Political sociologist, Dr. Dilar Dirik, is Ockenden International’s third Joyce Pearce Junior Research Fellow. The fellowship, funded by Ockenden International, is administered by Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) in conjunction with the Refugee Studies Centre, part of the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford.
In my childhood, my parents and I were forced to flee Turkey to seek asylum in Germany, due to the war and the political persecution of the Kurdish people. In recent years, the Middle East region has experienced unprecedented scales of mass displacement and forced migration, even leading to episodes of genocide and irreversible historical and ecological destruction. From my own personal and academic perspective, I believe that the recurrence of such tragedies can only be tackled in a manner that is compassionate towards affected communities, but critical towards international and local political, cultural, social and economic systems and discourses that . . .
Read Dr. Dirik’s full story . . .
Submissions in the 2021 Ockenden International Prizes – the ninth annual quest to find and reward the most effective self-reliance projects for refugees and displaced people – closed at midnight GMT, Monday the 30th of November 2020.
‘Every Child Deserves a Future' nominated by Compass Children’s Charity, UK, was awarded its prize for a strong, well-organised project providing refugee and internally displaced children with a safe haven.
FORGE for humanity's 'Unlocking Potential' project won for its unique focus on support for single male refugees. The judges said FORGE is successfully challenging stereotypes while providing a support network to facilitate stability, integration and autonomy.
The eponymously-named project won for improving access to essential services for vulnerable, displaced communities on the Thai-Myanmar border and in eastern Myanmar, where conflict-affected communities gained access to quality healthcare and education.
'Muhra, a Social Enterprise for Refugee Women' won for its self-sufficiency and commercial success. 'Muhra' is a local handcraft brand that the judges agreed, though small scale, is an intense enterprise, working as well for the individual craftswomen involved as for the whole venture.
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