Diaspora humanitarianism in contexts of forced displacement

被迫流离失所背景下的侨民人道主义

• 批准号: 2400619
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2400619
• 关键词: Diaspora; humanitarianism; contexts; forced; displacement

The role of diaspora groups has emerged as key in responding to humanitarian disasters concerning forced displacement and conflict. Limited but growing scholarly and policy attention recognises diasporas are often the first to respond in emergencies, taking a multi-sectoral and transnational approach, and acting with expertise of the local environment. Online fundraising, communications technology and remittances has enabled the development of international ad-hoc responses that currently operate mostly outside of the formal humanitarian sector, often reaching remote populations that international non-governmental organisations cannot.Particularly in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis, the Syrian diaspora - comprising voluntary and forced migrants - have been key in local community responses across multiple countries including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and more recently Sudan. Unrestricted access to Sudan has created intensified flows of Syrians to Khartoum, where they are received by Sudanese and International NGO's, and by Syrian diaspora organisations and local communities. Given that policy engagement remains hesitant to acknowledge the role of diaspora groups as humanitarian actors, and the literature on this topic is currently limited, there is a need to examine new cases where diaspora groups are playing significant roles in responding to displacement crises. Exploring the nature, role, drivers and impact of Syrian diaspora group efforts in Khartoum could contribute to furthering our understanding of diaspora's as a 'non-traditional' humanitarian actor group with different modus operandi for the implementation of aid and assistance, as well as contribute to the development of policy and practice to best respond to humanitarian emergences. The findings will be of interest to scholars researching diasporas, to practitioners and diaspora groups, to humanitarian actors looking to engage with diaspora groups, and to policy makers.This project will build upon the emerging yet underexplored conceptualisation of south-south humanitarianism which gives attention to local community responses and assistance activities led by Southern actors for displaced populations within the global South. In prioritising theoretical frameworks from the 'South', this study will problematise the dominant humanitarian narratives which have until now largely excluded the phenomenon of diaspora humanitarianism, and will seek to explore diverse models of Southern-led responses to conflict-induced displacement within the 'southern responses to displacement' nexus. This project will also develop the concept of humanitarian infrastructures - which includes an examination of the communications systems and technologies as well as institutions, social networks and personal relations that facilitate or block movement of support.The aim of the project is to examine diaspora humanitarianism in Khartoum, Sudan through a study of the Syrian refugee communities and the diaspora organisations assisting them. This will be achieved through five objectives 1) To examine the types of assistance that have been mobilised for Syrians arriving in Sudan 2) To explain the reasons why assistance is provided 3) To explain the meanings attached to this assistance by the displaced and those supporting them 4) To look at how the assistance enables or disables settlement 5) To identify the principles and future visions of humanitarianism guiding the assistance.The thesis would adopt a transnational social field perspective to examine multiple interlocking networks of social relationships through which ideas, practices and resources are unequally exchanged, organised, and transformed. The study will thus employ a qualitative emic methodology involving semi-structured interviews. The ethical issues associated with engaging with vulnerable populations such as refugees would be made central to the research approach.

散居国外群体的作用已成为应对强迫流离失所和冲突等人道主义灾难的关键。有限但越来越多的学术和政策关注认识到，侨民往往是第一个在紧急情况下作出反应，采取多部门和跨国方法，并与当地环境的专业知识采取行动。在线筹款、通信技术和汇款使国际临时应对措施得以发展，这些措施目前大多在正式人道主义部门之外运作，往往能够接触到国际非政府组织无法接触到的偏远人口。叙利亚侨民--包括自愿和被迫移民--在包括土耳其、黎巴嫩约旦和最近的苏丹。不受限制地进入苏丹造成叙利亚人更多地流向喀土穆，在那里他们受到苏丹和国际非政府组织以及叙利亚侨民组织和当地社区的接待。鉴于政策参与仍不愿承认散居群体作为人道主义行为者的作用，而且目前关于这一专题的文献有限，有必要审查散居群体在应对流离失所危机方面发挥重要作用的新案例。探索叙利亚侨民团体在喀土穆的工作的性质、作用、驱动因素和影响，有助于我们进一步了解侨民作为一个“非传统”人道主义行为体团体，在提供援助方面有不同的运作方式，并有助于制定政策和做法，以最好地应对人道主义紧急情况。研究人员、实践者和散居群体、希望与散居群体接触的人道主义行为者以及政策制定者都将对研究结果感兴趣。该项目将建立在南南人道主义概念的基础上，南南人道主义关注当地社区的反应和由南方行为者领导的对全球南方流离失所人口的援助活动。在优先考虑从“南方”的理论框架，这项研究将problematise占主导地位的人道主义叙事，到目前为止，在很大程度上排除了散居人道主义的现象，并将寻求探索不同的模式，南方领导的反应冲突引起的流离失所内的“南方对流离失所的反应”的关系。该项目还将发展人道主义基础设施的概念--其中包括对通信系统和技术以及机构、社交网络和个人关系的审查，这些系统和技术促进或阻碍了援助的流动。该项目的目的是通过对叙利亚难民社区和帮助他们的散居组织的研究，审查苏丹喀土穆的散居者人道主义。这将通过五个目标实现：1）审查为抵达苏丹的叙利亚人动员的援助类型; 2）解释提供援助的原因; 3）解释流离失所者和支持他们的人对援助的理解; 4）研究援助如何促成或阻碍定居; 5）本论文将从跨国社会场域的角度，探讨多重社会关系网络，透过这些网络，思想、实践和资源得以不平等地交流、组织和转化。因此，本研究将采用定性主位的方法，包括半结构化的访谈。与难民等弱势群体接触有关的伦理问题将成为研究方法的核心。