Dr Alexander Betts argues for increasing innovation in refugee protection

In an article in the Guardian (4 January), Alexander Betts makes the case for putting greater emphasis on innovation in refugee protection efforts, building on the work of the recently launched Humanitarian Innovation Project, based at the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford.

Alexander notes that the existing model of refugee protection, which focuses on keeping people alive during emergencies, is ill-suited for the 6 million people living in protracted refugee situations, who face many years of living in camps. Innovation, which emphasizes adapting to context and often comes from the creativity of refugees themselves, may provide ways to move beyond encampment through creating livelihood opportunities and self-sufficiency. Finding better ways to support and harness innovation, through activities such as training, mentoring, microfinance, and business incubation, could help encourage self-reliance.

Alexander concludes, the hope is that, over time, a bottom-up approach to innovation will contribute to a refugee assistance model built more on sustainability rather than long-term dependency and encampment.

The article can be read in full here.

More information on the Oxford Humanitarian Innovation Project can be found here.