Between Earth & Sky Trailer

Between Earth and Sky

More Refugee Documentaries: Between Earth & Sky

Refugee Documentaries

Wanting to revisit the media sphere and explore additional documentaries or other media campains that were created to give voice to the refugee crisis i found some interesting things.

Between Earth & Sky: A documentary created by a cambodian refugee, Kalyanee Mam, who became a practicing lawyer in Iraq sought to make a documentary about Iraqi displacement after the U.S invasion in 2003 and demonstrate the refugee movements that resulted as Iraqis fled to Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.

UNHCR article on Refugee Documentary

Between Earth & Sky Blog created to give the documentary publicity- another effective media outlet.

Mark Hanis Calls for a Paradigm Shift at NYU

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Morning after Mark Hanis came to speak at NYU he appeared on the MSNBC's Morning Joe Show. Speaking to NYU students as the Selma Rubin Distinguished Lecture Series KEYNOTE for a semester long social activism initiative I Co-chaired called "Critical Voices in Social Activism," he discussed the necessity in implementing a paradigm shift in how society and policy makers view genocide.

Mark described an "a-ha" moment people have when they suddenly realize that the Genocide occurring in Darfur, and in many regions such as Burma, the Congo, Sri Lanka amongst others isn't a result of a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, where individuals become naturally displaced, rather they are victims of persecution, humanitarian atrocities such as rape and extreme violence perpetrated by other malicious human beings. Unless there occurs a Paradigm Shift that causes Darfur and other Genocides to be treated as a human security issue rather than a natural disaster issue, the failure to uphold the promise of "Never Again."

Interestingly enough it is true that often Genocide Activism from various non-profit calls for disaster relief when requesting donations, but people in Darfur don't just need money, and food and the furnaces being sent over, they need military intervention to bring an end to it, just as the Holocaust was finally ended when troops came into Auschwitz. 

Darfur Refugees

To Be a Darfur Activst Click Here!

See what YOU can do to help by accessing the activist toolkit shown below

UN DURBAN II Protest Videos

Watch Video of Protest sponsored by Standwithus.org

UNHCR statistics

The United States of America, Canada and France, the top three receiving countries in 2008, 

together accounted for one-third of all new asylum claims submitted in industrialized countries. 

Together with Italy and the United Kingdom, the top five receiving countries accounted for half 

of all asylum claims. 

access the UNHCR 2008 report on asylum levels and trends in industrialized countries: HERE

Influence of Web 2.0

All of the new technological internet advancements are pretty remarkable, my twitter phone updates, the RSS feeds tailored to specific topics i want to follow and, websites such as NETVIBES: enabling me to access all of my feeds in a synchronized consilidated manner.

What are these changes in Web 2.0 doing to enhance the Refugee cause, and global social activism?

ALOT!

WCAR: April 25th UN Durban II Protest: StandWithUs

Earlier today On April 25th New York City University students protested the 2009 Geneva UN Durban II conference (WCAR), for failing to truly address the crises around the world in need of intervention (such as the genocide attrocities in Darfur & Burma) and instead giving platform to raging lunatics AKA Ahmadinejad. 

A friend of mine from NYU, Zach Novetsky was sent to the Durban II Review Conference as a member of a delegation of the European Union of Jewish Students. I myself almost went as a student representative with the American Jewish Committee, as the Vice President of the NYU-AJC Society. 

While Zach Novetsky attended the conference which started April 19th and continued through yesterday April 24th, he was reporting for the Jersulam post via blogging, and also kept his own personal world press blog called Durban Debacle.

Although i didn't fly to Geneva Switzerland, i was following the convention via twitter updates, blogs such as AJC, JPost, Durban Debacle, and the main news media reports via CNN, BBC, and New York Times.

What was incredible about this protest outside the UN this morning however, is that i was one of the core organizers, alongside Daniel Klein from Stand with US, Ari Grazi a junior at NYU and a few other students from other New York City universities such as Queens College who collaborated with Zach while he was in Geneva using facebook, email exchanges, and AIM. Within 48 hours we were able to get over 400 people to respond on facebook and circulate it to necessary people. Orchestrating such a protest truly proved the "power of the Media" the core of our discussions all semester. It was incredible to meet everyone this morning who i didn't even know, but had talked to over the phone and emailed back and forth.

Click to View FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

The turnout was rather successful, and we stood across from the UN, peacefully protesting, and then marched in a single file line in front of the UN flags at the main entrance.

Check out an additional post that will include a video that was taken. I was photographing while there.

© Hila Raz 2009

UNRWA & Palestinian Refugees

UNRWA: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which created its own criteria for refugee classification- As such that Palestinians are the only refugee population legally defined to include descendants of refugees, as well as others who might otherwise be considered internally displaced persons.

I personally find the situation in the Palestinian territories to be a matter of great concern that must be resolved. A two state solution is desperately needed but how can such a solution be generated when both parties, that being the Palestinians and Israeli's don't both want it. Conflict Resolution, diplomats, peace seekers- have all attempted for years... what is the missing key?

As of December 2005, the World Refugee Survey of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants estimates the total number of Palestinian refugees to be 2,966,100.

Documentary: Well Founded Fear (PBS)

 Well-Founded Fear: A PBS Documentary

Wanting to explore how the media has helped spur the attention of international policy makers and activists around the world on the issue of  global refugee populations i found myself looking to find what documentaries, information videos, news broadcasts etc., preceding recent internet campaigns, were created.  Before the emergence of widespread digital activism concerning a variety of humanitarian intiatives, and specifically the refugee issue, refugee activists and organizations had to do outreach and publicize their cause elsewhere and via alternative outlets. What was most effective?

Media outlets such as television broadcasts, newspapers, magazine articles, radio shows, campaigns spread by word of mouth etc. were crucial in disseminating information that spread social activist movements, and perhaps garnered one movement more attention over another. A "hot" issue in the political limelight is bound to get more public followers and involved activists if it effectively acquires publicity.

In discussing and researching documentaries that have been created in the last decade or so dealing with refugee crises and immigration policy, i came across a documentary my two roomates were asked to watch for their immigration policy class called "Well-Founded Fear" created in 1993 by documentary filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini who decided to make a series of films exploring the global movements of people across borders in the post-Cold War world. 

I found some of the segments of the documentary to be incredibly eye-opening, showing an entirely new side to this complicated global issue and the troubles concerning seeking asylum and declaring refugee status by officials working in the field.

WATCH BELOW

This is the Intro You Tube Clip- length 10 minutes (1/12 segments):

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSyKSPUtuwA

Watch entire 45-minute documentary in 12 segments by clicking on the additional clips on the youtube page

Case-Study Input:

"Well-Founded Fear is a stunning example of documentary filmmaking, beautifully crafted and brilliantly structured to allow viewers to enter into a realm of human experiences and political facts as witnesses, citizens, family members, decision-makers. It is as art, not propaganda, that it finds its great power, entering the social imagination which is so heavily informed by television. It reached three principal groups: the INS, the advocacy community, and general audiences.

The INS: Immigration and Naturalization Service: Camerini and Robertson screened the film at six INS offices. It was also seen by Commissioner Meissner. Officers had varying reactions to the film—. But it was generally agreed that the film had captured the culture of INS offices in a way it had never before been seen, and that it foregrounded the threat of “officer burnout” in this high-stress environment. The film is being used in staff training, and steps are being taken to counter burnout. 

Legal and Advocacy Communities. Well-Founded Fear gave national visibility to immigration and asylum issues that are rarely seen on television, except in cases that are politically dramatic (Elian Gonzalez) or extreme (smuggled Chinese workers stranded at sea). It provided legitimacy and support to the work of advocates, like the San Francisco Amnesty worker who said the film would help her organization’s efforts, saying, “The refugee experience is so complicated and hard to convey to the public.” Broadcast and local events have produced pro bono volunteers among law students and lawyers, and the film is used in training asylum workers. Amnesty International, the American Bar Association, and refugee rights organizations are among those who have incorporated the film into their programs. The film has made is in showing immigration advocates how to most effectively advance their cause, demonstrating how persuasive an even-handed approach can be.

General audiences. The PBS broadcast of Well-Founded Fear was seen in over a million households in the U.S., bringing serious asylum and refugee issues into public view. This was compelling television: by drawing viewers into intimate stories of personal crisis, it put a human face on abstract issues, and  introduced political asylum into public discourse, providing images and language that enable conversation and debate.

Impact was enhanced by a sophisticated pre-broadcast rollout strategy which was timed to engage movers and shakers first, followed by press, and then civic groups and advocacy organizations. In addition to television broadcast, the film reached general audiences through well-planned events at festivals, libraries, schools, and churches, often with the filmmakers and subject experts present. The synergistic convergence of radio, television, print press, websites, listservs, screenings, and word of mouth produced a vibrant public presence for the film, which is continuing. This is a clear example of how technologies can be used to enhance broadcast and promote on-the-ground activities.

In terms of potential long-term impact, this project has succeeded in opening new public spaces and pathways for civic dialogue; forging relationships between groups willing and able to use and sustain those spaces; and providing language, information, and opportunities for conversation around public issues. Thanks to strategic planning the film has been the subject of informed (often heated) discussion in libraries, schools, foundation offices, television stations, film festivals, living rooms, community meetings, and cyberspace.The group of institutions, organizations, and individuals assembled by the filmmakers as they went about their work, came to constitute an effective, if improvised, infrastructure that sustained the production and circulation of the film, and catalyzed its many uses." -Please See: Documentary Case-Study Information

Focusing on The Global Refugee Crisis

After deciding to focus more particularly on refugee populations as not to spread myself to thin in research and blogging, even though global Genocides are a large contributing factor to the refugee problems worldwide, i am focusing on the breakdown of the refugee crisis.

• What determines refugee status? 
• what are the areas in the world with the largest numbers of refugees? 
• What are the distinctions drawn between migrants, internally displaced persons, refugees, and those granted asylum- asylum seekers?
  

In diving into the definition of a Refugees the grey area in determing and declaring refugee status is rather difficult. Although a refugee is someone who is afraid to go home for fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion, and is often outside the country of their nationality, unable to or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country.

1951 Geneva Refugee Convention

Curious to understand where UNHCR began all of its work i looked into the 1951 Geneva Refugee convention which set the stage for global refugee policy & legal rights. After the General Assembly called forth for the United Nations Conference to meet in Geneva to draft a convention  regulating the legal status of refugees, provisions of the convention concerning the definition of the term refugee and the principle of non-refoulment were established: i.e that no Contracting state shall expel or return "refouler" a refugee, against his/her will in any manner into a territory where he/she fears persecution.

The convention spelled out clearly who was a refugee, and the kind of legal assistance and protection he/she could receive from states participating and signed to it, what those refugees were obligated to concerning host governments, and what eligibility confinements there were, such as war criminals not qualifying for refugee status. Initially established to protect European refugees in the aftermath of World War II it eventually expanded scope to include all internationally displaced individuals, a  number which is rapidly increasing with new global conflicts and changes in patterns of global migration. The convention served as the first truly international agreement covering the most fundamental aspects of refugee life, spelling out the necessary basic human rights, and emphasizing the need for international cooperation.

The 1951 convention included elements such as refugee right to work, travel, and receive education and outlined qualification guidelines. Later the 1967 Protocol was a means to turn the Conventio

n into a more universal document, stripping the geographical and time constraints, which initially only enabled europeans involved in events before 1951 to apply for refugee status, and transformed into a universal document that could help receive refugee status anywhere in the world, eligible for "international protection".

 Important to note, that individuals fleeing their regions but remaining in their countries borders are categorized as internally displaced people (IDP) and cannot qualify for refugee status. The IDP count in the last couple of years has surpassed 25 million and is a huge issue, as these uprooted people also deserve to be better protected. 

As of August 2007 there were 147 state parties affiliated with these instruments- being the Convention & the Protocol which have served as the principal international instruments established for the protection of refugees.

The Refugee Agency seeks to assist refugee in one of three ways:

1. locally integrate refugees
2. voluntary return to homeland
3. resettlement in 'third' countries (if other two not possible)

The definition of refugee is covered explicitly in the Convention- Excerpt Below:

Article 1 

definition of the term “refugee” 

A. For the purposes of the present Convention, the term “refugee” shall 

apply to any person who: 

(1) Has been considered a refugee under the Arrangements of 12 May 1926 

and 30 June 1928 or under the Conventions of 28 October 1933 and 10 

February 1938, the Protocol of 14 September 1939 or the Constitution of 

the International Refugee Organization; 

 Decisions of non-eligibility taken by the International Refugee Organ- 

ization during the period of its activities shall not prevent the status 

of refugee being accorded to persons who fulfil the conditions of para- 

graph 2 of this section; 

(2) As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and owing to well- 

founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, national- 

ity, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is out- 

side the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, 

is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, 

not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former 

habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such 

fear, is unwilling to return to it. 

 In the case of a person who has more than one nationality, the term “the 

country of his nationality” shall mean each of the countries of which he 

is a national, and a person shall not be deemed to be lacking the protec- 

tion of the country of his nationality if, without any valid reason based 

on well-founded fear, he has not availed himself of the protection of one 

of the countries of which he is a national. 

Please access PDF document below:

UNHCR : 1951C0nvention And 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees

Giving Voice to a Cause

Women in Chad- Internally Displaced

In researching these topics of Global activism and digital tools, i am interested in exploring further what is the media's role in shaping public agenda concerning these topics of Genocide & refugee populations. What gives effective publicity to a social activist cause- where do they project the message? through what outlets? what organizations are most effective in empowering key activists, implementing effective policy, and aid initiatives? Who are the critical voices and key players such as the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-NET) & UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency)?

What digital activism avenues are most frequently used and utilized to carry out the orginizational missions and to project to the masses? How do organizations try to empower and involve individual activists looking to get involved in a cause?

Below is a GI-NET Map of the effected areas WorldWide of Global Genocide: 

• Darfur
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Eastern Burma
• Eastern Chad
• Iraq
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

Look at effected areas in more detail: [http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/overview]

Refugee & Genocide Populations

For my final project for my Wagner course in "Globalizing Social Activism & The Power of the Media" i thought it would be appropriate to focus in on Refugee & Genocide populations around the world, often inextricably linked, as individuals escaping from Genocides and fleeing from conflict often become refugees. Looking at how media networks, and digital tools online have enabled organizations to give voice to such global issues, and raise public awareness to increase aid efforts, and pressure policy makers to respond.

My family background leads me to have a rather personal attachment to both of these issues of Genocide & Refugee populations. My grandparents fled from Nazi Germany in the early 1930's to escape  after establishing themselves there for generations, and in hopes of survival they sought refuge in Holland for a couple of years closely escaping from Nazi extinction, and eventually made aliyah to Israel where they settled and reestablished a new life for themselves from a completely clean slate. The topic of Genocide because all of my relatives in my extended family with roots in Germany & Poland, were killed in the Holocaust, in the largest historical systematic extermination, that surpassed any fathomable manifestation of human evil and destruction. Furthermore, the Jewish commitment and obligation to "Never Forget" leads me to wonder how Genocides are currently happening around the world in places like Sudan, and Burma. Despite the commitment to "never again" with millions of donation dollars in relief efforts and non-profit initiatives, the world is sitting idol, and the genocides are continuing daily. Global Civil Society after the Holocaust,  learned that silence is the greatest enemy, but not enough is being done to fulfill the promise of NEVER AGAIN, it's happening now. 

The topic of Refugee populations is something i also have a personal connection to, having grown up visiting my family in Israel yearly, and deeply involved in the Middle East Palestinian & Israeli Conflict, the Palestinian Refugee crisis, and my belief in a need for a two-state solution leaves me compelled to research refugee populations further. What is being done to aid all of the Globally displaced communities, whose numbers are only increasing? What are  organizations like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) doing to alleviate refugee problems worldwide? With nearly 31 million stateless people, and 8 million refugees worldwide according to UNHCR statistics, UN Refugee Agency ensures the basic human rights of vulnerable persons and commits that refugees not be returned involuntarily to a country where they face persecution, attempting Long- term, the help civilians repatriate to their homeland, integrate in countries of asylum or resettle in third countries and start anew. 

This is a lot to dive into, so as i begin blogging and exploring i project the blog will organically develop focusing perhaps on more particular regions/topics.