A N N U a L R E P O
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ANNUAL REPORT2008 WHERE WE WORKED IN 2008 TO OUR VALUED FRIENDS LETTER NG TH TI IR A T R Y B E Y L E E A C R S Afghanistan • Bangladesh • Burma • Burundi • Cameroon • Central African Republic • Chad • Colombia In 32 countries around the world, Refugees International’s staff 1 Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominican Republic • Eritrea • Ethiopia • France • Iraq • Jordan members spent 2008 listening to the stories of husbands, mothers, 97 9 – 2009 Kenya • Kuwait • Lebanon • Malaysia • Norway • Pakistan • Rwanda • Somalia • Sudan • Switzerland • Syria sons and daughters who were forced to flee their homes. Our staff Thailand • Uganda • United Kingdom • United States • Yemen heard of the violence these people had witnessed, the family members who were dead or missing, and the struggles they faced in obtaining food, shelter, medi- cine and other basic necessities to survive. RI takes these stories to the corridors of power and says what few others dare to say—the exact steps that must be taken immediately to help the world’s most vulnerable people. By directly pressuring policymakers, exposing crises in the media, producing top quality reports and leading coalitions of like-minded groups, RI improved the lives of displaced and stateless people. Thanks to our work, millions more dollars were given to provide food, housing, education and job opportunities for displaced people in places like Burma, Colombia, Syria, and south Sudan. And after years of advocacy by RI and other groups on behalf of Bangladesh’s stateless Urdu-speaking minority, a High Court decision recognized some 200,000 of them as citizens. RI travels to some of the most dangerous countries in the world. In eastern Congo, RI staff members were on the ground when violence broke out. One week after they were quickly evacuated to safety in Rwanda, we launched a field report calling for more support to the UN peacekeepers in the DR Congo. Our subsequent media interviews and briefings with top officials helped lead the UN Security Council to bolster the UN peacekeepers there with 3,000 more troops. Refugees International also outlined a new strategy for our work. We will continue our efforts to expose neglected crises and provoke governments to respond. But we are also committed to broadening the scope of our mission over the next several years. Our experience has shown us that there are perpetuating factors that come up time and again that must be addressed in order to reduce the numbers of displaced people. These themes—and our successes with each—are described in this year’s CONTENTS annual report. Letter to our Supporters .............. 1 Mission ........................................2 In 2009, Refugees International is celebrating its 30th anniversary. For 30 years, Key Successes ..............................3 we have been a powerful voice for lifesaving action. Committed individuals like you Regions ........................................4 continue to make our work possible. Thank you for your support. Issues .........................................10 Outreach & Education ...............16 Financial Statements ................. 18 Farooq Kathwari Kenneth H. Bacon Invest in RI .................................20 Donors ................................. Insert Chair President Cover Photo: A Congolese family finds a safe haven at a Catholic church after fleeing with all their possessions. Credit: Jiro Ose WORLDWIDE 1 “RefugeesInternationalisindispensableinhelpingCongress ACCOMPLISHMENTS SUCCESSES2008 understandwhatmustbedonetoendrefugeecrisesaround theworld.” IRaqIDISpLaCEmEnT: —Senator Edward M. Kennedy After pressure from Refugees International and other organizations, the U.S. State Department more than doubled its assistance for Iraqi refugees COLOmBIa: from $171 million to $398 million and the UN After RI’s ongoing calls for increased attention Refugee Agency increased its budget for the to the humanitarian crisis in Colombia, the region from $120 million to $260 million. 15.9 million refugees U.S. State Department’s refugee bureau received 26 million internally displaced people an increase in emergency relief funding for BURma: Colombia from $700,000 to $5.6 million. 12 million stateless people RI’s advocacy is changing the U.S. government’s stance against funding humanitarian aid SOUThSUDan: As the leading advocacy organization on refugee programs inside Burma. The U.S. provided $75 The U.S. Agency for International Development million in assistance after Cyclone Nargis devas- issues, Refugees International works around the heeded RI’s call to help displaced south Sudanese tated Burma’s delta—a tremendous increase world to end refugee crises—pressuring govern- return home and rebuild their lives by providing over the previous $3 million budget for aid inside ments, building coalitions and introducing refugees $100 million for three years to strengthen local the country. and their stories to the media and key policymakers. governments and create economic opportunities for returnees. Due to efforts by RI and our partners, refugees receive DRCOngO: After meetings in the Congo, Geneva and New food, medicine and education; displaced people return SOmaLIa: York, RI successfully convinced aid agencies home; peacekeepers protect the displaced from harm; RI conducted its first mission to Somalia and to begin shifting their strategy from routine and stateless people obtain legal status. shined a spotlight on the world’s worst humani- humanitarian assistance to a community-based tarian crisis. RI’s ensuing advocacy led the UN approach. As RI recommended, the UN Refugee Refugee Agency to increase its budget and staffing Agency requested proposals for community-level to protect Somali refugees in Yemen and Djibouti. projects. pEaCEkEEpIng: afghanISTan: Three months after Refugees International called After violence broke out in eastern Congo, RI’s for improved coordination of humanitarian field report, media interviews and briefings with assistance programs in Afghanistan, the UN top officials helped lead the UN Security Council Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian to bolster UN peacekeepers with 3,000 more Photos: Top—Advocate Sean Garcia Affairs announced it would establish a presence troops, prioritize civilian protection, and increase interviews Burmese refugees in Malaysia. in the country. the UN’s civilian support to military com- Middle—Advocate Erin Weir interviews manders in the field. displaced women in Chad. Bottom —Advocate Camilla Olson shows STaTELESSnESS: a digital photo to displaced children in After RI worked in coalition for years on behalf DR Congo. Refugees International advocates for lifesaving of stateless Bihari, Bangladesh’s Urdu-speaking assistance and protection for displaced people minority, a High Court decision recognized and promotes solutions to displacement crises. some 200,000 of them as citizens. Thanks to RI’s efforts in Washington, the first U.S. legis- lation on statelessness was introduced in the House of Representatives. 2 mISSIOn 3 REgIOnS IRIRAqaq AND THE MIDDLE EAST Refugees International continued to successfully lead the call for greater assistance and protec- tion for millions of displaced Iraqis. The launch of our report Uprooted and Unstable: Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq spotlighted the lack of basic services for internally displaced Iraqis and urged support for local agencies that could more efficiently deliver aid inside Iraq. In response, the UN increased funding for local Iraqi organizations. • The U.S. increased its assistance from $171 RI developed a comprehensive four-part plan to million in 2007 to $398 million. resolve this crisis, endorsed by 24 non-govern- • The UN Refugee Agency increased its budget mental organizations and Ambassador Frank for the Middle East region from $120 million Wisner, a member of RI’s Board of Directors. in 2007 to $260 million. This plan is the basis for advocacy by U.S. non-governmental organizations with the new • The U.S. funded 37% of the UN Refugee Administration and Congress. Agency’s appeal—its largest contribution to a UN appeal to date—and significant portions Overall, our highly respected reports, coali- of the UN education and health appeals. tion-building and direct briefings to top U.S. policymakers, senior UN officials, and members • The U.S. increased the resettlement of Iraqi of the UN Security Council led to the following refugees from 1,608 in 2007 to 13,822. successes: • The UN Security Council publicly resolved that Iraqi refugees should only return home voluntarily. • The U.S. State Department halted the resettle- ment to Sudan of 3,000 Palestinians trapped at the Iraq-Syria border. As a tribute to RI’s successful work on Iraqi refugees, the Arab American Institute honored us with the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Award for International Commitment. Above: A displaced woman who lives in a dump- Right: Iraqi-Palestinian children perform a skit TheU.S.andUN providedhundredsofmillionsofdollars site washes clothes in southern Baghdad. for a delegation of refugee advocates in al-Tanf Credit: REUTERS/Ibrahim Sultan camp at the Iraq-Syria border. forfood,shelterandeducationfordisplacedIraqis. 4 5 TheU.S.hassignificantlyincreasedemergencyrelief fundingforinternallydisplacedpeopleinColombia. REgIOnS COLOCOLOMBIAmBIa Refugees International has been instrumental in increasing social and economic assistance for four million internally displaced Colombians. RI testified before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, contributed to congressional