Refugees: Amplifying Feedback In Refugee Communities

In public discussions and representations of the refugee crisis, there is often something missing: the voice of refugees themselves.

Learn more about the refugee crisis and related topics on Giving Compass

In this Labstorm, GlobalGiving led an open discussion on a new tool or process to amplify the voices of refugees. How should aid organizations collect feedback from refugees? How can GlobalGiving amplify feedback already collected by other organizations? What will the role of that information look like both inside and outside refugee camps?

There are a variety of ways that humanitarian organizations collect feedback from refugee communities already, and that feedback is used in a variety of ways. However, some existing sources of refugee feedback are largely untapped, and the responsibility that aid organizations have for using and sharing that feedback equitably is substantial.

Collecting feedback can be taxing on traumatized populations, and there are a number of relatively untapped channels through which refugees already indicate their needs and desires.

One important methodology Internews uses to identify community issues before they develop into more serious problems is called “Deep Hanging Out.” Aid workers and employed refugees go out and talk to individuals in casual and undirected conversations, making sure they hear the refugees’ true experiences, not just what they want to hear. This approach allows Internews to find and squelch rumors before they spread to dangerous levels, and allows for organizations to amplify refugee concerns that are unexpected.

The global refugee crisis is massively complex, and solutions depend on a wide range of actors. But refugee voices are going to be part of the solution, and incorporating their feedback in innovative and responsible ways is critical.

What’s important to know now might not be what’s important later, and it’s too easy for data to be extractive and not empowering – especially in the unstable information environment of refugee populations.

Read the source article at Feedback Labs