin.

"A group of 34 Colombian families displaced many times by the conflict
visited our offices. They were typical of many thousands in Colombia. Denied
state support they were left to get by as best they could. Supplied with
information on their rights and legal assistance, they brought a court case
demanding that the Buga local authority provide them with housing. They
learned that to stand a chance of receiving an appropriate response from the
state, they needed to be involved in the decision-making process", said Juan
Manual Bustillo, Advocacy Officer, JRS Colombia.

It doesn't have to be like this. Be it in Colombia, Indonesia, or Tanzania,
with the appropriate support and resources, forcibly displaced persons have
demonstrated time and time again that they are capable of meeting their own
needs.



................
James Stapleton, Communications Coordinator
Jesuit Refugee Service (Int. Office)
Tel: +39-06 68977390 Fax: +39-06 6880 6418
Email: james.stapleton@jrs.net