Washington D.C. - Refugees International

On Monday morning we had a meeting with the Vice-Chairman of Refugees International.

Started in 1979, Refugees International has expanded to become an effective advocacy organisation that provokes action from leaders to resolve refugee crises worldwide.

The major issues focused on now are:
- the threat to the right to asylum
- internal displacement (there is no formal convention to protect these people: e.g. Sudan)
- statelessness (about 12 million people worldwide have no citizenship)
- displacement due to climate change

RI is a NGO with a staff of 30. They do not accept any government or UN funding and this allows us to report the truth as they discover it. They travel throughout the world to interview refugees, relief organisations, etc. and draw up reports and recommendations for governments to adapt their policies.

Their major goals are:
- supply desperately needed resources to neglected crises
- help people return home and rebuild their lives when wars end
- improve peacekeeping in crisis areas
- provide internally displaced people with the same levels of protection and assistance as refugees who have crossed borders
- reduce the number of stateless people.

I'd like to invite you to visit their website for more information: www.refugeesinternational.org