2020

[WEBINAR] Gender and (in) Security; Standing Against Violence Against Women
25 November 2020

Launched in 1991, the ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign runs from November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10th, Human Rights Day. This year’s 16 Days will take place under the 2020 global theme: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!

More than half of the 71 million people currently displaced are women and girls. Despite more than 50% of the refugee population being female, support structures and responses for women are gender-insensitive. This has been further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, as rates of Sexual and Gender Based Violence within refugee communities and households has notably increased. In addition, women and girls have continued to be overlooked as decisions by policy makers and humanitarian actors are being taken.

To address this recent phenomenon, APRRN+APNOR and CAPRS have partnered with Settlement Services International (SSI) to conduct a webinar entitled “Gender and (in)security”. This session intends to explore how civil society, governments and other actors can actively include women in immediate and long-term decision making, especially in relation to commitments in various realms such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

[WEBINAR] The future of refugee mobility & resettlement while borders remain closed
18 November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the lives of billions of people into chaos. However, for refugees – particularly those with acute risks and vulnerabilities – it has resulted in their situations becoming increasingly precarious. With airlines limiting their routes, and governments tightening their border control policies, refugee resettlement, including complementary pathways, has all but ground to a halt. At the same time, leadership around refugee resettlement and the discourse around creating greater opportunities for refugees seems to have dissipated.

Resettlement is a strategic tool used by the UNHCR and governments to provide a ‘lifeline’ for the most vulnerable refugees. A UN-facilitated process, resettlement is a lengthy process that often takes years before someone is finally allowed to board a plane to their final destination. For many, it may simply be their only way to ever access safety and the semblance of a stable life.

In 2020, as part of UNHCRs Three-year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways, it was anticipated that 70,000 refugees would depart for resettlement to 31 countries across the world. In addition, complementary pathways were expected to grow by a 2:1 ratio. COVID-19 restrictions have meant that this will almost certainly not occur.

With this in mind, this webinar will explore what this means for refugees, and how governments and other actors will make sure that this lifeline is protected.

[CAPACITY BUILDING] The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy 2020
24 November to 18 December 2020

APRRN will be organising the Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy 2020 in partnership and support of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Mahidol University, and the Centre for Applied Human Rights of the University of York.

This introductory course aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of forced migration in the Asia Pacific through a human rights perspective and to increase participants’ capacity and knowledge in advocating for refugee rights in the region.

For more information, kindly see the Short Course brochure here. To apply, please access the registration form here. Should you have any further queries, please contact Rachel at rachel@aprrn.org.

[WEBINAR] Seeing the Invisible and Forgotten Amidst the Covid-19 Crisis
15 May 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health challenge, and it has exacerbated the pre-existing vulnerabilities of people living in communities where violence and political instability have been a source of daily struggle. When the health crisis intersects with wars or volatile political conditions such as weak institutions, communal tensions, and lack of trust in political leaders, it may worsen existing conflicts and insecurity or give rise to new ones. In all these, marginalised and invisibilized communities such as ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, refugees, undocumented migrants, the stateless and displaced are affected the most.

In these difficult times, however, community actors have also demonstrated acts of resilience and resistance, and their capacities to exercise positive peace. We likewise wish to hear these stories.

This session aims to discuss and answer the following questions:

1. How are governments and/or ASEAN responding to the pandemic? Are the needs of conflict-affected, displaced and marginalized communities considered in the government/ASEAN responses and programs to the pandemic, and how/how not?

2. What is the impact of the pandemic on conflict-affected, displaced and marginalized, and the response of community actors?

What are the needs and concerns that conflict-affected, displaced and marginalized communities have expressed?
What are examples of communities demonstrating resilience and exercising positive peace? What are examples of inclusive and conflict-sensitive crisis response by governments and CSOs?
How will this pandemic affect existing peace processes and violent conflicts?

3. What are the most critical tasks/roles for peacebuilders and human rights defenders working with conflict-affected, displaced and marginalized communities at this time?

Speakers:
• Dr. Ayesah Abubakar, Ethnography & Development Research Cluster Head, Borneo Institute for Indigenous Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sabah; and member of the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR)
• Sanam Amin, Programme Officer (Grounding the Global), APWLD – Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
• Sam Sai Kham, former Executive Director, METTA Development Foundation (Myanmar/Burma)
• Rachel Tan, Programme Officer, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)

The webinar will be moderated by Gus Miclat and Marc Batac, from the Initiatives for International Dialogue and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)-Southeast Asia.

This Webinar is co-organised by Initiatives for International Dialogue, GPPAC-Southeast Asia and FORUM-ASIA, and is the 6th and last of the Webinar Series on human rights and the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, you may contact: marc@iidnet.org or ea-asean@forum-asia.org. Or check out here.

2019

[CLOSED-DOOR] APRRN Regional Legal Practitioners Roundtable
7-8 December 2019

[EVENT]Film Screening and Discussion with Filmmaker: ‘Bou’ (Bride)
28 November 2019

In conjunction with APRRN’s Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy, we are organising a film screening this Thursday, 28 November at the Goethe’s Institute.

The film selected is entitled ‘Bou’ (Bride) and it is an investigative film, which looks at the trafficking of young Rohingya girls who were held at trafficking camps along Malaysia-Thai border, sexually abused and sold as child brides to Rohingya men in Malaysia.

The film won nine international awards from the US, Europe and India.

There will be a Q&A following the screening with the filmmaker, Mahi Ramakrishnan.

Mahi will also share her challenges in making the film, the censorship war in Malaysia and the film as an advocacy tool.

She will also discuss about the challenges around mental health that is faced by the Rohingya women following the sexual abuse, and also explore the often not spoken about violence perpetrated against the Rohingya women and girls in a private space by the men in the community.

Feel free to share this widely!

To register, please click HERE.
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Goethe’s Institute
Person to contact: Rachel @ +60122580064 (Whatsapp), +660642806621

[CLOSED-DOOR] Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR) and Regional Protection Forum 2019
7 – 9 September 2019

[SHORT COURSE] 2019 Asia Pacific APRRN Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy
25 – 29 November 2019

APRRN will be organising the Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy in Bangkok, Thailand through the initiative of our Legal Aid and Advocacy Working Group this coming November 2019. We will be partnering and supported by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Mahidol University.

For more information, kindly see the Short Course brochure here. Should you have any further queries, please contact Rachel at rachel@aprrn.info.

[SHORT COURSE] 2019 South Asia APRRN Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy
13 – 17 June 2019

APRRN will be organising the second South Asia Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy through the initiative of our Legal Aid and Advocacy Working Group and South Asia Working Group this coming June 2019. We will be partnering and be supported by the International Law and Relations Study Center of Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal this year. As such, the Short Course will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

This introductory course aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of forced migration in South Asia through a human rights perspective and to increase participants’ capacity and knowledge in advocating for refugee rights in this region.

For more information, kindly see the Short Course brochure here. Should you have any further queries, please contact Rachel at rachel@aprrn.info or Evan at evan@aprrn.info.

2018

November 2018

[PUBLIC SEMINAR] Australia And The Global Compact On Migration: Opportunities For A New Agenda
12 November 2018
Sydney, Australia

[SHORT COURSE] The Asia Pacific Short Course on Refugee Rights and Advocacy
26 – 29 November 2018
Bangkok, Thailand

October 2018

[EVENT] 7th Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights
23 – 27 October 2018
Bangkok, Thailand

[WORKSHOP] Women and Girls at Risk Working Group Project: Key to the Global Compact for Refugees
26 – 27 October 2018
Bangkok, Thailand

Upcoming Events

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