杏吧原创 University President and Vice-Chancellor Wisdom Tettey opened the event by underscoring the transformative power of inclusive research partnerships between academia and communities. He highlighted the vital role of collaborative approaches in advancing epistemic justice鈥攔eimagining spaces, structures, and processes by placing community expertise at the center of knowledge creation. President Tettey also recognized the past accomplishments of the LERRN partnership since 2018, including James Milner鈥檚 selection as a finalist for the 2025 SSHRC Impact Partnership Award, one of Canada鈥檚 highest distinctions in the social sciences and humanities.

LERRN Project Director James Milner emphasized that the partnership鈥檚 launch comes at a pivotal moment in history. With global displacement at record levels and access to protection and durable solutions becoming increasingly uncertain, the international refugee regime faces urgent and complex challenges. Co-Director Rez Gardi highlighted the need for bold thinking and innovative forms of collaboration, stressing that amid mounting threats to asylum, international cooperation, and multilateralism, it is more important than ever to unite and center the knowledge, agency, and expertise of displaced people.

The two-day program focused on four core objectives: affirming the shared goals and vision of the partnership; refining working group plans and identifying points of collaboration; articulating foundational principles; and establishing strategic priorities for the next six years ahead.

Across these discussions, participants reaffirmed their collective commitment to reshaping forced migration research, policy, and practice through inclusive, interdisciplinary, and localized approaches. The dialogue emphasized co-production of knowledge, meaningful capacity sharing, and advocacy that amplifies the voices and expertise of those most affected by displacement. The launch marks a significant step forward in building a more equitable, community-centered, and solutions-focused approach to understanding and responding to forced migration worldwide.

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On February 08, 2025, the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) hosted a webinar to present and discuss the findings of a recently completed special research project on the Politics And Processes Of Refugee Leadership In The Global South, generously supported by the ,听 with a specific focus on South America and East Africa. The webinar attracted over 100 participants from 19 different countries. The panellists discussed the results of an 18-month comparative study on the conditions that enable or constrain refugees from demonstrating leadership in local, national and regional power structures, and shared greater insight into how they think leadership can be redefined in the context of displacement and local solutions in the selected countries of the global South.听听

The webinar was moderated by James Milner, who began the discussion with introductory remarks on the growing research interest in meaningful refugee participation and refugee-led organizations over the last decade. He reflected on the gap in the existing literature, which has predominantly conceptualized refugee leadership from the perspective of the Global North, particularly in humanitarian-based contexts that overlook forms of refugee leadership at the local level. Inspired by this research findings, he encouraged attendees to draw from the panellists鈥� presentations to critically reflect on how leadership is defined, understood, and mobilized.听听

Stephanie Lopez Villamil, Project Lead Researcher in South America, presented her findings from research conducted in Chile and Colombia, where her team focused on leadership dynamics amongst displaced Venezuelan and Haitian populations. She highlighted how refugee leaders did not necessarily see themselves as leaders but rather thought of themselves as another member of the community trying to help others. Building on this, she noted the substantial differences between conventional political leadership and the circumstantial leadership positions that refugees assume when seeking out solutions to their plight. The South American research team also found that gender was a very relevant factor in the self-identification of leadership, with Dr. Lopez Villamil sharing how women, particularly in the Venezuelan community, were hesitant to refer to themselves as leaders. Her presentation concluded with reflections on the conditions that must be addressed in order to strengthen refugee leadership in the Global South, calling for greater social and mental health support, direct funding to RLOs, capacity-building, and increased opportunities for meaningful refugee participation. Her powerful words resonated with the audience, serving as a reminder that refugee leaders are powerful agents of change:听

鈥�Leaders have emerged to respond to the needs of migrants and refugees, but also as powerful voices contesting restrictive measures put in place by some governments, so advocating for their rights, they are recognized by host communities as powerful agents representing migrants and refugees and their needs.鈥澨�听

Ronald Sebba Kalyango, Project Lead Researcher in East Africa, then shared his team鈥檚 insights from research based in Uganda and Kenya, which focused on refugee leadership in the urban contexts of Kampala and Nairobi as well as refugee settlements of Nakivale and Kakuma. 听Dr. Kalyango鈥檚 presentation echoed the earlier conversation about how refugees become leaders by seeking solutions, sharing how many of the refugee leaders in the East Africa region start as activists, interpreters, and researchers who desire change. 听

鈥淲hat usually happens with the refugee leaders is that what motivates them is the desire to cause change in their communities, not so much about being leaders or being seen or being visible or accessing resources, but usually they come out with a desire to see change in their communities鈥�.听听

This notion of leadership affirmed similar findings of the South America research group, which also challenged conventional understandings of leadership by observing refugees in more informal spaces of advocacy and social movements. He then compared the challenges faced by refugee leaders in East Africa to those in South America, drawing similarities between barriers such as tokenization, precarious legal status, and male-dominated leadership structures. These barriers also exist within layers of complex intersectionality, wherein factors such as race, class, nationality, gender, and education can impact the types of challenges that refugee leaders face. Recognizing the need for greater equality amongst refugee leaders, Dr. Kalyango advocated for increased support for female refugee leaders in both RLO and political spheres.听听听

In response to these points, Dr. Milner invited both lead researchers to reflect on what leadership means to refugees in both regions, as well as how scholars and policymakers abroad can reframe how they think about leadership in practice. From the conversation, it became increasingly clear that current conventional understandings of leadership fail to capture the diverse and entrepreneurial nature of refugee leadership. There is tremendous diversity in the way that leadership is pursued, engaged, and expressed, and it does not need to be formally organized or related to a political structure. Dr. Kalyango emphasized that in these spaces,听

鈥淚t was not about position of 鈥業 am a leader, I am the boss鈥�, but they are looking at听what can they do about the problems that they are experiencing鈥�.听听

The discussion was furthered by valuable insights from Lublanc Prieto, Director of Fundaci贸n Refugiados Unidos, and Mohamed Hassan, research officer at the Refugee-Led Research Hub. Both panellists offered their own personal reflections on the research in conjunction with their own expertise and knowledge on refugee leadership. Culturally specific understandings of leadership, opportunities for collaboration both between and within refugee communities, and the entrenched systems of othering were key topics in this discussion. Each discussant also offered suggestions on how to address the barriers that limit effective refugee leadership. Central to these recommendations was the need for comprehensive capacity building. As Prieto emphasized, refugee leadership often emerges in informal spaces with limited resources, and leaders are continuously learning how to navigate the complex power dynamics while also serving their communities. Supporting refugee leadership thus requires going beyond traditional humanitarian programming and moving towards greater recognition for the social movements that emerge from refugee communities. It was further stressed that developing structures that allow for meaningful dialogue between refugee leaders and various actors is at the cornerstone of implementing meaningful refugee participation.听听

Hassan added to this discussion by posing critical questions about whether refugee perspectives are prioritized and valued in formal policymaking settings. He emphasized the importance of addressing the tokenization and stigmatization that surrounds refugee leaders, and noted how meaningful participation means more than access to these spaces, but rather the chance for refugee leaders voices to be heard and influence decision making. He states that听

鈥淚t is good to have refugees because they bring legitimacy to the room, it is good that they are on board, but then their input and what they have to say is not really taken as a priority or is not really considered. It is something people do not see, they want the legitimacy that refugees bring to the table, but they are not necessarily interested in the input of the refugees themselves鈥�.听听

The Q&A session centered on mechanisms for accountability and transparency within organizations that support refugees, specifically in regard to how to track progress towards meaningful refugee participation and refugee leadership. Issues regarding inadequate funding, training programs, and reporting systems were discussed by the panellists as the primary pressure points in both regions, noting how political drawbacks and uncertainties may affect the future of ongoing projects. Dr. Lopez Villamil referred to this tension as the cycle of vulnerability that refugees face and highlighted how this is especially pertinent in South America where refugee leadership is still slowly emerging. Navigating a new country and unfamiliar systems may limit refugee leaders鈥� ability to compete for donor funding against larger humanitarian organizations, yet this does not negate the invaluable impact that they have.听听

Despite facing structural and institutional limitations, the panellists discussed numerous instances wherein refugee leaders were mobilized as activists and agents of change. They concluded that the findings from the research project offered optimistic direction for redefining leadership and expressed their hopes that current understandings of the term can be expanded to become more inclusive of how refugee leaders learn, work, and elicit positive change.听 As emphasized throughout the discussion, meaningful refugee participation requires moving beyond tokenized representation and recognizing that refugee leadership differs from traditional conceptualizations. Shifting the power towards localized solutions means creating spaces where refugee leaders can have their voices included in decision-making processes that affect their communities.听听

For more information about the research project, you can visit the webpage here.听听

En Espa帽ol

El 8 de febrero de 2025,听 el Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) organiz贸 un seminario web para presentar y debatir las conclusiones de un proyecto de investigaci贸n especial recientemente finalizado sobre las pol铆ticas y los procesos de liderazgo de los refugiados en el Sur Global, generosamente financiado por la , con especial atenci贸n a Sudam茅rica y 脕frica Oriental. El seminario atrajo a m谩s de 100 participantes de 19 pa铆ses. Los ponentes debatieron los resultados de un estudio comparativo de 18 meses de duraci贸n sobre las condiciones que permiten o limitan a los refugiados demostrar su liderazgo en las estructuras de poder locales, nacionales y regionales, y compartieron una amplia perspectiva sobre c贸mo creen que puede redefinirse el liderazgo en el contexto del desplazamiento y las soluciones locales en los pa铆ses seleccionados del Sur global.听听

El seminario web fue moderado por James Milner, que inici贸 el debate con unas observaciones introductorias sobre el creciente inter茅s de la investigaci贸n en la participaci贸n significativa de los refugiados y las organizaciones lideradas por refugiados en la 煤ltima d茅cada. Reflexion贸 sobre el vac铆o existente en la bibliograf铆a, que ha conceptualizado predominantemente el liderazgo de los refugiados desde la perspectiva del Norte Global, en particular en contextos de base humanitaria que pasan por alto formas de liderazgo de los refugiados a nivel local. Inspirado por los resultados de esta investigaci贸n, anim贸 a los asistentes a aprovechar las presentaciones de los ponentes para reflexionar cr铆ticamente sobre c贸mo se define, entiende y moviliza el liderazgo.听听

Stephanie L贸pez Villamil, investigadora principal del proyecto en Sudam茅rica, present贸 los resultados de la investigaci贸n realizada en Chile y Colombia, en la que su equipo se centr贸 en la din谩mica del liderazgo entre las poblaciones desplazadas venezolana y haitiana. Destac贸 que los l铆deres y lideresas refugiadas no se ve铆an necesariamente a s铆 mismos como l铆deres, sino m谩s bien como un miembro m谩s de la comunidad que intenta ayudar a los dem谩s. A partir de ah铆, se帽al贸 las diferencias sustanciales entre el liderazgo pol铆tico convencional y las posiciones circunstanciales de liderazgo que asumen los refugiados cuando buscan soluciones a su dif铆cil situaci贸n. El equipo de investigaci贸n sudamericano tambi茅n descubri贸 que el g茅nero era un factor muy relevante en la autoidentificaci贸n del liderazgo, y la Dra. L贸pez Villamil comparti贸 c贸mo las mujeres, especialmente en la comunidad venezolana, dudaban a la hora de referirse a s铆 mismas como lideresas. Su presentaci贸n concluy贸 con reflexiones sobre las condiciones que deben abordarse con el fin de fortalecer el liderazgo de los refugiados en el Sur Global, pidiendo un mayor apoyo psicosocial y de salud mental, la financiaci贸n directa a Organizaciones Lideradas por Refugiados – OLRs, el fortalecimiento de capacidades, y mayores oportunidades para la participaci贸n significativa de los refugiados. Sus poderosas palabras resonaron entre el p煤blico y sirvieron para recordar que los l铆deres y lideresas refugiadas son poderosos agentes de cambio:听

“Los l铆deres han surgido para responder a las necesidades de migrantes y refugiados, pero tambi茅n como poderosas voces que impugnan las medidas restrictivas puestas en marcha por algunos gobiernos, por lo que, al defender sus derechos, son reconocidos por las comunidades de acogida como poderosos agentes que representan a migrantes y refugiados y sus necesidades.”听听

Ronald Sebba Kalyango, investigador principal del proyecto en 脕frica Oriental, comparti贸 a continuaci贸n las ideas de su equipo sobre la investigaci贸n realizada en Uganda y Kenia, centrada en el liderazgo de los refugiados en los contextos urbanos de Kampala y Nairobi, as铆 como en los asentamientos de refugiados en Nakivale y Kakuma. La presentaci贸n del Dr. Kalyango hizo eco de la conversaci贸n anterior sobre c贸mo los refugiados se convierten en l铆deres buscando soluciones, compartiendo c贸mo muchos de los l铆deres refugiados en la regi贸n de 脕frica Oriental comienzan como activistas, int茅rpretes e investigadores que desean el cambio.听听

“Lo que suele ocurrir con los l铆deres refugiados es que lo que les motiva es el deseo de provocar un cambio en sus comunidades, no tanto ser l铆deres o ser vistos o ser visibles o acceder a recursos, sino que suelen salir con el deseo de ver un cambio en sus comunidades“.听听

Esta noci贸n de liderazgo reafirm贸 hallazgos similares del grupo de investigaci贸n de Sudam茅rica, que tambi茅n desafi贸 las concepciones convencionales del liderazgo al observar a los refugiados en espacios m谩s informales de defensa y movimientos sociales. A continuaci贸n, compar贸 los retos a los que se enfrentan los l铆deres refugiados en 脕frica Oriental con los de Sudam茅rica, estableciendo similitudes entre barreras como la simbolizaci贸n, el precario estatus legal y las estructuras de liderazgo dominadas por los hombres. Estas barreras tambi茅n existen dentro de capas de compleja interseccionalidad, en las que factores como la raza, la clase, la nacionalidad, el g茅nero y la educaci贸n pueden influir en los tipos de retos a los que se enfrentan los l铆deres refugiados. Reconociendo la necesidad de una mayor igualdad entre los l铆deres refugiados, el Dr. Kalyango abog贸 por un mayor apoyo a las mujeres l铆deres refugiadas tanto en el 谩mbito de las OLRs como en el pol铆tico.听听

En respuesta a estos puntos, el Dr. Milner invit贸 a ambos investigadores principales a reflexionar sobre lo que significa el liderazgo para los refugiados en ambas regiones, as铆 como sobre la forma en que los acad茅micos y los responsables pol铆ticos en el extranjero pueden replantearse su forma de pensar sobre el liderazgo en la pr谩ctica. A partir de la conversaci贸n, qued贸 cada vez m谩s claro que las concepciones convencionales actuales del liderazgo no logran captar la naturaleza diversa y emprendedora del liderazgo de los refugiados. Hay una enorme diversidad en la forma en que el liderazgo se persigue, se compromete y se expresa, y no necesita estar formalmente organizado o relacionado con una estructura pol铆tica. El Dr. Kalyango subray贸 que, en estos espacios,听

“No se trataba de la posici贸n de ‘yo soy un l铆der, yo soy el jefe’, sino que est谩n听qu茅 pueden hacer ante los problemas que sufren”.听听

El debate se enriqueci贸 con los valiosos aportes de Lublanc Prieto, Directora de la Fundaci贸n Refugiados Unidos, y Mohamed Hassan, investigador del Refugee-Led Research Hub. Ambos ponentes ofrecieron sus reflexiones personales sobre la investigaci贸n, junto con su propia experiencia y conocimientos sobre el liderazgo de los refugiados. Los temas clave de este debate fueron las interpretaciones culturalmente espec铆ficas del liderazgo, las oportunidades de colaboraci贸n entre las comunidades de refugiados y dentro de ellas, y los arraigados sistemas de exclusi贸n. Cada ponente ofreci贸 tambi茅n sugerencias sobre c贸mo abordar las barreras que limitan el liderazgo efectivo de los refugiados. En el centro de estas recomendaciones se encontraba la necesidad de un desarrollo integral de las capacidades. Como subray贸 Prieto, el liderazgo de los refugiados suele surgir en espacios informales con recursos limitados, y los l铆deres aprenden continuamente a navegar por las complejas din谩micas de poder al tiempo que sirven a sus comunidades. Apoyar el liderazgo de los refugiados exige, por tanto, ir m谩s all谩 de los programas humanitarios tradicionales y avanzar hacia un mayor reconocimiento de los movimientos sociales que surgen de las comunidades de refugiados. Adem谩s, se hizo hincapi茅 en que el desarrollo de estructuras que permitan un di谩logo significativo entre los l铆deres y lideresas de los refugiados y los diversos actores es la piedra angular de la aplicaci贸n de una participaci贸n significativa de los refugiados.听听

Hassan se sum贸 a este debate planteando cuestiones cr铆ticas sobre si se priorizan y valoran las perspectivas de los refugiados en los entornos formales de formulaci贸n de pol铆ticas. Hizo hincapi茅 en la importancia de abordar la 迟辞办别苍颈锄补肠颈贸苍 y estigmatizaci贸n que rodea a los l铆deres refugiados, y se帽al贸 que una participaci贸n significativa va m谩s all谩 del acceso a estos espacios, siendo m谩s bien la oportunidad de que las voces de los l铆deres refugiados sean escuchadas e influyan en la toma de decisiones. Afirma que听

“Es bueno tener refugiados porque aportan legitimidad a la sala, es bueno que est茅n a bordo, pero luego su aporte y lo que tienen que decir no se toma realmente como una prioridad o no se tiene realmente en cuenta. Es algo que la gente no ve, quieren la legitimidad que los refugiados aportan a la mesa, pero no est谩n necesariamente interesados en el aporte de los propios refugiados”听

La sesi贸n de preguntas y respuestas se centr贸 en los mecanismos de rendici贸n de cuentas y transparencia de las organizaciones que apoyan a los refugiados. En concreto sobre c贸mo hacer un seguimiento de los avances hacia una participaci贸n y un liderazgo significativos de los refugiados. Los panelistas debatieron cuestiones relativas a la financiaci贸n inadecuada, los programas de formaci贸n y los sistemas de informaci贸n como principales puntos de presi贸n en ambas regiones, y se帽alaron c贸mo los inconvenientes y las incertidumbres pol铆ticas pueden afectar al futuro de los proyectos en curso. La Dra. L贸pez Villamil se refiri贸 a esta tensi贸n como el ciclo de vulnerabilidad al que se enfrentan los refugiados y destac贸 c贸mo esto es especialmente pertinente en Sudam茅rica, donde el liderazgo de los refugiados a煤n est谩 emergiendo lentamente. Navegar por un nuevo pa铆s y por sistemas desconocidos puede limitar la capacidad de los l铆deres y lideresas refugiadas para competir por la financiaci贸n de los donantes con organizaciones humanitarias m谩s grandes, pero esto no niega el inestimable impacto que tienen.听听

A pesar de enfrentarse a limitaciones estructurales e institucionales, los ponentes debatieron numerosos casos en los que los l铆deres refugiados se movilizaron como activistas y agentes del cambio. Llegaron a la conclusi贸n de que los resultados del proyecto de investigaci贸n ofrec铆an una orientaci贸n optimista para redefinir el liderazgo y expresaron su esperanza de que la interpretaci贸n actual del t茅rmino pueda ampliarse para incluir en mayor medida la forma en que los l铆deres refugiados aprenden, trabajan y generan cambios positivos.听 Como se subray贸 a lo largo del debate, la participaci贸n significativa de los refugiados exige ir m谩s all谩 de la representaci贸n simb贸lica y reconocer que el liderazgo de los refugiados difiere de las conceptualizaciones tradicionales. Desplazar el poder hacia soluciones localizadas significa crear espacios en los que los l铆deres refugiados puedan hacer o铆r su voz en los procesos de toma de decisiones que afectan a sus comunidades听

Para m谩s informaci贸n sobre el proyecto de investigaci贸n, puede visitar la p谩gina web 补辩耻铆.听听

听

Throughout the webinar, key insights emerged, notably emphasizing the pivotal role of mutual support for Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) from various partner entities, including UN bodies, international and non-governmental organizations (I/NGOs), governments, and others. Discussions encompassed not only local challenges but also broader global perspectives on addressing refugee issues, underlining the necessity for collaboration and resource mobilization to support RLO interventions effectively. The webinar further delved into the specific challenges encountered in refugee camps like Kakuma and the Kalobeyei settlement, emphasizing the urgency of tailored solutions and direct engagement with affected communities.

Reflecting on the Voices Rising: Refugee-Led Solutions Conference 2023, the importance of refugee-led organizations emerged as a central theme. The conference provided a platform for these organizations to showcase their expertise and foster collaboration with stakeholders, emphasizing the significance of partnerships and meaningful engagement with INGOs, NGOs, and the government of Kenya. Furthermore, discussions highlighted the multifaceted challenges faced by refugees, ranging from access to education and healthcare to economic opportunities. Sustainable solutions addressing these root causes were underscored as imperative for long-term impact.

As the webinar concluded, a clear call to action resonated: continued support and collaboration are vital to empower RLOs and to address the underlying challenges faced by refugees. Meaningful engagement, capacity building, and resource mobilization were identified as key components for sustainable impact. In summary, the Voices Rising: Refugee-Led Solutions Webinar provided invaluable insights into the critical importance of refugee-led initiatives and the collaborative efforts required to address refugee challenges effectively.

Find more about

If you are interested in supporting Refugee-led Organizations in Kakuma & Kalobeyei, please complete the questionnaire here:

Webinar report prepared by: Georgiana Ghitau, Knowledge Mobilization & Translation Officer, LERRN

The Refugee Advisory Network of Canada (RAN Canada) organized its inaugural webinar titled “Meaningful Refugee Participation: Taking Stock and Charting the Way Forward” in celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20, 2023. With 53 participants from 10 different countries, the webinar explored the concept of meaningful refugee participation and discuss its significance in improving the lives of refugees. The panel featured representatives from four refugee-led organizations (RLOs), including Dr. Hourie Tafech from United States Refugee Advisory Board (USRAB), Rabia Talal Almbaid from New Zealand Refugee Advisory Panel (NZRAP), Mustafa Alio from Refugees Seeking Equal Access to Table (R-SEAT), and Tsering Norzom Thonsur from Refugee Advisory Network of Canada (RAN Canada). The panel discussion was moderated by Dawit Demoz from RAN Canada.

During the panel discussion, the participants briefly shared their perspectives on what meaningful refugee participation meant to them. Dr. Tafech stated that meaningful refugee participation should aim for normalization, where refugees do not have to advocate for their place at decision-making tables. Rabia emphasized the importance of ensuring that all refugees’ voices, including those who consider themselves former refugees, are heard and valued. Tsering expressed her encouragement from this year’s World Refugee Day, where the hope carried by refugees should be matched by non-refugees. Mustafa highlighted that meaningful refugee participation is a learning curve and a means to achieve better outcomes, calling for patience and mutual efforts between refugee advisors and governments.

The webinar provided valuable insights into the concept of meaningful refugee participation and the challenges and opportunities associated with it. The panelists emphasized the need for sustained collaboration, genuine intention from governments, and equitable representation to advance meaningful refugee participation. The discussion highlighted the role of CSOs, evidence-based research, and refugee voices in shaping policies and improving the lives of refugees. The panelists emphasized that meaningful refugee participation is a continuous learning process and called for ongoing efforts to ensure better outcomes for all refugees.

The conversation can be followed on , where they welcome further engagement and feedback on the topic of meaningful refugee participation. To learn more about RAN Canada, please visit their .

Full Webinar Report | Rapport de webinaire complet

Webinar Participants

Moderator

Dawit Demoz

Advisor, RAN Canada; Program Manager, Jumpstart Refugee Talent

Full Profile

Panelists

Mustafa Alio

Co-Managing Director, R-SEAT

Full Profile

Tsering Norzom Thonsur

Advisor, RAN Canada; Manager, Settlement Program, Parkdale Intercultural Association

Full Profile

Hourie Tafech

Advisor, USRAB (United States Refugee Advisory Board); Program Manager, Refugees International

Full Profile

Rabia Talal Almbaid

Panelist, New Zealand Refugee Advisory Panel

Full Profile

This report was prepared by Nadeea Rahim, LERRN Research Support and Program Officer.

Event details and recordings available here.

On Monday, April 24^th, viewers across 29 countries attended the virtual book launch of The Right to Research anthology published by McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press as part of their Forced Migration Studies Series. The conversation, moderated by Professor Jeremy Adelman (Princeton University), revolved around contributors鈥� and editors鈥� personal experiences as historians, the challenges of the concept of the 鈥渞ight to research,鈥� and the opportunities and difficulties they face while striving to change the way historical scholarship is produced while in displacement.

Jeremy Adelman opened the discussion by asking how this anthology came to be. Professor Marcia C. Schenck, one of the book’s editors, responded by stating that the anthology is an effort to confront the suppression of particular accounts and collections of historical records. These silences on the archival and narrative production level were initially drawn to Prof. Schenck鈥檚 attention in 2016, when she worked as a teaching assistant for a global history course taught to refugee learners in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Gerawork Gizaw, one of her students who went on to become a contributor to the volume, raised the fact that refugees and displaced people were largely missing from large-scale historical narratives, and that even fewer refugees were present as historians authoring those narratives. With the Global History Lab at Princeton University, this prompted her to develop the Global History Dialogues Project, which trains student-researchers with all kinds of relationships to citizenship and statelessness in oral history research methods, and supports them in conducting original oral history research on topics of their choice. It was from the context of this course that all of the essays in The Right to Research first developed.

Jeremy Adelman then turned to some of those research projects. Alain Jules Hirwa delved into how hip-hop culture in Kenya can function as a mental migration and an expression of political dissent. Gerawork Gizaw focused on refugee education in the Kakuma camp by looking at the historical perspective of education quality versus expansion. Jeremy asked the participants to expand on the idea of becoming a researcher for people who are from the Global South or forced migration background. For Lazha Taha, becoming a researcher proved that her interests in Kurdish photojournalism and archive preservation hold professional and academic value. Muna Omar, as a person from a refugee and marginalized background, expressed the systemic challenges and biases within academia. For her, becoming a researcher allowed her to start dismantling the mentality that normalized the unfair treatment of refugees in Yemen. For Sandrine Cyuzuzo Iribagiza, becoming a researcher who analyzes Intore traditional dance involved working with others and using various sources to create a final product.

Expanding from the position of the researcher, Ismail Alkhateeb emphasized the importance of empathy and active listening in building a comfortable and safe environment for interviewees when conducting oral history research. As Richesse Ndiritiro echoed, the researcher is not a passive entity and their personal experience as a refugee and a researcher can help avoid biased narratives in research.

The concept of 鈥渢he right to research鈥� is a reference to Arjun Appadurai鈥檚 essay with the same title, in which he defines the right to research as a 鈥渞ight of a special kind,鈥� a right to 鈥渕ake disciplined inquiries into those things we need to know, but do not know yet鈥� (p. 167). This right becomes fundamental to leading a meaningful life in a democratic society as a citizen. However, Marcia Schenck drew attention to necessary additions to Appadurai鈥檚 definition: 鈥淔irst of all, the right to research in the sense of inquiring into the things that we do not know yet and finding out about them in a systematic way is 听fundamentally important 鈥� to people in all sorts of different spheres of life.鈥� Indeed, the concept becomes even more critical for those who are partially or fully outside of the regimes of citizenship. Additionally, Marcia Schenck stated, 鈥渞esearch is not something that happens in your individual room, by yourself, but it is something that happens in exchange with your interview partners, colleagues, and collaborators.鈥� Gerawork Gizaw comments on this second aspect and states that not having access to this right means outsourcing the understanding and problem-solving capacities of an individual. The right to research, then, involves having the space to tell one鈥檚 story and share one鈥檚 experiences, especially in the context of refugee camps. In other words, the right to research is interpersonal and conversational.

After the panelists shared their personal experiences as researchers, they reflected on the impact of their research across academic, community, and policy spaces. According to Aime Parfait Emerusenge, studies included in the anthology provide a blueprint for collaboration between the Global North and Global South while highlighting the importance of discussing social realities, including displacement and cultural preservation. Kate Reed expanded on the idea of a conversation because each section in the anthology starts with a letter from the author addressing the reader, which acknowledges the position of the reader as a stakeholder in historical scholarship. Additionally, Kate Reed frames the anthology as an archive because 鈥渆ach contributor built their own archive of interviews with people in their local communities in contexts.鈥� Phocas Maniraguha, for example, conducted research on traditional healers in East Africa, which highlights the importance of preserving the knowledge of older generations and making it accessible to younger generations and the wider community. Phocas Maniraguha鈥檚 research bridges the gap between academic researchers, policymakers, and community practitioners.

The Q&A portion of the event tackled various topics ranging from ethical research with traumatized groups to the limits of the 鈥渞ight to research.鈥� While Muna Omar stated that the interviewees could feel safe more easily with researchers from marginalized backgrounds, Sandrine Iribagiza emphasized that the right to research as a concept goes beyond the boundaries of academia. Lazha Taha commented on the importance of this anthology in the field of forced migration and historical scholarship: 鈥淭his book is a good way to learn about a diverse set of people from the world talking about their lives and struggles, and that鈥檚 what will make us contribute to each other鈥檚 shared knowledge.鈥�

To conclude the event, each contributor and editor shared their final thoughts about what they鈥檇 like listeners to walk away from the conversation with. Sandrine Iribagiza shared that research plays a crucial role both at a personal level and in our societies at large, and that we need to share research-based knowledge to inform policy. Ismail Alkhateeb shared his aspiration for an 鈥渋nclusive history鈥� that gives 鈥渁gency to those who are, in traditional research practices, framed as victims or treated as subjects of studies.鈥� Phocas Maniraguha shared his hope that more young people in Eastern Africa are able to engage in research and build community. Lazha Taha noted that projects like this expose us to the diversity of the world, but also to shared problems and solutions. Alain Hirwa encouraged us to approach the world around us with greater curiosity and a researcher鈥檚 sensibility, to engage in the creation of our own research and archives. Richesse Ndiritiro noted that detailed historical research can open up the question of 鈥渨ho is a refugee鈥� to policymakers, and that involving refugees in research can help address the challenges displaced people face. They are not just part of a vulnerable population, but crucial contributors and authors of research. 听Aime Parfait Emerusenge emphasized the importance of research raising up untold stories and helping us take action. Muna Omar noted that refugees are often seen as 鈥渟tatic numbers鈥� in the news, and that research and history writing can help illuminate the humanity of these individuals and create better humanitarian responses. Gerawork Gizaw addressed the issue of education and mobility. Technology has helped him obtain research training and other opportunities without mobility, and he hopes that a culture of doing research also develops as a result of this communication and exchange. Marcia Schenck stressed an understanding of the right to research as dialogical, in which refugees and others on the move have the ability to conduct a systematic inquiry, but also the ability to be taken seriously as producers and bearers of knowledge. Much of the onus falls on those of us within academic and policy spaces to shift the institutional, funding, and epistemic landscapes to create more horizontal, diverse discussions. Kate Reed, drawing on the conclusion of the anthology (which was coauthored by all of the contributors and editors), reflected on the importance of continuing to engage in work that facilitates new forms of knowledge production, while always remaining critically attentive to their limitations, and invited the audience to continue the conversations opened by the book and the webinar.

This report was prepared by Irem Karaba臒, LERRN Project Writer, and Kate Reed, co-editor of The Right to Research Anthology.

Event details and recordings available here.

The last webinar in a series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research, co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the (RRN), focused on funding structures for research on forced migration. Panelists spoke of the ways individual researchers can contribute towards addressing these issues and how the structures in place need to shift in order to create substantial change.

Maha Shuayb brought her expertise as Director of the Centre for Lebanese Studies and Lead Investigator of LERRN鈥檚 Lebanon Working Group and brought her perspectives from the RRN. Coming from the perspective of donors, webinar participants also heard from of the German Development Institute and Roula El-Rifai, Senior Program Specialist at the (IDRC).

The panel began with a discussion on the additional challenges that many researchers in the global South face. Susan McGrath explained that access to such presumed basics as reliable electricity and the internet can be a barrier for researchers. She said some researchers do not have the same access to research assistants and in some regions, researchers must obtain permission before applying for research grants. Roula El-Rifai suggested that investing in sustainable institutions rather than individual researchers or individual projects can help address some of these capacity issues. According to her, institutions can play a crucial role in supporting ongoing research: 鈥淲e have to use local institutions in a way to train the trainers. Local institutions become the hubs that can impact individual researchers as well as other institutions.鈥� Funding research through opportunities like the IDRC鈥檚 is just one example of building up local institutional capacity to support sustainable localized research. Both Susan McGrath and Maha Shuayb pointed out the importance of supporting emerging scholars by creating resources like the . In McGrath鈥檚 view, emerging scholars lack the profile of more established scholars but can be supported with mentorship and other forms of support.

Coming from the global North perspective, J枚rn Gr盲vingholt explained that the whole industry of research needs to review its modes of operation. As one example of what needs to change, many scholars in the North will determine a topic for research in the South and then travel to conduct that research with a local partner, only to offer them a mere acknowledgement in a published article. The panelists agreed that scholars from the North should be including local researchers from the very beginning of the research design process. Gr盲vingholt noted this way of doing research is beginning to change, but more needs to be done. He suggested that researchers from the North and the South have much to learn from each other.

Gr盲vingholt reflected on how academic career incentive structures in the North reward individual authorship and published papers in academic journals, but do not reward research that helps local communities and do not incentivize making research accessible to the communities it affects. Instead, these career incentives hinder collaboration and uphold the hierarchical culture within academia. Maha Shuayb also critiqued how publishing research in an English language journal is not always helpful or accessible to refugee communities and host communities in the South who speak a different language. Roula El-Rifai highlighted the importance of redefining our understanding of knowledge, since knowledge continues to be Western-centric. Western scholars continue to be cited more frequently and their forms of knowledge privileged over diverse forms of knowledge produced in local contexts.

Finally, the panelists highlighted the importance of recognizing positive change. Over time, funding requirements have changed to support local leadership in research. As a scholar in the South ten years ago, Shuayb said she had to find a partner in the North to apply for funding, because she was not eligible to be a Principal Investigator (PI) on grant applications. Now she sees more opportunities for co-PIs in funding applications. Beyond forced migration studies, many fields are having similar conversations and there is much to learn from these other discussions. The COVID-19 pandemic brought opportunities for local research to take the spotlight amidst travel restrictions. Some scholars were able to collaborate with others in regions around the world thanks to adaptations with virtual technologies. Hybrid-style conferences and events can continue beyond travel restrictions to foster collaboration. For example, the (IASFM) is proposing a hybrid-model for its conference in 2024. While there is still a long way to go on many issues, we can celebrate and learn from these examples of positive change.

This concludes the LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research

Click here to read about or watch the recordings from the previous webinars in the series.

This report was prepared by: Kail Schlachter, LERRN Project Writer; Rawan Youssef, LERRN Strategic Communications Project Officer; Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer.

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.

Please note: this webinar was held as a meeting; no video recording will be made available.

Event details available here.

On March 11, the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the (RRN) hosted their second webinar of the year, featuring three anthropologists who reflected on their unique personal experiences as international students from post-war Bosnia to the United States. The webinar, titled 鈥淗aunted by Violence鈥�, featured Saida Hod啪i膰 (Associate Professor of Anthropology and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Cornell University), Azra Hromad啪i膰 (Associate Professor at The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University) and Larisa Kurtovi膰 (Associate Professor at the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa). All three are anthropologists who left Bosnia in the 1990s to pursue their studies overseas and ultimately pursued academic careers in the US and Canada.

The webinar was moderated by Jennifer Hyndman, Professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and Associate Vice-President Research at York University. 116 participants were registered for this live-only event. The three presenters read excerpts from their work and presented personal reflections about the liberal violence of caring for refugees and how the label 鈥渞efugee鈥� positions, even displaces, one in a new country like the United States. This personal and intimate discussion was very timely given current developments in Ukraine, and the lives of displaced persons worldwide.

For those interested in further readings related to the webinar, we have compiled a list of resources:

This report was prepared by: Hayley Britton, LERRN Communications/Knowledge Mobilization Officer.

The final webinar in the series, Changing the Structures of Forced Migration Research, will take place on 31 March, 2022

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.

Event details and recordings available here.

The third webinar in a series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research, co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the (RRN), focused on creative research methods in challenging times. More than 200 people in 46 countries registered for this interactive pre-launch of the forthcoming book . The co-editors of the book, and , gave an overview of the chapters and moderated the question period.

During the workshop, and Nicole Phillips introduced their collaborative approach that aims to bring joy and whimsy to the research process. The Multimedia Package (MMP) approach begins by inviting participants to mark places that are important to them on a map and by asking participants questions about what home is and what it looks like to them. During the workshop, participants shared their answers in the chat. In this research method, the answers to these prompts are not the actual data for the research, but a way to stimulate a conversation and to help research participants become more comfortable and enjoy the research process. Phillips explained that one of the challenges in research with refugee populations is that they are often over-researched. At first, participants give responses they think the researchers want to hear and it takes time and persistence to make them feel comfortable and in control.

Next, and shared their research method of mobility mapping videos. Wanting to record stories of urban displacement, they invite research participants to share their life stories and the places to which those memories are linked. The final products are in which participants hand-draw a map and mark milestone memories on it while narrating their thoughts freely. The instructions are open to interpretation so participants can tell their stories however they wish. Silence plays a key role. Jayatilaka and Gamage have used these videos to share with policy makers the stories of people who have experienced urban displacement.

Another chapter author, , shared one of her that gave research participants the opportunity to capture sounds that represented their lives before and after displacement in Colombia. Dina Taha spoke about her chapter that looks at the traditional methodology of qualitative interviews through the lenses of decolonization and critical reflexivity. She urged us to ask if research questions are rooted in stereotypical conceptions or binaries. Critical reflexivity can reveal the vulnerability of the researcher and show when to embrace it, as well as help navigate the delicate balance between researcher and participant control in an interview. Taha noted that arts-based research methods give more control to research participants but are still designed by the researchers.

Finally, , one of the chapter co-authors, shared the challenges of being both a researcher and a community member. In his research, when refugee fathers who have experienced war would share their vulnerabilities, they sometimes said 鈥測ou know what I鈥檓 saying鈥� instead of elaborating, given his similar experiences as a community member. He reflected on how, at the end of the day, it is a researcher鈥檚 job to deliver high quality data, even if it works against personal bias.

You can use the discount code 鈥淢QSP鈥� to receive 20 percent off your copy of until April 30, 2022.

Stay tuned for the next two webinars in the series in March about exploring positionality in refugee research and about challenging funding structures.

This report was prepared by: Kail Schlachter, LERRN Project Writer and Rawan Youssef, LERRN Strategic Communications Project Officer.

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.

Event details and recordings available here.

In the second of a series of webinars on the ethics of forced migration research co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the , our panel of speakers reflected on the theme of building research relationships and setting the agenda. The panel featured Dr. Alice Nah, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Politics at the University of York, UK and one of the founding members of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, as well as Mark Okello Oyat, Director of the Dadaab Response Association. During the webinar, Dr. Oroub El-Abed joined the panel, bringing her experience as Regional Research Coordinator for LERRN in Jordan and Lebanon, and as Lead Researcher in Jordan for the Centre for Lebanese Studies.

The panel began by reflecting on the importance of questions on research partnerships and agenda-setting. Moderator Susan McGrath, reflecting on the experiences of the RRN and the challenges of sustaining a research network, highlighted the , entitled . Alice Nah, who started her work on displacement as an advocate and activist, 听discussed how institutional incentive structures can take academics away from relevant research by emphasizing theoretical contributions to academic disciplines over relevance, practical impact, or solutions to the problems displaced communities face. That can make it challenging for academics to do reciprocal and impactful research.

For Mark Okello Oyat, who lives in an encampment, this conversation is personal because researchers usually come from outside of the camp with their own research agenda and set of questions, which limits the participation of refugees themselves. It is important to empower refugees to tell their own stories and to conduct their own research on topics that they consider to be important. An alternative approach, like the one taken by LERRN, has provided researchers 听from Dadaab a platform to听 publish their research on refugee education as LERRN Working Papers. These papers examine topics that have been neglected in previous research and global discussions, such as Mark鈥檚 paper on the issue of corporal punishment in refugee schools. Mark emphasized that refugees who are empowered to be independent researchers are then able to connect with scholars around the world.

The panelists criticized how refugees are sometimes brought into research partnerships as subordinate research partners. Oroub El-Abed asked 鈥淲hat is the role of refugee researchers being involved? Is it just getting them to do the work or are we really empowering them?鈥� The speakers advocated for involving refugees and local researchers from the beginning of conceptualizing the problems and asking the questions they see as important in their communities, rather than recruiting refugees to implement existing projects.

Mark suggested that research cannot only be about knowledge production, but needs to have a purpose. The evidence collected in research is an important foundation of advocacy for policymakers to lobby for changes in policy and practice. Oroub suggested that research can be part of standing against the authoritarian oppression of refugees and disturbing states involved in that oppression. Making space for refugees in research can involve theatre, exhibitions, or documentaries in addition to traditional written research publications. Alice also emphasized the importance of making the research relevant in different forums, including within scholarly, practitioner, and refugee communities. Well-respected institutions and scholars in the North can also lend legitimacy to the research findings of refugees and local researchers, and stand with them in solidarity when there are potential risks for speaking up.

The discussion raised important questions about trust, power, and resources. Unfortunately, some recent scholarship has not connected with long-standing conversations on these debates. Without reflecting on these questions, we risk reproducing power asymmetries, inequalities, and problematic policy paradigms. Alice questioned how some ever-present issues get onto research agendas in the first place and asked 鈥淲ho has the power to turn something into something worthy of investigation, worthy of investment?鈥� As explained in a recent open-access article by LERRN researchers (), localizing knowledge production will require transferring power 鈥� including power to set the research agenda 鈥� to researchers in the South. One of the key features of the LERRN partnership is that the research agenda is set by working groups in East Africa and the Middle East. One thing we have learned during the pandemic is that virtual spaces open up possibilities for more inclusive and global conversations.

Stay tuned for future webinars in the series in 2022!

This report was prepared by: Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer; Amanda Klassen, LERRN Project Officer; and Kail Schlachter, LERRN Project Writer.

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.