In taking into account the vast body of literature that exists on the topic of international humanitarianism, this thesis aims to provide a contribution to the field by way of an analysis of the dubious manner in which states apply the principles of humanitarianism. It derives conclusions around the level of commitment and sincerity of the international humanitarian regime to the principles of humanitarianism by exploring the dynamic relationship between the two of the main areas of humanitarianism: humanitarian intervention and refugee protection. From this analysis stems the argument is that while the governments of the wealthy Western states are often amongst the loudest trumpeters of humanitarian principles, they fail to live up to their humanitarian obligations. For, rather than committing to humanitarian action on the basis of need, they are only willing to commit to humanitarian action in cases that serve in their own national interests; cases of human suffering from which they do not stand to benefit remain caught in the margins of the international humanitarian regime.

This thesis examines the complexities in the resettlement of Bhutanese refugees. Using anthropological ethnographic field methods, this thesis explores the power dynamics between the employees of a resettlement organization and the refugees and the intricate webs of power within different institutions, such as local NGOs and healthcare institutions. The study argues that humanitarian actions and interventions are often driven by bureaucratic politics and policies that contradict what humanitarianism stands for as apolitical and value-neutral. These contradictions or paradoxes in humanitarianism also are also present in refugee resettlement. Analyzing these paradoxes that characterize resettlement, this thesis illuminates structural discontinuities or gaps that result from differences in expectations between the refugees and the employees of resettlement organization. Drawing on analyses of the paradoxes and complexities in resettlement, the study concludes that bureaucratic management of refugees reinforces social inequalities and hierarchies of power that masks state’s responsibility towards both the refugees and local NGOs making resettlement an unsettling process.

Opportunities of mass education are a relatively new phenomenon in the Tibetan community. Following the incidents of 1959, the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans fled into India. Mass education was implemented and sustained within the Tibetan community for the first time. The goal of this exploratory research is to study the impact of mass education on the first generations of Tibetans who experienced it in exile. This study analyzes the gendered pattern in subjects students choose to pursue, their educational attainment and the kinds of jobs they assume after graduation. The study presents a quantitative analysis of data spanning twenty years, which was collected by the head office of Tibetan Children’s Village schools based in India. This study finds that gender is a significant predictor of whether one pursued higher studies, and also of what kinds of jobs people get. The results indicate that females have lower educational performance, attainment and occupational scores than males within the Tibetan community. This study also points to a change in gender relations within the Tibetan community after migrating into India.

Background: Events happening in the 21st century- global economic crisis, naturaldisasters, extreme poverty, struggles and conflicts have led to a realization that we areliving in a troubled world where we are interdependent in one way or the other. These issues tend to be complex and intertwined such that delegating them to a single sectoris too huge of a task to bear, thus the need for social innovation through cross sector collaboration. The case of the Refugee Housing Unit is being studied- a collaboration between the IKEA Foundation, UNHCR and the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation led to the creation of a more sustainable environmental friendly shelter for refugees.Since social innovation is a green field especially in a BOP context, the research is aimed at understanding how the RHU case can provide important insight in which collaboration theory can be applied between sectors to shape future social innovation endeavors. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to study the collaboration of organizations belonging to different sectors to create social innovations. This research will examine how collaboration between sectors takes place, and through the empirical case of theRefugee Housing Unit, derive key learning points that could shape future social innovation projects. A framework will be developed that could provide important insightsfor future socially oriented collaborations. Methodology: The proposed framework was developed through a study of socialinnovation theory in terms how it can be accelerated through cross sector collaborationiitheory. A case study that entailed these two theories was chosen to enable the development of a suggested framework. The study involved collection of primary data inform of interviews with Johan Karlsson and Chris Earney, RHU project leader and UNHCR Innovation co-leader, respectively. Additionally, secondary data was used tohelp understand the case further. Results: Examining the core elements of cross-sectoral collaboration for social innovation showed imperative social aspects as well as key dimensions that are pillars for the process of collaboration. The RHU case revealed critical factors for collaboration between sectors that are well stipulated in the framework. The framework can act as a guide for organizations wishing to collaborate for social innovation as well as provide abasis for future research in this young field.

The 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees were established after World War II and are the primary documents that dictate international refugee policy. They were intended to protect the basic human rights of refugees; ensure them safe asylum; protect against refoulement; and provide refugees with basic services and assistance such as food, legal documents, and primary education. Despite the creation of these protective instruments, human rights abuses against refugees continue to be reported as the global refugee crisis worsens, raising into question the effectiveness of the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol. In this thesis, Jordan, Tanzania, and Thailand will serve as cases studies for exploring the effectiveness of the current international refugee regime. Both legislation and narratives will be analyzed in order to fully comprehend the context of the situation.

Abstract The purpose of our study is to reach an understanding of the situation of unaccompanied refugee minors in school. Thus the study aims to investigate what sort of possibilities and limits they encounter when going through their school education. We have chosen a qualitative method and conducted interviews with four persons between the ages of 18 and 21 years. The result of the study shows that unaccompanied refugee minors experience numerous limitations and lesser possibilities than other students, which prevents their educational and social development. The limitations partly depend on the school personnels lack of knowledge about this target group, and partly on the difficulty of dealing with a new culture which is different from the students original culture.  An important conclusion that our study has shown is that the educational system has a great impact on how well the students manage to function in the new society later on.  Therefore it is of great importance that the teachers have access to competence development , since this is of substantial importance for the  unaccompanied refugee minors development and socialization. / Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka ensamkommande flyktingbarns situation i skolan, främst med avseende på de begränsningar och eventuella hinder som barnen möter under skolgången.  Det insamlade datamaterialet har analyserats med hjälp av en tematisk tolkande ansats, där framförallt begreppet socialisation varit vägledande i tolkningsprocessen. Resultatet visar att ensamkommande flyktingbarn upplever många begränsningar och färre möjligheter i skolan. Detta försvårar deras möjligheter till kunskapsutveckling och socialisation. De hinder som ensamkommande flyktingbarn brottas med kan i relation till en övergripande nivå ses som en konsekvens av omfattande begränsningar inom skolan som institution. Inom den svenska skolan råder brist på resurser av varierande slag. Det saknas kunskap och insyn i ensamkommande barns livssituationer, vilket i sin tur begränsar elevernas förutsättningar att smälta in i och socialiseras i de nya förhållandena. En viktig slutsats i vår studie är att skolan har stor påverkan på hur eleverna klarar sig senare i livet i det nya samhället. Det är således av stor vikt att lärarna har tillgång till kompetensutveckling, eftersom lärares kapacitet i mötet med eleverna i en förlängning får stor betydelse för ensamkommande flyktingbarns lärande och socialisation.

This study investigated certain aspects of the cross-cultural adaptation process of Afghan returnees who have repatriated from Iran to Afghanistan. The study’s particular focus is the issue of cross-cultural adaptation in the current context of Afghanistan; that is, what challenges face Afghans returning from Iran to their country of origin following years of exile in Iran. Afghan immigration to Iran has a long history. Using Young Yun Kim’s cross-cultural adaptation theory as the leading theoretical framework, the researcher investigated the cultural adaptation of those who have lived in Iran for more than 10 years and have repatriated voluntarily to Afghanistan at least three years before the data for this thesis were gathered. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for collecting primary data from participants for the thesis. Twelve young returnees from Kabul City, aged 18 to 40, volunteered to take part in the interviews. Results revealed that language barriers, cultural knowledge and environmental challenges were some of the dominant difficulties that returnees experienced after their repatriation. Furthermore, the findings showed that the three main strategies used by the young returnees to adapt to their unfamiliar, new environment of Kabul City included social interaction, using mass media, and keeping an open mind on current issues. The findings of the interviews revealed the ongoing changing nature of identity formation of the returnees after their repatriation to Afghanistan and, also the majority of participants (9 out of 12) voiced a strong sense of belonging and attachment to Afghanistan.

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive analysis was to increase the knowledge base on an under-researched topic and population. The study population was comprised of first- and second-generation Canadian, visible-minority, immigrant/refugee women. Nine women of different visible-minority, ethno-racial backgrounds participated in the study. The interviews were in-depth and conducted one on one. The women reflected on how they created their sexuality as youth into adulthood, based on their experiences of Canadian culture as well as their particular culture of origin. The ingenuity they demonstrated in their successful integration into Canadian society as well as in their current status as adult women and mothers will be explored in the study findings. The recommendations these women offered the next generation, with a hope for a better future for all Canadians, will also be discussed.

This thesis describes a study that examined the creation of a theatrical commons that aimed to broaden and deepen democratic engagement among diverse citizens in one public school community. The researcher considered how Forum and Image Theatre (Boal,1979, 1995, 1998, 2002; Diamond,2007) help people to name and invent different possibilities to address complex school community challenges at an individual and community level. It involved former refugee youth, guardians, parents and the general public as they critiqued the potential of a theatrical commons to represent their voices which are at times, marginalized from decisions made in the community and at a policy level. This participatory action research project drew heavily on the theatrical imaginations of Augusto Boal and David Diamond. The aims of this work were grounded in critical theory (Apple, 2008 & 2009; Chomsky, 2000; Freire, 2008; Furman & Gruenwald, 2004; Giroux, 2008; Kincheloe & McLaren, 2005). The study itself was divided into three phases: the participants’ identification of a community problem that was of great importance to them (phase 1), a workshop series that sought to explore the tensions and complexities embedded in the community dilemma, (phase 2), and a performance by the participants in a Forum Theatre event (phase 3) that invited members of a school community to imagine new possibilities for addressing a community problem. Participants were invited to reflect critically on the ability of Image and Forum Theatre to ignite critical dialogue in a diverse school community. The study’s findings indicate that space was created for participants to raise their voices in the following ways: (1) The participants defined the social justice issue that informed the workshops and the play; (2) Image theatre troubled the hegemony of the English language; (3) The participants defined, scripted and shared their struggles in the wider community; (4) Numerous opportunities occurred in the study that provoked multiple interpretations of complex community issues, and; (5) The audience members moved from the role of observer to spect-actor on the night of the performance.

This thesis explores the barriers to mental health care that new, racialized Canadians may face. Using a case study methodology, this project first reviews the literature on identified barriers to care. Several barriers are highlighted in this process including discrimination and racism, service use, language, awareness of services and knowledge of the Canadian healthcare system, socio-economic barriers, cultural beliefs, and stigma. Interviews were conducted with three new Canadians who identify as racialized to further existing knowledge on this topic. The interviews provided a forum for participants to speak to their experiences prior to immigrating to Canada, their experiences following immigration, and their pathway to mental health care. Participants described significant events which they believed to be factors in developing a mental health problem and as a result of this, their decision-making process in help-seeking. Using the categories from the literature as a framework, themes and sub-themes were developed to understand the experiences of the participants. Additional themes that were added included employment, coping with a mental health problem, and trauma. An in-depth, line by line analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted to provide a detailed depiction of each participant’s experience. Each participant interview was defined as a case and compared with the other interviews. This thesis concludes by summarizing the results and detailing the implications for social work practice. Implications include anti-oppressive practice, cultural competence, and self-awareness. Structural and clinical implications are also discussed. / Graduate