Refugee Self-Representation and Participation in Policymaking

This talk addresses the exclusion of refugees from policymaking and advocates for their self-representation, drawing on the speaker's personal experience as a Syrian refugee. It highlights the shift from symbolic consultation to meaningful engagement and calls for refugees to be partners in shaping programs and policies that affect their lives.

■ Personal journey and the refugee label
- The speaker's family's displacement and his decision to embrace the refugee label
- Initial experiences of exclusion at panels and events

■ The Network for Refugee Voices and UNHCR engagement
- Co-founding a refugee-led platform for participation in policymaking
- UNHCR granting observer status in Global Compact on Refugees consultations

■ The long-term nature of displacement
- Average stay in refugee camps and the need for self-representation
- The argument that self-representation is a right, not a privilege

■ Call to action for partnership
- Urging institutions to include refugees in designing programs and policies
- The principle of 'nothing about us without us'

This talk is for those interested in refugee rights, humanitarian policy, and participatory approaches. Viewers will gain an understanding of the importance of refugee self-representation and practical steps to foster inclusive policymaking.