Article: Barbara Harrell-Bond OBE is a leading figure in the field of refugee studies. She founded the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University, the world's first institution for the study of refugees. It now hosts an annual lecture series in her name. On retirement, she conducted research on the extent to which refugees enjoy their rights in exile in Kenya and Uganda.
She has also founded or helped to found refugee legal aid organizations in several locations, including the Refugee Law Project in Uganda and AMERA (Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance) in Egypt. In 2000 she was invited to the American University in Cairo to establish another refugee studies programme. In 2005, Harrell-Bond was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to refugee studies.In September 2008, she returned to Oxford where she is establishing a website, www.refugeelegalaid.org, an 'information platform', a web site for legal aid practitioners in the global south as director of the Refugee Programme of the Fahamu Trust, an international NGO working on social justice issues.
Harrell-Bond was born and raised in South Dakota. She is currently staying in Oxford, United Kingdom. She attended Asbury College in Kentucky where she studied music, married, had three children, and began studying anthropology at the Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in 1965 where she earned an M.Litt. and a D.Phil. in social anthropology. Prior to founding the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford, she was employed by the Department of Anthropology, University of Edinburgh, the African Studies Centre, Leiden, Holland, the School of Law, University of Warwick, and the American Universities Field Staff.
She is a lady of great charisma and determination, she is currently recruiting new interns a project she started in the early 80's. She is known for producing high quality interns who come out her characters and they have exhibited quality.
OXFORD, ENGLAND
Barbara Harrell-Bond dashes off an e-mail from
England to her daughter in the United States . Would her daughter please call Vedaste Kazamarande, a refugee recently arrived in the US from Uganda?
Mr. Kazamarande, who is blind, had just been resettled in Abilene, Texas, a city where he knew no one. Through Dr. Harrell-Bond's efforts, Kazamarande had gained refugee status after fleeing war and persecution in Congo.
Harrell-Bond's daughter placed the call, found that he had the assistance of a local church, and then assured her that the new arrival had at least a few community resources.
Books
Modern Marriage in Sierra Leone (1975) ISBN 90-279-7871-9
Community Leadership and the Transformation of Freetown (1978) ISBN 90-279-7525-6
4 June: A Revolution Betrayed (1982, as Barbara E. Okeke)
Imposing Aid: Emergency Assistance to Refugees (1986) ISBN 0-19-261543-2
Rights in Exile: Janus-Faced Humanitarianism (2005, with Guglielmo Verdirame) ISBN 1-84545-103-1
External links AUC faculty page
Article on Barbara Harrell-Bond being awarded the OBE
Interview with Barbara Harrell-Bond from 2007
Profile from 2003 |
Source: Skip to main content
Skip to main menu
Skip to search Skip to footer
Why is Christian Science in our name?
Why is Christian Science in our name?
Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.
The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.
Here, you’ll find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences – a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.
Explore values journalism About us Log in Log out Values Topics Regions About us Log in Account Subscribe Give a gift Search Subscribe: $11/Month Log in About us Free newsletters
One month free trial to the Monitor Daily
Give a gift Log out Manage your account Subscription FAQs Contact Customer Service Current Issues Monitor Daily
Monitor Weekly digital edition
Values Behind the News
A deeper view that unites instead of divides, connecting why the story matters to you.
Explore News & Values
About us Free newsletters Follow us: Explore Values Journalism
Behind the news are values that drive people and nations. Explore them here.
Compassion Cooperation Equality Hope Resilience Respect Responsibility Safety Transformation Trust
More News & Values
Recent Stories Peace
Gaza cease-fire talks: Egypt, US hopeful a formula has been found
Forgiveness
A tender way to treat armed militias
Balance
Beyond TikTok ban: How one state is grappling with teens and scrolling
See all News & Values stories
Special project
Can trust bring connection and hope in a divided world? Discover how through global news stories.
Rebuilding trust News Economy Education Environment Foreign Policy Law & Courts Politics Science Security Society Culture Arts Food Movies Music Television The Home Forum In a Word Monitor Movie Guide All Culture Books Author Q&As Book Reviews Reader Recommendations All Books Commentary The Monitor's View Readers Respond
A Christian Science Perspective
From the Editors All Commentary More News Briefs Points of Progress
People Making a Difference
Photo Galleries Podcasts Monitor Breakfast Monitor Daily April 29, 2024
When persistence is the demand
Our top stories today deal with very difficult conversations. One involves cease-fire prospects in Gaza; the other, women’s profound concerns after the overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s conviction for felony sex crimes, including rape.The root issues in both cases are not new ones. Nor are there easy answers. Yet negotiators keep pressing against suspicion and violence. Advocates point to shifts in attitudes that may seem incremental, but can be built upon. It’s a reminder of the essential ingredient in pursuing progress amid searing and seemingly intractable situations: persistence.
Listen to or read today's issue
Regions Africa Americas Asia Pacific Europe Middle East
South & Central Asia
USA All World Recent Stories
Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction was overturned. What does that mean for #MeToo?
Gaza cease-fire talks: Egypt, US hopeful a formula has been found
Americans don’t trust self-driving semis. We’re about to share the road with them.
Featured Coverage
The Christian Science Monitor's coverage of the 2023 war between Hamas and Israel, and related articles.
Connect with the stories
War in the Middle East
Values Behind the News
A deeper view that unites instead of divides, connecting why the story matters to you.
Explore News & Values
Free newsletters
One month free trial to the Monitor Daily
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization offering calm, thoughtful, award-winning coverage for independent thinkers. We tackle difficult conversations and divisive issues–we don’t shy away from hard problems. But you’ll find in each Monitor news story qualities that can lead to solutions and unite us–qualities such as respect, resilience, hope, and fairness.
About us Search Log out Manage your account Subscription FAQs Contact Customer Service Current Issues Monitor Daily
Monitor Weekly digital edition
of stories this month > Get unlimited stories
Your subscription makes our work possible.
We want to bridge divides to reach everyone.
Subscribe Get stories that empower and uplift daily. See our other FREE newsletters . Your email address
By signing up, you agree to our
Privacy Policy . Already a subscriber?
Log in to hide ads
. Select free newsletters: The Weekender
A selection of the most viewed stories this week on the Monitor's website.
Every Saturday Announcements
Hear about special editorial projects, new product information, and upcoming events.
Occasional Today's Highlights
Select stories from the Monitor that empower and uplift.
Every Weekday Politics
An update on major political events, candidates, and parties twice a week.
Twice a Week Science & Nature
Stay informed about the latest scientific discoveries & breakthroughs.
Every Tuesday Commentary
A weekly digest of Monitor views and insightful commentary on major events.
Every Thursday Books
Latest book reviews, author interviews, and reading trends.
Every Friday Culture & Learning
A weekly update on music, movies, cultural trends, and education solutions.
Every Thursday Christian Science Perspective
The three most recent Christian Science articles with a spiritual perspective.
Every Monday Close × Difference Maker
Barbara Harrell-Bond gives refugees what they say they need most – legal aid
The tiny Fahamu Refugee Programme has an ambitious goal: provide lawyers and advocates around the world with the legal resources they need to win a refugee's case.
|
Courtesy of Barbara Harrell-Bond
Barbara Harrell-Bond has received the Order of the British Empire for her work.
Loading... By Stell Simonton Contributor February 28, 2014 | Oxford, England
Barbara Harrell-Bond dashes off an e-mail from
England
to her daughter in the
United States
. Would her daughter please call Vedaste Kazamarande, a refugee recently arrived in the US from
Uganda ?
Mr. Kazamarande, who is blind, had just been resettled in Abilene, Texas, a city where he knew no one. Through Dr. Harrell-Bond's efforts, Kazamarande had gained refugee status after fleeing war and persecution in Congo.
Harrell-Bond's daughter placed the call, found that he had the assistance of a local church, and then assured her that the new arrival had at least a few community resources.
It's all in a day's work for Harrell-Bond who, long past a typical retirement age, is hard at work in her apartment in Oxford, England. It's crowded with papers, laptops, and student interns providing the thing that refugees tell her they most need – legal aid.
In 2009 she founded the Fahamu Refugee Programme. It now has one paid employee, her codirector Themba Lewis. Its goal is ambitious: to create a global clearinghouse of information so that lawyers and advocates – across borders and cultures – can find resources to support a refugee's case.
She constantly receives calls and e-mails with desperate pleas.
Recommended Community
In Kentucky, the oldest Black independent library is still making history
A Rwandan
man hears her on a BBC World Service program and urgently seeks help. He is in China studying computer science, but his government insists that he come home to testify against a political opposition leader. He says the government wants him to give false testimony, and he refuses. Rwanda revokes his passport and he is left in limbo. Using Skype and e-mail, Harrell-Bond helps him prepare testimony to seek refugee status from the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR).
"I actually did his whole case," she says. "We have every reason to assume he would be locked up or killed."
A woman in Britain
worries that if she goes back to
Sierra Leone
she will not be able to protect her small daughters from genital mutilation. Harrell-Bond writes a 17-page statement about female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone to show the court that the woman's concerns are well founded.
A man in Angola is attacked and beaten, and then arrested by police for his political activity. After pressure from human rights groups, he is released but keeps receiving threats. He flees to Britain, but his appeal for asylum is denied. Harrell-Bond gathers information that shows his claim is valid.
People who must flee quickly often turn up without identification documents. They have no contacts and no cash. Nevertheless, they have to go through a strict legal process to make their case for refugee status.
Recommended Trust
A majority of Americans no longer trust the Supreme Court. Can it rebuild?
Those without legal assistance find the deck stacked against them.
For example, in 2012, only 36 percent of the 70,400 people who came to the US and applied for asylum were successful, according to figures from the UNHCR. But those with lawyers had a much higher success rate. For example, 90 percent of asylum seekers represented by the pro bono lawyers group Human Rights First had a favorable ruling.
"It's a very unfair situation," says Sarah Ignatius, executive director of the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project, a nonprofit group in Boston that provides legal aid. "Many more resources should be available to help asylum seekers since the stakes are so high. It makes a huge difference."
International law "acknowledges that refugees have the right to legal assistance, but it's too seldom available," Harrell-Bond says.
Lawyers and other advocates who work with refugees are often dispersed and isolated, says Mr. Lewis, Harrell-Bond's codirector. "They work across different languages, legal systems, and experiences." For example, Somalians might be seeking asylum in Thailand, Yemen, or Norway, where a lawyer may not know the situation in Somalia and the possible persecution there. Lawyers may not be familiar with case law in another country that relates to the problem. They may have few resources.
Recommended Trust
Columbia’s president called the police. Students say they don’t know who to trust.
"We also work in a complicated area of law and against political opinion," Lewis adds.
On a Friday afternoon, the small kitchen-living room in Harrell-Bond's apartment is filled with a dozen people. She sits at a computer at the end of the kitchen counter. Lewis has a small desk in the corner. Interns, mostly law students, are scattered at two tables.
They are busy compiling information for the group's website, which includes a list of special issues that lawyers for refugees could face. The issues range from "apostasy" to "witchcraft."
A lawyer handling a case in which witchcraft is the reason for seeking asylum must know how to explain the threat to a court and show how it constitutes persecution. So a list of articles, experts on the subject, and knowledgeable lawyers is presented – as well as an explanation of places in the world where this occurs.
Under the heading "apostasy," the website provides resources for those persecuted for changing religions. The staff is currently working to gather and provide legal resources for those persecuted for their sexual or gender orientation as well.
For a while the only sounds are a clock ticking, papers shuffling, and keyboards clicking. Then Harrell-Bond suddenly speaks: She's received an e-mail asking if she knows anyone who can identify Congolese military uniforms. The e-mail is from a lawyer trying to help a client prove he was in the Congolese military. She fires off a helpful reply.
Recommended Responsibility
Can cities criminalize camping? Here’s what to know about Supreme Court case.
Her interns are hard at work, too. Violeta Barrera has unearthed a source of information on current attitudes toward Palestinians in
Egypt
. She flips through articles and printouts in a red loose-leaf notebook. A Palestinian is fighting deportation to Egypt, where he was born, and is seeking to show he would face persecution there.
"People will contact her from everywhere," Ms. Barrera says of Harrell-Bond. "They'll ask, 'Do you know anyone who can tell us about this?' And she will.... And the case will have a more positive outcome."
Part of the information Harrell-Bond is compiling is a network of contacts she has developed over the years. She's putting it all in a computerized database.
A native of South Dakota, Harrell-Bond attended what is now Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky. She married a minister, moved to Los Angeles, and worked with Hungarian refugees through the National Council of Churches.
The couple eventually moved to England, where they divorced, and she, with three young children, sought to finish her education. She enrolled in the social anthropology program at the
University of Oxford
, graduated with distinction, and went on to gain a PhD in 1971.
She spent many years doing research in Sierra Leone and throughout
West Africa
, specializing in family and administrative law. In 1982, she founded the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. Upon retirement, she pursued research in Kenya and Uganda, and ended up establishing the Refugee Law Project at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. In her late 60s she began teaching at the American University in Cairo, establishing a legal assistance program there.
Recommended Trust
Samuel Paty was murdered, and teaching in France has never been the same
She's received many awards for her work, including the Order of the British Empire.
Harrell-Bond's approach is fierce and scholarly. She has been critical of the UNHCR. Her book "Imposing Aid" argues, among other things, that the industry of aid sometimes benefits the helpers more than the refugees.
But she is dogged in her commitment to refugees. "Barbara is fundamentally, unyieldingly dedicated to the concept of refugee protection and respect for refugees," Lewis says.
Kazamarande is one of them. His claim for refugee status was initially denied by the UNHCR with no reason given. Harrell-Bond helped him appeal the decision.
"I consider her my savior," he says.
• Visit www.refugeelegalaidinformation.org . Recommended Cooperation
Congress moves on Ukraine aid. Doubts about US leadership persist.
Help refugees UniversalGiving
helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations worldwide. Projects are vetted by Universal Giving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause.
Below are groups selected by UniversalGiving that help refugees:
• USA for UNHCR
supports the work of the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency that provides protection and assistance to those forced to flee their homes. Take action:
Donate to USA for UNHCR
. Get stories that empower and uplift daily.
By signing up, you agree to our
Privacy Policy . Already a subscriber?
Log in to hide ads
. • Global Citizens Network
promotes cross-cultural understanding through authentic immersion experiences. Take action:
Volunteer in a Tibetan refugee settlement in Nepal
. • The GVN Foundation
supports the charitable and educational work of local organizations worldwide. Take action:
Volunteer in education and community outreach in Uganda
. You've read of free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Help fund Monitor journalism for $11/ month
Already a subscriber? Login Mark Sappenfield Editor
Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations.
Our work isn't possible without your support.
Subscribe
Unlimited digital access $11/month.
Already a subscriber? Login Digital subscription includes:
Unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.
CSMonitor.com archive.
The Monitor Daily email.
No advertising. Cancel anytime. Subscribe
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
Mark Sappenfield , Editor editor@csmonitor.com Subscribe Related stories In Pictures
Syrian refugees seeking safety and peace
Change Agent
Maggie Doyne went from high school graduate to surrogate mother of 40 in Nepal
Change Agent
In an Afghan refugee camp, she looked to universal principles of law
Change Agent
In Lebanon, a doctor offers comfort and healing to refugees from neighboring wars
Change Agent
Two extraordinary African women tell their stories
Share this article Copy link Link copied. × Mark Sappenfield Editor Dear Reader,
About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:
“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”
If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.
But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.
The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.
We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”
If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.
Subscribe to insightful journalism
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2014/0228/Barbara-Harrell-Bond-gives-refugees-what-they-say-they-need-most-legal-aid
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe Get stories that empower and uplift daily. See our other FREE newsletters . Your email address
By signing up, you agree to our
Privacy Policy . Already a subscriber?
Log in to hide ads
. Select free newsletters: The Weekender
A selection of the most viewed stories this week on the Monitor's website.
Every Saturday Announcements
Hear about special editorial projects, new product information, and upcoming events.
Occasional Today's Highlights
Select stories from the Monitor that empower and uplift.
Every Weekday Politics
An update on major political events, candidates, and parties twice a week.
Twice a Week Science & Nature
Stay informed about the latest scientific discoveries & breakthroughs.
Every Tuesday Commentary
A weekly digest of Monitor views and insightful commentary on major events.
Every Thursday Books
Latest book reviews, author interviews, and reading trends.
Every Friday Culture & Learning
A weekly update on music, movies, cultural trends, and education solutions.
Every Thursday Christian Science Perspective
The three most recent Christian Science articles with a spiritual perspective.
Every Monday Close × ISSN 2573-3850 (online) Follow us: About Contact Us Subscribe
Give a Gift Subscription
Support Monitor Journalism Free Newsletters Careers Social Media Community Connect Content Map Text Edition RSS Reprints & Permissions Multimedia
A Christian Science Perspective
© 1980–2024 The Christian Science Monitor.
All Rights Reserved. Terms.
Privacy Policy. Cookies Settings
This website uses cookies to
improve functionality and performance. By continuing to browse the site
you are agreeing to our
use of cookies . Close Subscription expired Your subscription to
The Christian Science Monitor has expired.
You can renew your subscription or
continue to use the site without a
subscription. Renew subscription
Return to the free version of the site
If you have questions about your account, please
contact customer service
or call us at
1-617-450-2300 .
This message will appear once per week
unless you renew or
log out. Session expired
Your session to The Christian
Science Monitor has expired. We
logged you out. Log in again
Return to the free version of the site
If you have questions about your account, please
contact customer service
or call us at
1-617-450-2300 . No subscription
You don’t have a Christian Science Monitor
subscription yet. Subscribe now
Return to the free version of the site
If you have questions about your account, please
contact customer service
or call us at
1-617-450-2300 . |