{"id":83,"date":"2024-01-23T17:55:53","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T22:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/?post_type=cu-people&#038;p=83"},"modified":"2025-08-05T11:25:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:25:21","slug":"opportuna-kweka","status":"publish","type":"cu-people","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/people\/opportuna-kweka\/","title":{"rendered":"Opportuna Kweka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Prof. Opportuna Kweka is an associate professor in the Department of Geography within the College of Social Sciences. As a political economist and expert on refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) issues, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her field. Her doctoral research focused on analyzing the changes in refugee policy in Tanzania and its implications on livelihoods and the environment. Prior to this, her master&#8217;s thesis examined the migration patterns of Maasai pastoralists to urban areas following the El Ni\u00f1o rains in 1998, alongside other policy-related factors.<\/p>\n<p>Prof. Kweka holds the esteemed position of Chair at the University of Dar es Salaam&#8217;s Research Chair on Forced Displacement (UDSM-RCFD). Additionally, she leads the IDRC-funded project titled &#8220;Strengthening knowledge, evidence use, and leadership in the global south on forced displacement: focus on East Africa.&#8221; This project played a pivotal role in establishing the research chair on forced displacement at the University of Dar es Salaam.<\/p>\n<p>Under Prof. Kweka&#8217;s guidance, a team of 32 members comprising experts from various disciplines, departments, and institutions in East Africa collaborates on addressing issues related to refugees and internally displaced persons. Their research encompasses a wide range of topics, including displacement due to climate disasters, development-induced displacement (such as urban infrastructure, conservation, and large-scale investments), and other pertinent issues affecting the region. Through her leadership and expertise, Prof. Kweka continues to make significant contributions to the field of forced displacement research in East Africa.<\/p>\n<h2>Professional Contributions<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>South coordinator for the project Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania funded by DANIDA.<\/li>\n<li>Citizenship in the Great Lakes Region of Africa\u00a0 with CSFM, IRRI and SSRC in New York.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Highlighted Publications<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Social categorization and local humanitarian help: the limitations of legal categories for refugees,\u00a0<em>Utafiti,<\/em> No 2. Online, October 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Spaces of Interaction between Protracted refugees in Nyarugusu Camp and the Surrounding Host Community with Rosemary Msoka,<em>Journal of Geographic Association of Tanzania.<\/em>\u00a041 No. 2 p 59-78 in 2022.<\/li>\n<li>South-South Humanitarianism: The case of COVID-organics in Tanzania, with Richey et al. in\u00a0<em>World Development.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Socio-economic Assessment in the Refugees Camps and Hosting Districts of Kigoma Region, work submitted to UNHCR in 2018.<\/li>\n<li>Mapping of Socio-economic needs, partners and interventions for local integration of Burundian refugees in Tanzania, report submitted to the Solutions Alliance in 2016.<\/li>\n<li>Mapping of Migration Data Sources in Tanzania: Migration observatory, African, Caribbean and the Pacific in 2015.<\/li>\n<li>Citizenship without Integration: the Case of Burundian Refugees in Tanzania,\u00a0<em>the African Review: A journal of African Politics, Development and International Relations<\/em>, Vol. 42 No. 2 of 2015, pp 76-93.<\/li>\n<li>Lessons leant during the Mtabila Closure, research report submitted to IRC in 2013.<\/li>\n<li>Assessment of the Plan for Internal Relocation of Naturalized Burundian Refugees, a research report submitted to IDRC in 2012.<\/li>\n<li>Tanzania, a book chapter in the book titled Marginalization and the Plight of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in East Africa edited by Zachary Lomo, Fountain Publisher, Kampala in 2012.<\/li>\n<li>Being and Staying Pastoralists: In Search of a Livelihood Security for Maasai Displacement, a Paper Presented in a Conference on the Future of Pastoralism, Addis Ababa, 21-23 March, 2011 available on www.futureagricultures.org<\/li>\n<li>Dual Citizenship for Development?\u00a0<em>Chemichemi Mwalimu Nyerere<\/em>in 2009.<\/li>\n<li>Refugee caring regime: a paper presented in the international migration workshop in Ghana in 2007, IMI, Oxford.<\/li>\n<li>A PhD thesis titled: The Impact of Structural Adjustment Programmes on the refugee policy in Tanzania and Implications on Livelihood and the Environment submitted to the University of Minnesota Minneapolis in 2007;<\/li>\n<li>Migration and land use changes: the case of Maasai pastoralists migration to urban areas in 1999, a master dissertation in Demography, UDSM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Education<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>PhD in Geography obtained from the University of Minnesota.<\/li>\n<li>Masters of Arts degree in Demography from the University of Dar es Salaam.<\/li>\n<li>Bachelor of Arts degree in land use, planning and environmental studies from the University of Dar es Salaam.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/idrc-crdi.ca\/en\/project\/strengthening-knowledge-evidence-use-and-leadership-global-south-forced-displacement-0\">Learn more about the work led by Opportuna Kweka\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/naK_ejOnddA?si=TylsgVfrdUv0sa3m\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Recent Activities<\/h2>\n<section class=\"content-wrapper content-wrapper--shortcode\"><div class=\"u-post-reload\"><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2025\/informe-de-politicas-perspectivas-del-sur-global-sobre-el-cambio-climatico-y-el-desplazamiento\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Monday, August 18, 2025<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Informe de Pol\u00edticas: Perspectivas del Sur Global sobre el cambio clim\u00e1tico y el desplazamiento<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">Informe de Pol\u00edticas Este informe de pol\u00edticas es el resultado del seminario web sobre el cambio clim\u00e1tico y los desplazamientos desde la perspectiva del Sur Global, organizado por la Red de C\u00e1tedras de Investigaci\u00f3n sobre Desplazamientos Forzados del IDRC, el 30 de enero de 2025. Cont\u00f3 con la participaci\u00f3n de Andrew Harper, del ACNUR,... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2025\/rapport-de-politique-perspectives-des-pays-du-sud-sur-le-changement-climatique-et-les-deplacements-de-population\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Monday, August 18, 2025<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Rapport de Politique: Perspectives des pays du Sud sur le changement climatique et les d\u00e9placements de population<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">Rapport de Politique Cette note d&#039;orientation est le r\u00e9sultat du webinaire sur les perspectives des pays du Sud sur le changement climatique et les d\u00e9placements de population organis\u00e9 par le R\u00e9seau de chaires de recherche du CRDI sur les d\u00e9placements forc\u00e9s, le 30 janvier 2025. Elle a r\u00e9uni Andrew Harper du HCR, Amal El... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2024\/global-south-summit-on-climate-displacement-we-need-a-holistic-approach\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Monday, February 12, 2024<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Global South Summit on Climate Displacement: &#8220;We Need a Holistic Approach&#8221;<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">IDRC Research Chairs call for an end to the silos that divide climate change policy from displacement solutions. Following their inaugural workshop in Dar es-Salaam in May, five of the IDRC Research Chairs on Forced Displacement (Desiree Del Rosario, Abebaw Minaye, Tiga Alain Ouedraogo, Opportuna Kweka, Amal El Ouassif, and Paula Banerjee)... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2023\/global-refugee-forum-the-idrc-research-chairs-demonstrate-the-importance-of-localization\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Saturday, December 9, 2023<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Global Refugee Forum: the IDRC Research Chairs Demonstrate the Importance of Localization<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">&nbsp; Last week, it was my privilege to accompany the twelve IDRC Research Chairs on Forced Displacement to the 2023 Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva. Organized by UNHCR, the goal of the GRF is to get member states to make pledges to help refugees, both within their countries and abroad. In the past,... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2023\/policy-dialogue-held-in-dar-es-salaam-tanzania\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Wednesday, June 21, 2023<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Tanzania: Policy Dialogue held in Dar es-Salaam<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">The\u00a0University of Dar es Salaam has launched a Research Chair on Forced Displacement (UDSM-RCFD) and reiterated its commitment to ensuring inclusivity and scholarly contribution to addressing the global challenge of forced migration. Speaking during the launch on 29th May 2023, the Acting Vice Chancellor, who is also the Deputy Vice... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2023\/world-refugee-day-idrc-research-chairs-show-the-world-how-to-localize-research-on-forced-displacement\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Wednesday, June 21, 2023<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">World Refugee Day: IDRC Research Chairs Show the World How to Localize Research on Forced Displacement<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">On May 30 and 31, in Dar es-Salaam Tanzania, something revolutionary happened. Twelve experts from some of the places most impacted by forced displacement gathered in person for the inaugural workshop of the IDRC Research Chairs Network on Forced Displacement. Funded by Canada\u2019s International Development Research Centre, and with support from... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><div class=\"news news--archive u-width-limited\"><a class=\"news__link  news__link--archive\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fd-chairs-net\/2023\/tanzania-world-refugee-day\/\"><p class=\"news__date news__date--archive\">Tuesday, June 20, 2023<\/p><h3 class=\"news__heading u-hide-in-toc news__heading--archive\" rel=\"bookmark\">Tanzania: World Refugee Day<\/h3><p class=\"news__excerpt news__excerpt--archive\">The Tanzanian Chair, Opportuna Kweka, participated in a World Refugee Day event with university and government colleagues, including... <span class=\"news__more-link\">More<\/span><\/p><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"pagination u-clearfix\"><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"people-type":[23],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - 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