Conference

The Lifecycle of Four Refugee Camps in Ghana, Indonesia, France, and Iraq: Would Agriculture Improve Conditions for Refugees and Their Communities?

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Abstract

There are 20.4 million refugees worldwide. To better understand their plight, I selected four refugee camps in Ghana, France, Indonesia, and Iraq to identify the commonalities and differences amongst the refugees that occupy these four spaces. I want to know what the lifecycle of a refugee camp is. How can a short-term solution be transformed into a long-term reality? Would access to agricultural education, skills, and tools help to improve the economic development of refugees? I am using interviews with Iowa refugee populations from the four camps to identify their experiences. I will also be conducting interviews with key leadership on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that serve these camps. I will also conduct a literature and document review. These will provide a comprehensive view of the aid plans, regulations, and constraints for the UNCHR and NGOs in those areas. I hope to learn which regulations and methods are used to select the site for a refugee camp, how agriculture is currently implemented or not implemented in these four sites. I will determine whether access to agricultural tools and practices would improve conditions for refugees and their surrounding communities.