Innovations in Refugee Protection: A Compendium of UNHCR’s 60 Years. Including Case Studies on IT Communities, Vietnamese Boatpeople, Chilean Exile and Namibian Repatriation

576 Pages·9.892 MB·English

by  Luise Druke

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Luise Druke e
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Innovations in
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This compendium synthesizes innova- inal materials to bring out the challenges c
tions of the UN High Commissioners for of protecting refugees in ever-shifting po- e Refugee Protection
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Refugees (UNHCR) since 1951. The book litical landscapes. Understanding the past o
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bridges the gap between academic and is fundamental to dealing with the present P
field work and uses Joseph Nye’s con- and planning for the future. Druke’s e
cept of ‘soft power’ as a methodological careful scholarship draws the connections e A Compendium of UNHCR’s 60 Years
approach for understanding and solving here in ways which will be of great value g
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political and ethical refugee protection to students and practitioners alike.” f Including Case Studies on IT Communities,
dilemmas. Extending the refugee legal Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner e
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framework (1951 Refugee Convention and for Refugees-Protection (UNHCR) n Vietnamese Boatpeople, Chilean Exile
1967 Protocol), UNHCR has increasingly
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novative technologies and new partners.
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Refugee protection is a responsibility pri- The Author ti
marily of states. Challenges are: consider- a
ing increasing power diffusion (Nye) from Luise Druke, Dr. phil. Dr. h.c., is Fellow at v
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states to non-state actors and balancing the Harvard Humani- n
IT potentials with security risks. tarian Initiative (HHI) n
and Visiting Scholar at I
“Druke has written a fascinating overview Harvard Law School
of the dilemmas facing those engaged in (IGLP). She serves as
refugee protection. She chronicles the Co-Chair for UN
strategies used by practitioners in various Studies at Suffolk
cases to navigate the unavoidable political University (Govt. Dep.)
and ethical challenges of this work.” and Part-time Lecturer
David Kennedy, Professor of Law and at the Leibniz University (Pol.Sc.Dept.).
Director of Institute for Global Law and Having headed UNHCR international
Policy at Harvard Law School missions for nearly 30 years, she authored
/co-edited many other refugee, United
“This book draws on an impressive array Nations and European Union related
of significant first-hand sources and orig- publications.
ISBN 978-3-631-63450-9
263450_druke_gr-A5HCk PLE edition new abb u4.indd 1 30.10.13 KW 44 18:58
e
k
u
r
D
Luise Druke e
s Luise Druke
i
u
L
Innovations in
Refugee Protection n Innovations in
o
i
t
This compendium synthesizes innova- inal materials to bring out the challenges c
tions of the UN High Commissioners for of protecting refugees in ever-shifting po- e Refugee Protection
t
Refugees (UNHCR) since 1951. The book litical landscapes. Understanding the past o
r
bridges the gap between academic and is fundamental to dealing with the present P
field work and uses Joseph Nye’s con- and planning for the future. Druke’s e
cept of ‘soft power’ as a methodological careful scholarship draws the connections e A Compendium of UNHCR’s 60 Years
approach for understanding and solving here in ways which will be of great value g
u
political and ethical refugee protection to students and practitioners alike.” f Including Case Studies on IT Communities,
dilemmas. Extending the refugee legal Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner e
R
framework (1951 Refugee Convention and for Refugees-Protection (UNHCR) n Vietnamese Boatpeople, Chilean Exile
1967 Protocol), UNHCR has increasingly
i
used international human rights law, in- s and Namibian Repatriation
n
novative technologies and new partners.
o
Refugee protection is a responsibility pri- The Author ti
marily of states. Challenges are: consider- a
ing increasing power diffusion (Nye) from Luise Druke, Dr. phil. Dr. h.c., is Fellow at v
o
states to non-state actors and balancing the Harvard Humani- n
IT potentials with security risks. tarian Initiative (HHI) n
and Visiting Scholar at I
“Druke has written a fascinating overview Harvard Law School
of the dilemmas facing those engaged in (IGLP). She serves as
refugee protection. She chronicles the Co-Chair for UN
strategies used by practitioners in various Studies at Suffolk
cases to navigate the unavoidable political University (Govt. Dep.)
and ethical challenges of this work.” and Part-time Lecturer
David Kennedy, Professor of Law and at the Leibniz University (Pol.Sc.Dept.).
Director of Institute for Global Law and Having headed UNHCR international
Policy at Harvard Law School missions for nearly 30 years, she authored
/co-edited many other refugee, United
“This book draws on an impressive array Nations and European Union related
of significant first-hand sources and orig- publications.
263450_druke_gr-A5HCk PLE edition new abb u4.indd 1 30.10.13 KW 44 18:58
Innovations in Refugee Protection

Luise Druke

Innovations in Refugee Protection
A Compendium of UNHCR’s 60 Years
Including Case Studies on IT Communities, Vietnamese
Boatpeople, Chilean Exile and Namibian Repatriation
Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche
Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the
internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.

Cover illustration:
Helping Vietnamese refugees was one of the major challenges for UNHCR dur-
ing its first 60 years. This boat was photographed just off the Malaysian coast in
December 1978. http://www.unhcr.org/4d063d736.html, accessed 17 May
2013. Copyright UNHCR / K.Gaugler.

Druke, Luise.
Innovations in refugee protection : a compendium of UNHCR's 60 years ; in-
cluding case studies on IT communities, Vietnamese boatpeople, Chilean exile
and Namibian repatriation / Luise Druke.
pages cm
ISBN 978-3-631-63450-9
1. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees—History. 2.
Refugees—International cooperation—History. 3. Refugees—Services for—
History. 4. Human rights—History. I. Title.
HV640.3.D78 2013
362.8706'01--dc23
2013022621

ISBN 978-3-631-63450-9 (Print)
E-ISBN 978-3-653-03825-5 (E-Book)
DOI 10.3726/978-3-653-03825-5
© Peter Lang GmbH
Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
Frankfurt am Main 2013
All rights reserved.
Peter Lang Edition is an Imprint of Peter Lang GmbH.

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Commendation
“This book draws on an impressive array of significant firsthand sources and original mate-
rials to bring out the challenges of protecting refugees in ever-shifting political land-
scapes. Understanding the past is fundamental to dealing with the present and planning for
the future. Drüke’s careful scholarship draws the connections here in ways which will be of
great value to students and practitioners alike.”
Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner – Protection (UNHCR)
5

Messages of Introduction
We do what we do in the realm of international organization because we strive, in our own
fashion, to give expression to universal truths… I believe they include a yearning for peace
and the awareness that we are but stewards of this extraordinary only one earth.
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General (1997-2006)
Drüke looks at current UNHCR innovation initiatives to enhance protection of refugees, many
of whom are women and children. She also illustrates innovative approaches in previous ref-
ugee protection operations on behalf of the Vietnamese boat people, Chilean exiles and Na-
mibian returnees based on her experience as a UNHCR representative in the field. This book
broadens an understanding of the dilemmas and opportunities involved in this field work. It
usefully complements individual refugee protection procedures from a purely legal perspec-
tive based on a practice-oriented approach that is of value to academics and students alike.
Deborah Anker, Harvard Law School, Clinical Professor of Law, Director,
Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program
This book offers a detailed review of refugee experiences in a number of humanitarian
emergencies, spanning several decades. Drüke’s analysis combines direct operational and
policy experience in the field and analyzes how international agencies have adapted their re-
sponse to humanitarian crises over the past 30 years. Her insights offer key learning expe-
riences for emergent humanitarians as they consider how new social and technological
forces are transforming the humanitarian space and affording new opportunities for respond-
ing to emergencies in ways that are speedier and more proactive than had been possible in
the past.
Vincenzo Bollettino, PhD., Executive Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, (HHI)
The volume offers a pragmatic policy perspective on the realization of refugee rights in the
field by demonstrating through case studies how innovative solutions were implemented in
response to local challenges. Luise Drüke’s account of significant UNHCR operations she
headed in three continents provides a novel insight, particularly for students aspiring to tran-
sition from school to the refugee protection work of UNHCR with governmental and NGO
partners at the local, regional or international level.
Katalin Dobias LL.M.’13 Harvard Law School
7
Luise Drüke, a renowned UNHCR country representative, brings her own unique insights as
a humanitarian leader to this rich volume of materials. Her case studies illuminate the role of
innovation and organizational leadership in providing refugee protection in complex politi-
cal environments. This book is a great resource for teaching and training of future scholars
and practitioners in the fields of refugee protection and assistance and of humanitarian aid
more generally.
Jill Goldenziel, Lecturer on Government and Social Studies, Harvard University and
Lecturer in Law, Boston University School of Law
Druke has written a fascinating overview of the dilemmas facing those engaged in refugee
protection. She chronicles the strategies used by practitioners in various cases to navigate
the unavoidable political and ethical challenges of this work.
David Kennedy, Director on Institute for Global Law and Policy at Harvard Law School
The ‘right to have rights’, as Hannah Arendt once wrote, is one of the great accomplishments
of a global society committed to human rights and the protection of refugees. This important
book, based on the personal experience of the author, provides an overview of 60 years of
refuge protection through the United Nations. The documents and case studies presented
here show the importance of humanitarian action to preserve the human rights regime. This
book is a great compendium for students and scholars interested in human rights and the
protection of refugees.
Christiane Lemke, Professor, Leibniz University Hannover
The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, de-
mocracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Respecting and promoting
the right to asylum is at the heart of the Union’s efforts to build an area of freedom, security
and justice at a time when we are marking the 60th anniversary of the signature of the 1951
Geneva Refugee Convention.
Cecilia Malmström, Ph.D., Commissioner for Home Affairs, European Commission
Designed for both students and practitioners, this book offers a firsthand explanation of many
refugee crises, which translates to firsthand critical thinking for readers. Students and readers
are asked to assess Drüke’s accounts and UNHCR’s strategies, in order to solve new problems
and adapt as would UNHCR personnel. In drawing from her own experience, Drüke bridges
the gap between classroom practice and fieldwork praxis; behind this book is a woman in-
tent on imparting her knowledge and honoring refugees, colleagues, and refugees NGO and
Governmental partners – the case study approach brings out this human connection.
Elizabeth Moroney, BA in Social Studies (Harvard University), Case Studies Program
at Harvard Law School and Copy Editor of Innovations in Refugee Protection
8