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FEATURE ARTICLES
The Challenge Is On!
by Emily Moreton
Logan Cochrane, of the University of Victoria in British Colombia,
Canada will soon be leaving the university and passing on his RESPECT
work to a new volunteer. However, he plans to leave behind something
worth continuing - a letter exchange of at least 100 pen pals.
Logan has been involved with RESPECT for some years, first at Simon
Fraser University (SFU), where he is still in contact with the new,
highly active RESPECT volunteers. Now volunteering at the University
of Victoria, he runs a letter exchange as well as being involved with
the HIV Education program.
Pen Pals
Refugee Life In Cameroon
by Nestor Nga Etoga
This article is the first in a series. Though not representative of
a particular group or community, it will present moments of daily refugee life
in Cameroon. The author, Nestor Nga Etoga, based in Yaounde, the capital of
Cameroon, is a professional journalist, volunteering for RESPECT. He offers
a look at issues faced by the urban refugees he meets.
Together, the
Cameroon Red Cross (CRC) and the United Nations
High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) offer assistance to refugees in
diverse fields such as education, health, and social assistance. In theory,
services should also be extended to asylum seekers (refugees waiting for
regular papers). Yet, most of them struggle to survive in precarious conditions.
Life
Refugee Status Determination
by Sandrine Cortet
Cameroon, located at the junction of West and Central Africa, benefits from
political stability, and carries an image of prosperity. Hence, Cameroon's
economical radiance attracts many refugees who have fled their country in search
of safety and a better life.
Cameroon currently has approximately 60,000 refugees and more than 6,000 asylum
seekers. They come from border countries but also, for many of them, from the Great
Lakes Region. However, daily life for most of these asylum seekers is disappointing.
The economic crisis that hit Cameroon, has pauperized a part of the population and
refugees are often the last ones to be able to afford their livelihood.
Status
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AFFILIATES
Report on RESPECT Nigeria
by Meesa Chungfat
Francis Abayomi, the country coordinator for
RESPECT Nigeria, has recently reported on
progress in the Oru refugee camp in the past few months.
He first expressed his gratitude in his report to all of the volunteers and
people involved in the projects. "I appreciate your contributions financially,
morally and for great support. […] You are very important and you are making it
possible for RESPECT Nigeria to grow."
Nigeria
Human Rights Classes To Begin At Refugee Camp
by Emily Moreton
Students frequently use their time at university as an opportunity
to develop new skills and get involved in issues that matter to them.
Two students at
New York University (NYU) in Accra, Ghana, Jessica Ballou and Scott
Lea, are doing exactly that at a refugee camp in Buduburam.
The two students, who both have backgrounds in international advocacy
and are studying human rights, first got involved in RESPECT looking for
volunteer activities in refugee camps around Ghana. After a discussion with
Fred Ayifli, the RESPECT Ghana Country
Coordinator, they agreed to set up a series of human rights workshops
with teenagers at the camp.
Classes
PHOTO GALLERY
Jessica Ballou (far left) and Scott Lea (on Jessica's left) meet with refugees at
the Buduburam Refugee Camp, Ghana.
As in any newsletter or magazine, RESPECT e-zine is committed to striving for
interesting articles and announcements concerning refugee issues all around the
world.
If you have any suggestions or would like to contribute an article, contact the
e-Zine editor, Will Wallace, at
editor@respectrefugees.org.
To be removed from our mailing list, please complete the online form at:
subscriptions.respectrefugees.org.
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