The New Refugee

After interpreting a comprehensive definition of the term “refugee” from the UNHCR, it is clear that the term describes something more than the individual emotional or physical state of a displaced person. The state of "refugee" must be a recognized entity outside of the mind of an individual; it is a label that is determined by greater powers in the international system. It is a term that prescribes a two-way relationship between the outside international community that houses the refugees and the refugees themselves. Before reading the UNHCR account, I did not consider the effect of refugees on the international system, only taking into account the uncontrollable circumstances that have created the heartbreaking desperation driving the actions of refugees. While reading the article, I was actually surprised that a formal, application process determined the right of a person to adhere to the label of “refugee”. In some ways, the demand for an application process is nothing more than another way to isolate and weaken vulnerable populations. It is understandable that the international community does not want stable persons taking advantage of the protections and resources specifically available for refugees in need, yet the international organizations, distinctively removed from all crisis situations that produce refugees, do not have the direct experiential knowledge that enables them to properly determine which populations deserve special protections. No matter how proper the UNHCR’s motives are, their authority to determine “refugee status” will always come from a safe office space away from the emotional turmoil that is driving people out of their homes.

One aspect of the UNHCR’s definition that I would like to incorporate into my original (possibly too poetic) statement, “in essence, a refugee is a wandering soul” is the idea that a refugee is both a person with little power and a person with great power in numbers. The UNHCR noted that foreign governments and systems could collapse if they receive an influx of refugees in a small period of time. It is interesting to think that a group of disparaged, displaced persons could have a profound impact on the powerful members of the international system; recognizing this impact is an essential part of analyzing the definition of “refugee” because it evolves a refugee from something to pity into a relevant and incremental aspect of the international system at large.

Questions:

What are ways in which the volunteers can disrupt educational/racial/religious/socio-economic privilege while communicating with refugees? How can we replace feelings of guilt/pity with a sense of equal commodity? Is help always appreciated or can it (or perhaps, should it) be resisted?