A group of new arrivals from Africa in a Malta detention centre. Malta, and other European destinations in the Mediterranean, has seen a drastic reduction in arrivals by sea over the past year or two. (Michael Edström/ UNHCR) December 2009
We expect the work of the forum to be based on practice. We're not just looking to agree on general principles on paper, but rather on concrete standards and mechanisms to guarantee the rights of migrants.

A look into the IDP camp of Muhanga, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (Danilo Giannese/JRS)
Mokoto and Muhanga camps are particularly difficult to reach and IDPs living there have more need than ever for protection; this is why we have decided to establish activities in places like this.

The Kajo Keji Peace Radio Show co-hosts in the studio during a live programme in South Sudan. The radio is hosted by the Jesuit Refugee Service. (Sergi Camara/JRS)
The show was a natural and much needed extension to project activities. By putting peace messages on the radio, the entire community could benefit.

According to the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement, the actual number of people who have been internally displaced by the Colombian conflict since the mid-1980s surpasses five million. In addition, more than 600,000 people have crossed the border into neighbouring countries as refugees. (JRS Venezuela)
This comprehensive support goes all the way from an initial interview, to granting a provisional document, locating and providing housing with the help of the International Organisation for Migration, and providing access to education, health, micro-credit, legal counselling, and follow up each case.

Bogota, 12 October 2012 – Last month the Jesuit Refugee Service Latin America and Caribbean office began the project, Prevention of violence and restoration of rights of displaced persons and refugees on the Colombian-Venezuelan border; the project is supported by the Alboan Foundation and the Basque government of Spain.

This project aims to continue the work undertaken previously by JRS in Barrancabermeja, San Pablo and Cucuta, in Colombia, and Ureña and El Nula, in Venezuela. In these areas, JRS provides comprehensive accompaniment and support, from a bi-national perspective, to thousands of displaced or refugee women, men, boys, girls and adolescents.

According to the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES), the actual number of people who have been internally displaced by the Colombian conflict since the mid-1980s surpasses five million. In addition, more than 600,000 people have crossed the border into neighbouring countries as refugees.

According to figures from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), 54,965 refugees, mostly from Colombia, live in Ecuador. In Panama, there are 15,000 people in need of international protection. In Brazil, the number has grown by 300 percent in the last two years, and in Venezuela, there are more than 200,000 people in need of international protection.

In Venezuela, one of the protection gaps is the denial of refugee status or difficulty accessing the determination process. In Colombia, displacement continues and people are not able to access durable solutions that would allow them to live in dignity. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of these people to advocate for and exercise their human rights before the relevant authorities, supported by strong grassroots organisations.  

Another problem present in the region is the risk of children and young people becoming involved in different manifestations of the armed conflict, which often results in them dropping out of school and in the loss of family structure. Having identified this problem, the project will also be implemented through community education.

In addition, there will be regional research and advocacy activities that, combined with awareness-raising, communication and education activities, will raise awareness of  the daily hardship facing victims of conflict, facilitate their integration into host communities, and prevent violence.

A look back. The first phase of the project took place from 2010 until 2011. During this time, refugees and displaced persons learned about their rights, as well as ways in which they could demand their enforcement.

In total 2,574 refugees and displaced persons were identified, treated and supported in five towns. 1,856 people (62 percent women) received emergency humanitarian assistance, legal counselling and psychosocial care. More than 1,235 people (52 percent women), including both community leaders and RDP, participated in 95 capacity-building workshops and coordination meetings to strengthen protection mechanisms, promote their rights and support the local integration processes.

"Our support to families was integrated and comprehensive in order to ensure sustainability in Venezuela. This comprehensive support goes all the way from an initial interview, to granting a provisional document, locating and providing housing with the help of the International Organisation for Migration, and providing access to education, health, micro-credit, legal counselling, and follow up each case", said Ingrid Bournat, a psychologist in charge of the JRS team in Tachira, Venezuela.

JRS provided information to public entities regarding the status of refugees and other displaced persons to focus their assistance, helping to ensure it is based on identified priorities. JRS also provided training and technical assistance for public servants on the design and implementation of policies, plans and programmes for victims of forced migration.

The results of this first intervention allow JRS to track protection gaps and the available capacity to act in humanitarian situations on the border. Additionally, JRS conducted 75 actions to inform public opinion about the various issues affecting refugees and displaced people.  

At all times, the refugee population was the driver of the development of all activities. Their willingness, support (many offered their homes to provide services and workshops), and guidance on new or unforeseen situations, catalysed the formulation of new proposals or changes in existing interventions.

The objective is to empower refugees to defend their rights and ultimately improve their own standard of living.

Grace, a JRS volunteer, enjoys the limelight with her younger students and their mother at a social gathering at the school which offers more than a chance to learn, but also a safe-haven where community spirit can be cultivated.
It is an opportunity to mix with children of different nationalities who have had similar experiences to them and to engage in positive activities as a community.

Amman, 15 October 2012 – For eight months former Jesuit Refugee Service volunteer, Grace Benton, worked in a team of volunteers trying to offer refugees and their children the support they need to build a future. The courses went from strength to strength; but as she learned, the results were about more than learning curricular subjects, they were about building community and making refugees safer.

It all began when she gave a nonchalant response to an unexpected question.

Grace's experience. "Hey, we need someone to teach the kid's class. Can one of you do it?" Without thinking, I nodded.

Not having any inkling of what to expect, I slung my bag over my shoulder and shuffled over to where a cluster of Sudanese and Somali children, aged 5 – 15, were huddled, chatting nervously amongst themselves. When I put my bag down in front of the class, ten pairs of eyes turned apprehensively toward me and the chatter stopped. Little did I know that this would prove to be one of the most challenging, and rewarding, experiences during my year in Jordan.

From small beginnings. My road to the children's class began while living in Jordan as a Fulbright Scholar and volunteering with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) as part of my extracurricular activities. JRS began assisting a Sudanese refugee community living in Amman. The community leaders immediately expressed a desire to learn English. JRS organised a group of volunteers to teach English a few nights a week in the house of some of the refugees. Soon another house requested lessons, and then another.

Demand became so great that it was decided to shift from classes in refugee homes to a centralised location where all the students could attend the night classes at the same time. The demographic of the informal education project also expanded to include Somalis, Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis. Although JRS manages an informal education project during the day, many Sudanese and Somalis work as manual labourers and are only able to attend at night.

With the commencement of the classes at the Jesuit centre in Jabal Hussein, a lot more women began to attend classes. They brought their children with them, and so began the children's class.

Challenges of teaching. Many of the challenges of teaching at Jabal Hussein – maintaining discipline and enthusiasm, although no different than teaching children elsewhere in the world – eluded me for some time. What little experience I had was limited to relatively well-behaved high school students and adults; teaching children proved more complex.

Fortunately my father, a veteran middle school teacher, imparted his wisdom one day over Skype:

"You've got to trick them into learning, put together activities disguised as games that will secretly leak some knowledge into their brains."

My co-teachers and I took his advice to heart. By incorporating music, dance and art into our lessons we were able to expend energy and teach English at the same time.

Other challenges were more contextual. During my second week of teaching, a fight broke out between a Somali boy and a Sudanese boy, each around 12 years old. After pulling them apart, I discovered that some racial comments had been made to prompt the brawl.

From a focus group with some Sudanese mothers, I later learned that racist remarks from the host population and other nationalities are a daily reality for some refugees. In a city awash with refugee populations, they are viewed as intruders trying to take work from Jordanians.

As time went on, the children began to open up about these issues. Many of them suffer from daily instances of name-calling, ostracising, and other forms of discrimination. Almost all of them live in poor and rough neighbourhoods, and others face abuse at home.

And yet, despite these exhausting and demoralising challenges, many of the children attend classes regularly. Some come with their parents or older siblings, but a significant number come alone, indicating a remarkable level of motivation for such young children.

Education is a stabilising factor. The JRS English teaching programme provides a crucial opportunity to students to supplement their limited English education, while also offering a safe-haven from the painful teasing that permeates their daily school experience.

It is an opportunity to mix with children of different nationalities who have had similar experiences to them and to engage in positive activities as a community. Programmes like these are all-too-often underestimated and underfunded, yet their capacity to rebuild communities and instil newfound hope is huge.

Refugees receive support at Melkadida refugee camp on the border of Ethiopia and Somalia in 2011, Dollo Ado, Ethiopia (Angelika Mendes/JRS)
Young refugees, with little to occupy their days, became highly involved in the football and volleyball leagues. JRS activities and regular football games quickly became part of their daily routine, and our team felt a real sense of accompaniment.

Dollo Ado, 11 October 2012 – The deeper we travelled towards the southeastern Ethiopian-Somali border, the hotter it became. Our tents became excruciatingly hot during the day; and when it rained, they flooded. This was the challenging reality of a Jesuit Refugee Service team member in Melkadida camp when the Dollo Ado project first began operations in November 2011.

A year ago, Dollo Ado was on the front pages of newspapers and headlining on major TV channels. The drought, ravaging the Horn of Africa, hit Somalia particularly hard, leading to an influx of Somali refugees, mainly to Kenya and Ethiopia.

The crisis captured the attention of millions around the world and humanitarian agencies started arriving to work in the refugee camps located within the common border triangle of Somalia-Kenya-Ethiopia.

In early October 2011, I headed to Dollo Ado to assist in the process of setting up the new JRS project. After three days travelling by road from Addis Ababa, I arrived in the remote town of Dollo Ado, a few kilometres away from the Somalia border.

The long trip was an adventure with rough, dusty, hilly roads and arid weather conditions. As we got closer to the drought-affected areas, it was heart-breaking to see animal carcasses lying on road sides, abandoned by their owners as they sought refuge elsewhere.

Amazingly, soon after my arrival, the skies opened up and rained, saving the animals from the agony of death. This almost felt like the seasonal launch of our new project.

A one-year journey. The impact of the JRS youth programme was felt immediately. Young refugees, with little to occupy their days, became highly involved in the football and volleyball leagues. JRS activities and regular football games quickly became part of their daily routine, and our team felt a real sense of accompaniment.

Soon afterwards, the psychosocial programme began supporting families distressed by experiences of civil war and forced exile. Then, JRS developed adult literacy classes to boast the confidences and skills of many refugees previously denied the right to an education by years of war.

Working without permanent shelter from strong winds, extreme heat and frequent dust storms was a constant challenge.

The recently completed JRS complex – equipped with running water and satellite dish – has not only helped to relieve these challenges, they have allowed the team to operate more efficiently.

The completion of recreational facilities, a training centre and a primary school is already making a difference in the lives of refugees. The mood of the refugees has been improved as they congregate at the JRS centre, eager to make use of the new facilities.

It has been a short time, but our experiences and recorded achievements have proved valuable.  As we look towards year two, we are planning for increased accompaniment, service and advocacy for the refugees of Melkadida.

Melkadida is one of five camps in Dollo Ado on the border of Somalia. Of the 41,000 refugees who reside there, JRS will have supported more than 12,500 by the end of this year.

Schools are no longer used for learning; a young girl sits outside at desks that have been removed from the classrooms in order to create more space in the school for people to take refuge from the violence, Aleppo, Syria (Avo Kaprealian & Sedki Al Imam/JRS)
Our focal point at the moment is activities which support children. They suffer from displacement and disruption, but also from the terrible situation, the events they witness and the trauma in their families when they are not themselves the direct victims.

Amman, 12 October 2012 – Like many other places throughout the country, JRS staff and buildings have not been spared from the violence of the conflict. Movement is constrained, goods deliveries are delayed and buildings are destroyed and evacuated. Yet despite these setbacks, JRS and local networks of solidarity have continued to provide emergency support.

The most recent estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) puts the number of Syrians in need of assistance at 2.5 million, with more than 300,000 refugees located in neighbouring countries. It is also estimated that 31,000 people have died as a result of conflict since March 2011.

Aleppo. Last month, the JRS Deir Vartan,  located in disputed territory of Midan, served as a battle ground for rebel and government forces. The field kitchen was relocated to new premises where 10,000 hot meals could be distributed daily to displaced Syrians. Consequently, Deir Vartan is partially destroyed and, for the moment, inaccessible to JRS staff.

According to the OCHA, 600 schools across Syria are being used as shelters. JRS has taken responsibility for five of the 30 in Aleppo, also providing food, non-food items and cash assistance to 4,000 people. However, as winter approaches temperatures will significantly drop and the displaced Syrians without access to shelter leaves cause for concern.

Damascus. A spate of large explosions in recent days has heightened tensions yet again amongst the local population. The academic year has restarted, but according to JRS staff in Damascus, functioning schools are overloaded and transportation costs to and from classes are prohibitive.

In an effort to alleviate this problem, JRS provides nearly 500 children educational support, cash assistance for transport costs, sports and recreational services. Opportunities for children to create handicrafts, music and art are offered to the students to encourage self-expression and emotional release from the trauma of conflict.

"Our focal point at the moment is activities which support children. They suffer from displacement and disruption, but also from the terrible situation, the events they witness and the trauma in their families when they are not themselves the direct victims", JRS Middle East and North Africa Director, Nawras Sammour SJ.

JRS is coordinating the provision of emergency assistance in the form of food items, household goods, mattresses, cooking utensils and hygiene products to 900 families in Damascus. An additional 1,000 families in the surrounding areas receive indirect support from JRS through Syrian networks of solidarity working to alleviate the crisis.

Homs. The JRS centres in Homs, Al Mukhales and Al Waer, have shifted from summer activities to remedial classes for students in order to adequately serve the needs of children returning to school. Every afternoon for two hours, 800 students receive educational support at the two centres. Fourteen children with disabilities are also participating in a programme specially designed to meet their needs.

Future plans include supporting a school in the Marmarita valley, which lies near the border with Lebanon. The population of this border region has tripled, bringing the percentage of displaced to 75 percent of the total. Consequently, authorities in the area are unable to meet the education needs of displaced children.

Support for 500 families in Homs and surrounding areas is ongoing, with many residents returning home from other places, because nowhere in Syria is free from the scourge of war.

Neighbouring countries. In Jordan, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates there are 200,000 Syrians; the area of greatest need is education. The Jordanian authorities are in need of assistance and resources to meet the needs of Syrians.

In Amman, the JRS informal education project continues to welcome Syrians, and the family-visits team still maintains contact with200 Syrian families, and provides them with cash and food assistance. The majority of Syrians in Jordan live outside Za'atari refugee camp, where they struggle to meet their daily needs.

Thanks to local coordination with Jesuits in Lebanon, JRS has begun undertaking visits to Syrian refugee families there, looking to see what individualised support can be provided. A more in-depth needs assessment is currently being carried out.

NGOs, including JRS, are still unable to gain access to the camps along the Turkey-Syria border as they are under the sole responsibility of the local Red Crescent.

How can you help? Below is a list of items that people in Syria urgently need as we head towards the harsh winter months. With your financial help, we can alleviate suffering of Syrians.

• 70 euro: 100 litres of heating oil for winter
• 80 euro: a basic family kit: one mattress, two sheets, one pillow, two winter-blankets and two towels
• 100 euro: a food-basket for a five-person family for one month
• 120 euro: winter clothing for one family (pullover, jacket, trousers, shoes)
• 160 euro: one month's rent of an apartment for a displaced family
• 4,000 euro: one day support for the families sheltered in the schools in Aleppo
• 4,000 euro: cost of providing food for 10,000 people for one day
• 8,000 euro: the installation cost of the field kitchen

Many children have not been able to attend school for nearly one year due to the conflict, JRS provides educational activities for these children to help restore normality to their lives, Aleppo, Syria (Avo Kaprealian & Sedki Al Imam/JRS)
As a result of the fighting, few places are safe in Aleppo and many people are isolated. With winter approaching, which is particularly harsh here in Aleppo, and their houses destroyed, where will the families find sufficient shelter?

Amman, 11 October 2012 – Stray bullets frequently land on the floor of the recently relocated JRS kitchen in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, but despite increased security concerns JRS teams have been able to expand its small, but concrete, assistance to those caught in the crisis.

"Our field kitchen is back up and running. We had a surprisingly smooth first day", enthused fellow JRS volunteer and Syrian national Sami in a rare online chat while speaking of the kitchen that was relocated after closing down briefly in late September.

Perhaps a blessing in disguise, the relocation meant that the operation, which originally provided 5,000 hot meals daily, could be moved to a more spacious location and increase the number of meals provided to 10,000 per day allowing for decreased stress levels during distribution hours. In addition, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the UN World Food Programme have fortunately been in a position to provide support for the kitchen allowing for increased capacity.

Shelter. During the summer, official permission was granted to use schools as temporary shelters causing an influx of thousands of IDPs who moved from public parks, where they previously sought safety, into 30 schools in Aleppo. However, these facilities can no longer house the rising numbers of vulnerable persons in need of shelter today.

"We're experiencing a sharp increase in internal displacement. Over the past ten days, the parks are filling up again", said Sami in an effort to explain the situation on the ground.

Just last week, one of the five shelters (former schools) for which JRS is currently responsible was evacuated by security forces, leading to the displacement of people who had already been forced out of their homes.

"A section of the main Aleppo ring-road is full of people just wandering around aimlessly", Sami continued.

As the war spreads throughout the city, IDPs are crowding into the few areas not under constant bombardment. In the face of ongoing electricity and water shortages, assisting all those in need is rarely possible and not sustainable in the long run.

"As a result of the fighting, few places are safe in Aleppo and many people are isolated. With winter approaching, which is particularly harsh here in Aleppo, and their houses destroyed, where will the families find sufficient shelter?" asked JRS Middle East and North Africa Director, Nawras Sammour SJ.