Achieving Durable Solutions to Displacement in Iraq: Challenges, Opportunities, and Possible Remedies
More people are displaced by conflict than at any point since World War II, and durable solutions to forced displacement remain elusive. In Iraq today more than one million people are still displaced years after officials declared military victory over the Islamic State (or ISIS). While many millions have returned, for others barriers to sustainable return remain, including destroyed infrastructure such as roads, markets, schools, hospitals; unmet promises of compensation to help people rebuild homes; and in some areas, a lack of social acceptance of returnees. This event will showcase new research on Iraq in the field of durable solutions to discuss what has worked for Iraqis, what we can learn from them, and what challenges and barriers remain. The implications of this research extend beyond Iraq and can inform policies and programs that seek to address displacement, facilitate return, and mitigate violence in other conflict-affected and fragile contexts.
Dr. Elizabeth Ferris, Research Professor, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University
Dr. Ferris will serve as the moderator and provide opening remarks on the U.N. Secretary- General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement.
Dr. Rochelle Davis, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Georgetown University
Salma al-Shami, Non-resident Visiting Fellow at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University
Dr. Davis and al-Shami will present the findings from the Georgetown University-International Organization for Migration six-year panel study assessing durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq.
Dr. Adam Lichtenheld, Senior Researcher, Mercy Corps
Muhammed Isma’il, Senior Program Manager, Mercy Corps—Iraq
Dr. Lichtenheld and Isma’il will discuss new experimental research on the factors that contribute to social acceptance of returnees among Yazidis in Sinjar, Iraq, and its implications for policymakers and practitioners.
8:30-8:40: Introduction and Opening Comments-Prof. Elizabeth Ferris
8:40-9:00: Findings from the GU-IOM IDP Study-Prof. Rochelle Davis & Salma al-Shami
9:00-9:20: Findings from Mercy Corps Social Acceptance Study-Dr. Adam Lichtenheld and Brooke Gibbons
9:20-9:40: Q&A Discussion