Ad-Hoc Governance and Education: The Case of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
9:00 am – 10:00 am EST/GMT-5
9 AM New York l 3 PM ViennaThe OSUN Working Group on Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Host Community Education presents a panel discussion series on "Geographies and Temporalities of Higher Education for Displaced Students."
The next event in the series is a panel discussion on "Ad-Hoc Governance and Education: the Case of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh."
September 2023 marked the sixth year of the Rohingya refugee crisis, and throughout the preceding years, a steady and calculated securitization of the response has threatened and shrunk the space for refugee civic engagement and advocacy. Against the backdrop of informal structures and ad-hoc governance mechanisms, the future prospects for Rohingya refugees confined within the fenced camps in Cox’s Bazar remain uncertain--their access to education hanging in the shrewd balance of tactical bureaucracy and deliberate repression.
The education sector has invariably faced the scourge of makeshift policy-making, ranging from the indisputable ban on using the Bangladeshi native language, Bangla, in the learning centres to the complete shutdown of Rohingya-led education initiatives within the camps. To the community, a proper education is highly revered, making the educated the most celebrated among them--a glimpse into why despite such pushback, the Rohingya community remains firm on their demand for better education for their young and future generations. Further, refugees have expressed their discontent with learning opportunities provided by humanitarians, adamant that education spaces should not only be safe, but also engaging, fruitful and cognizant of community morals and identities.
This panel explains the regulatory context of advancing education in the refugee camps from the past to present, aiming to shed light on the reactionary strategies adopted by stakeholders. Focusing on the understanding that education can be a pathway to a meaningful life, the panel explores the impact of restrictive policies on refugee aspirations, their coping mechanisms and shifting relationship with humanitarians and extended trust networks. Insights are gathered from a desk review of existing literature, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with humanitarians, journalists, researchers and refugees themselves, conducted to prepare a forthcoming report on ad-hoc governance by CPJ and the Asia Foundation.
Presenters
Samira Manzur, Junior Technical Officer, International Labor Organisation
Tasnia Khandaker Prova, Research Associate, Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
Azizul Hoque, Research Associate, Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
Moderator
M. Sanjeeb Hossain, Director, Research, Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
For more information, call 845-758-6822.
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am EST/GMT-5
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