Capturing forgotten voices: Syrian adolescents' experiences of displacement and humanitarian action in Jordan and Lebanon.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This studentship aims to capture the voices of young refugees and to help integrate them into humanitarian programming through collaboration with Plan International, a key international actor in child protection. Refugee adolescents (understood as any person aged between 11 and 19) are one of the most vulnerable age groups in situations of conflict and displacement. They are increasingly exposed to various forms of violations, such as physical, sexual, and psychological violence, exploitation, trafficking, and military recruitment (Schlecht et al., 2017). Yet, adolescents, especially females, are often overlooked in humanitarian programming that traditionally focuses on the experience of younger children or adults. The specificities of adolescents' experiences and needs are neglected in the existing academic literature and so there is a gap in capacity building resources for humanitarian organisations that work with them (Cuesta and Leone, 2020). This project thus focuses on adolescents to examine their specific experiences of displacement as well as their experiences as aid recipients in humanitarian crises. It contributes to a wider intellectual endeavour in the field of humanitarian studies to engage with the local context and the diverse experiences of vulnerable communities and incorporate them into effective humanitarian responses. Capturing adolescents' voices will help to improve academic understanding of the issues faced by a so far under-researched age group. The project can then offer an evidence-base to practitioners to improve age-specific programming that is currently based mainly on assumed rather than evidenced needs. Doing so is important because protecting, investing in, and empowering adolescents is essential not only to better protect children, but also to build inclusive communities and facilitate early recovery and development (UNICEF, 2020). To this end, the projects asks these key research questions:- What are the key challenges faced by refugee adolescents during conflict-related displacement?- What specific provisions do national and international organisations offer to this age group,in particular with a view on protection, and how do they relate to their actual needs?- How do adolescents experience the process of receiving assistance from the humanitarian community?- How do services provided to adolescents change their lives and communities?Answering these questions will enable academics and practitioners to understand the specific needs of this age group, and how far current programming is able to meet them. To make an impact on humanitarian programming, the project will be undertaken in partnership with Plan International. Alongside other actors in the field, the organisation has identified an urgent need to better include refugee adolescents in decision-making processes that affect their lives and the lives of their communities. Plan International considers these efforts as critical to empower children, young people, and their communities.